Russian volunteers seek permission to work in all residential homes
Volunteers ask authorities for full permission to work in residential homes
The statement was made at a conference for volunteers who help adults and children under guardianship in residential homes for people with disabilities
09.06.2022
The Special Childhood clinical teaching centre (Osoboe detstvo) published the statement. “Every region and every head of a residence currently takes a piecemeal approach to regulating access for volunteers and relatives,” it states. “In the same region, the same town, or even the same residence, volunteers can be granted or denied access on the say-so of the leadership team.
“We need to have consistent federal rules, which regulate the activities of volunteer groups, civil society organisations and individual volunteers when they are in state-run facilities, and which people would be required to follow when on site, whether they were volunteers, relatives, or leaders of regions or organisations.
“This would help to avoid the piecemeal approach taken by leaders of social care establishments when it comes to volunteering,” the statement sets out.
Volunteers say that, when there are closures because of quarantine and observation, online pathways should be available for children and adults to spend time with their friends, volunteers and loved ones: that requires a stable internet connection and equipment.
The full text of the statement (in Russian) is here.