Goals: describe the main goals of the good practice

The aim is to provide  to citizens from all over Slovakia 24 hours daily help and advice, providing help to people who are abused and whose rights are violating.

Professional advice in protection of rights

Legal advice when violation of his/her rights, in risk situations, discrimination and abuse

Raise legal awareness

Provision of information

Raising self-confidence of seniors

Provision of concrete help

Target Group: describe on which group the good practice is targeted

Senior line is free of charge. It is focused on older people, lonely people, citizens whose rights are violated, who are in unfavourable situation, they are abused. We are raising their legal awareness and provide them information on demands, rights and legal norms. We are raising self-confidence of seniors and interest in protection of own rights and active involvement into enforcement of own needs and activities to affect the policy. We provide information on how to defend against violation of rights, where and on whom they can turn to. We discuss the results with National centre for human rights, public defender of rights; we submit them to Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Justice.

Approach: describe the way in which the good practice is implemented.

We provide help, legal and social advice to citizens from all over Slovakia 24 hours daily – via telephono or face-to-face.

In risk situations we provide concrete help – we provide services, moving to social institutions, communication with lawyers and other organisations to protect their rights. We communicate with self-government and state administration, police and other organisations dealing with the discrimination of older people and look for possibilities of solving problems of the elderly who are discriminated, abused. We process reports which are a background for national report on discrimination.

Who does implement this good practice? Mention, if relevant, the organisation or persons who do the work.

This practice is implemented by our organisation – Fórum pre pomoc starším – we run it already 3 years, where we provide to older citizens at national level advice and help in crisis situations. This activity is usable also for other organisations. There are similar lines at local offices in some regions like Nitra and Prievidza.

What material is available on this good practice (description, website etc.)

Information is available at website www.forumseniorov.sk

How widely is this good practice used in your country?

This line is at national level and is the only nation-wide line within Slovakia – for older people. similar activities are in service also for other groups – disabled, in cities – through municipal offices.

What are the results, outcomes, experiences with this good practice? Please mention the source(s).

We have processed a report from this work and was presented at various events, conferences. Its results are presented to government. They are written in national report of National centre for human rights on discrimination, to Ministry of Labour, we communicate with competent bodies.

Are there effect studies? Please mention the source(s) if the answer is ‘yes’.

There is only report and also information in national report that is elaborated at national level. Our organisation submitted its results to Slovak national centre for human rights that submits the national report to ministry and government

What are the success factors?

Yearly there were 5000 citizens from whole Slovakia who turn to us.