EUFAMI’s Prospect Training Programmes
In 2001 EUFAMI member associations recogised the need for empowerment of family carers through a new approach to training.
Existing courses were reviewed in Europe and the USA, and it was decided to develop an (EUFAMI) tailored approach because nothing based on empowerment existed at this time.
The project Prospect was developed, and it focused on developing Training Programmes based on innovative concepts such as:
- peer to peer
- an equal footing experience
- participation (not information dispensing and receiving)
- not providing answers or solutions but opening up to new ways of thinking and perspectives
This project successfully obtained funding obtained from the European Commission under the Leonardo da Vinci programme and from an educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company.
EUFAMI managed and coordinated the project with 14 member organisations and the project designed and produced 3 training programmes and a common ground module for:
- Family and Friends
- Health and Social Care Professionals
- People with Self-Experience
In 2004, the Prospect Training Programmes are considered innovative and unique because they were not based on “information giving” rather on the participants’ own personal experiences. The facilitators had first-hand experience from the group they facilitate. It is for example a family carer who facilitates the Prospect Family and Friends training programme. This peer to peer communication encourages the participants to share their own experiences in order to open up to new ways of thinking and perspectives. Prospect does not provide the answers but looks at the possible solutions. By way of a structured group process, the participants are presented with ideas based on models of best practice and interactive exercises.
The global philosophy of the Prospect Training Programmes is to break the cycle of social isolation, limitation and discrimination and enable participants to embark upon their own a path towards “recovery”.
Since 2004 the Prospect Training Programmes have continued to be provided in various EUFAMI member countries.
In 2019 EUFAMI successfully developed a new partnership with the Johnson & Johnson Foundation which has enabled EUFAMI to work with the active Prospect implementing countries and update the Family and Friends Training Programme.
The work on the EUFAMI Prospect Family and Friends Training Programme was completed in 2021 and representatives from six EUFAMI member organisations took part in this process. This phase of the project concluded with “A Better Prospect” Event to celebrate the updated version.
The revised version is available in Czech, English, Finnish, French, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. To find out more, press Contents . The revised version is available in Czech, English, Finnish, French, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. To find out more, press
In 2022, the work commenced on updating the remaining EUFAMI Prospect Training materials: The People with Self-Experience Training Programme, The Health and Social Care Professionals Training Programme and the Common Ground Module.
The revised versions of these Prospect Materials should be ready for July 2023.
If you are interesting in finding out more, please email Gwen Crawford projects@eufami.org
Below you can find links to the EUFAMI members implementing Prospect in Europe: