Εκμετάλλευση - Εμπορία Ανθρώπων - Human Exploitation/Trafficking Let-Children-be-Children_Case-studies-refugee-prog | Page 52

Minimising the risk of trafficking and exploitation Unaccompanied and separated children are at higher risk of exploitation and trafficking. Legal uncertainty and prolonged delays in the identification and implementation of durable solutions cause anxiety and distress in children and lead to the deterioration of their well-being, mental health and development. As a result, unaccompanied and separated children are very often not receptive to help offered by formal structures and rely on the support of smugglers and criminal networks to reach out to family or friends in Europe. By providing support and quality care, the project seeks to mini- mise the risk of child trafficking and other forms of exploitation. The project also promotes durable solutions and, by providing legal aid, helps children to get refugee or subsidiary protection and obtain a secure status in Greece or to join family members in other European countries through family reunification procedures. Furthermore, the project provides information sessions and individual counselling on the risks associated with travelling using unsafe means or smuggling networks and seeks the support of parents to make the children aware of such risks. Provisions for staff training Staff members receive regular supervision in a support group setting to address daily challenges, prevent burn out and enhance quality and efficiently of services. In addition, the coordinator of the house holds regular support meetings with the staff. Moreover, continuous training is provided by SOS Children’s Villages Greece. The training programme covers child protection and child rights topics and addresses the specific protection needs and vulnera- bilities of unaccompanied and separated children. It is offered in cooperation with other organisations that work in the field and includes seminars, workshops and individual assessment meetings. Awareness-raising in the local community Targeted information and awareness strategies prior to children’s arrival are crucial to building support within the receiving commu- nity. When the project location was selected, no actions were taken to inform the local community, prepare it for the arrival of the children and promote their inclusion. Nevertheless, shortly after the project was set up, in order to overcome these challenges, SOS Children’s Villages Greece developed awareness-raising activities in the neighbourhood and continuously seeks to create opportuni- ties to bring unaccompanied and separated children and the local community together, for example by enrolling children in local sports centres. Proactive measures were also taken to avoid conflict with the local community and ensure support for the children. The project uses various opportunities to support the local community 52