On Tuesday 3 December, the Psychology of Social Problems Research Group (HUM289) organised a horizontal working meeting with professionals from the Provincial Institute of Social Welfare of Cordoba (IPBS) at the Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre of the University of Granada. The aim of this conference was to generate synergies between institutions and professionals to address social problems from a theoretical and applied approach in the field of Social Psychology.
The IPBS, an organisation that structures and articulates the implementation of public policies and the management of social services in municipalities of less than 20,000 inhabitants in the province of Cordoba, shared with the HUM289 team its most recent initiatives and explored ways of collaboration for future research and social projects.
Pilot Projects Presented by the IPBS
During the conference, three pilot projects that the IPBS is implementing in municipalities of Cordoba, financed through the European Social Fund and the Next Generation EU mechanism, were presented.
The project ‘Socio-labour Reinsertion for Families, with Special Attention to Women and Youth’ [Reinserción Sociolaboral para Familias, con Especial Atención a Mujeres y Jóvenes], presented by Virginia Oteros and Cristina Rivero, seeks to improve the socio-labour inclusion of families in vulnerable situations, with a particular focus on women and youth. Through psychosocial support, it promotes employability and the return to the education system, fostering social inclusion and access to educational and employment resources.
Next, the project ‘Link up: Positive Parenting, Promotion of Good Treatment and Development of Secure Attachment’ [Vincúlate: Parentalidad Positiva, Promoción del Buen Trato y Desarrollo del Apego Seguro] was presented, presented by Ana Belén Mantero and Elizabeth Castro, which seeks to promote a positive development of the attachment bond between mothers, fathers and their children from the prenatal stage to the early years of childhood. The focus of the project revolves around positive parenting and the promotion of good treatment of children.
Finally, the project ‘Door to Door’ [Puerta por puerta], presented by Esther Toro Alcalá and Bernardo Baena Ruiz, focuses on care for the elderly, promoting their autonomy, self-esteem and the development and maintenance of cognitive, psychological and emotional skills.
In addition to the presentation of projects, lines of collaboration were discussed that will allow HUM289 and IPBS to join forces to mitigate various social problems. Among the proposals are joint research and systematic reviews on issues relevant to IPBS workers.
This meeting marks an important step in the construction of inter-institutional networks to address social challenges from a holistic perspective, with Social Psychology as a fundamental axis to generate impact in the most vulnerable communities of Cordoba.