SIMPRA Specialization in methods and practices for strengthening social care and support pathways

With an effective bridge between theory and practice, the Master’s adopts innovative methodologies to enhance participants’ professional experience and promote active and reflective learning. The objective is to offer the opportunity to critically analyze service practices in light of the most recent theories and methodologies. The program is structured in three sections of original teaching:

1. Lectures and courses: the methodologies adopted aim to challenge participants’ tacit or preconceived knowledge, promoting conscious adoption of new perspectives and reasons for action.
2. Workshops: bridge between theory and practice: they represent a central and innovative element of the Master’s and are designed to connect the theoretical learning acquired during lectures and professional practices – ongoing in participants’ ATS of origin – through critical analysis of case studies, debates, and progressive analysis.
3. Project Work, catalyst for innovation for ATS: the final project work represents the culmination of the training program, configured as a strategic tool to ensure a concrete impact of Master’s attendance on ATS territories. Furthermore, it aims at the tailored development for each ATS of sustainable projects, integrating innovation, acquired skills, and territorial challenges.

The Master’s target audience consists of employees with fixed-term or permanent contracts from Territorial Social Areas or Municipalities, working in the social services sector with specific tasks/functions within multidisciplinary teams.

It addresses professional figures with particular reference to activities related to multidimensional assessment phases, related care management and support within personalized projects and/or social support programs. Specifically, it aims to specialize multidisciplinary teams for the implementation of LEPS in the area of poverty reduction policies and social policies in favor of children, adolescents, and families.

The Master’s is structured in 12 courses, organized into three multidisciplinary modules that integrate with seminar activities to enhance field experiences and with practical workshops.

These are the modules and the eight workshops that dynamize and enhance them:

Module 1: The integrated system of social interventions and services
Offers a comprehensive overview of the Italian and European welfare system, structured in four courses. It starts from constitutional foundations and social policies in Italy, then explores multilevel governance from local to European Union contexts. The module continues by analyzing the integrated welfare system, focusing on intersectorality and key actors. Finally, it examines social programming and Essential Levels of Social Services (LEPS), examining national Plans and their territorial implementation. Through these courses, participants acquire an in-depth understanding of the dynamics and challenges of contemporary welfare.

Module 2: Policies, programs and practices for poverty reduction
The four courses in this module examine poverty reduction strategies and social inclusion, starting from the global context of the 2030 Agenda to Italian policies. They explore the dimensions of poverty and social vulnerability, analyzing impacts and methodological approaches. The module examines Essential Levels of Social Services (LEPS) and inclusion pathways, from care management to combating marginalization. Finally, it focuses on parental support and child development within the context of Social Inclusion Pacts, offering a comprehensive view of welfare and inclusion policies.

Module 3: Policies, programs and intervention practices in the area of family vulnerability prevention, child protection and safeguarding
The four courses that make up this module focus on policies and practices for child protection and support for vulnerable families. They explore national Guidelines for intervention with children and families, from foster care to residential care. The module examines vulnerable parenting, analyzing support pathways and integrated intervention. It examines the role of multidisciplinary teams in service integration, highlighting the importance of interprofessional collaboration. Finally, it addresses participation and co-design, from individual to community dimensions, promoting an inclusive and solidarity-based approach in welfare.

Workshop 1
Methods and pathways of co-design between public administration and third sector

Workshop 2
Social skills of active listening and communication in contexts of vulnerability

Workshop 3
“The Child’s World: maps to explore 0-3” as an observation and reflection tool for families with young children

Workshop 4
Methodologies and practices for designing foster care and family reunification

Workshop 5
Parent and child groups and home-based education for family empowerment

Workshop 6
Documentation and professional writing in multidisciplinary teams: needs analysis and intervention design in reflective and participatory practice

Workshop 7
Reflective, participatory and interconnected practices: the use of tools for listening and co-decision making with individuals and families in home-based education, in school-family-services partnership and in solidarity neighborhood support

Workshop 8
Innovation in social services: participatory design, data analysis and artificial intelligence applications

The Master’s was created in response to the innovative Notice from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies (MLPS), which for the first time involves Italian Universities in strengthening the welfare system, as provided for in the National Plan for interventions and social services for poverty reduction 2024-2026.

The MLPS objective is to ensure the development of essential and quality services throughout the national territory: therefore, the Master’s aims to train professionals capable of making the rights of the most vulnerable citizens enforceable, offering post-graduate training primarily aimed at social workers, psychologists, educators, and pedagogists from Territorial Social Areas (ATS).

The Master’s is based on a solid background of experience and innovation in supporting vulnerable families. The FISPPA Department of the University of Padua boasts a 14-year collaboration with the P.I.P.P.I. program (Intervention Program for Prevention of Institutionalization), demonstrating constant commitment in this crucial sector.

This commitment has led to significant results: in 2021, the P.I.P.P.I. methodology became an LEPS (Essential Level of Social Services) for the right to support families in vulnerable conditions. This milestone underscores the effectiveness of the developed approach, now an integral part of Italian social policies.

At the heart of this methodology is the work in Multidisciplinary Teams that ensures integrated support for vulnerable families.

The multi-year experience, combined with institutional recognition, enriches the Department’s curriculum and offers the Master’s a unique perspective.

Students will benefit from cutting-edge training, based on years of research and successes in the field of welfare and family support. This solid foundation of knowledge and practical experience ensures that the Master’s offers comprehensive and up-to-date preparation, in line with the most recent developments in the sector.

The Master’s program was designed to capitalize on this rich experience, offering students the opportunity to learn from experts who have directly contributed to the development and implementation of innovative methodologies in the field of family support.

The Master’s is distinguished by its solid network of partnerships, which enrich and enhance the educational offering. Collaboration with key organizations such as the Veneto Region, CNOAS, CROAS, the Order of Psychologists, and associations of educators and pedagogists ensures constant alignment between academic training and professional reality. The involvement of territorial ATS and ULSS allows the valorization of innovative local experiences, while the partnership with Agevolando offers valuable training opportunities with “experts by experience.” The Antonio Papisca Human Rights Center ensures the integration of a human rights perspective. These partnerships are realized through teaching by sector professionals, workshops with external experts, field visits, collaborative project work, and dissemination activities. This network of partnerships makes the Master’s an experience deeply rooted in the territory and at the same time open to innovative and multidisciplinary perspectives.