Social educators and psychologists from the Italian organisation Il Fiore del Deserto visited Sofia as part of the E.S.P.E.C.I.A.L. project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. Over the course of three days, from 28 to 30 July, they exchanged professional experience with the team of the Social Activities and Practices Institute (SAPI) and learned about Bulgarian models of working with children, young people and families in vulnerable situations.

The visit marked the second mobility within the project and built on the professional exchange that began in June, when SAPI specialists visited Rome. During that visit, they became familiar with the working models of Il Fiore del Deserto and Itineres, organisations providing support to children and young people with high-risk behaviour, including those placed in residential care by court order and young people with mental health conditions.

During their visit to SAPI's Community Support Centre in Sofia, the Italian professionals learned about the organisation of Bulgaria's social service system, the work of the Community Support Centre, and SAPI's overall approach and activities. Particular interest was generated by the integrated Zona ZaKrila (Barnahus – "all under one roof") model, which brings together social services, the police, the prosecution service and the judiciary to provide coordinated and child-friendly support to children who are victims or witnesses of violence. The participants shared that this was the practice they would most like to introduce into their own work, highlighting the value of having all key institutions working together in one place to ensure better protection and support for children.

On the second day, the activities of the Integrated Social Services Complex for Children and Families in Vidin, managed by SAPI, were presented. The Vidin team shared their experience in providing services through the Community Support Centre, the Centre for Children Living or Working on the Street, the Crisis Centre and the Supported Housing service.

The meetings created an opportunity to discuss both the similarities and the differences between Bulgarian and Italian professional practices. The Italian participants expressed their appreciation for the high level of professionalism and humanity demonstrated by the Bulgarian teams in their work with children who have committed offences and children who are victims of crime. They also noted the strong enthusiasm they encountered in Bulgaria for developing and introducing new professional practices, while observing that in Italy many well-established procedures have become so familiar that they are often taken for granted.

The final day was dedicated to the joint development of training materials that will be used within the project. At the end of the visit, the guests described their overall impression of the SAPI team as overwhelmingly positive. They also shared that SAPI's Community Support Centre in Sofia impressed them as a beautiful, welcoming and well-maintained environment that reflects the professionalism, dedication and care of the specialists working there.

The exchange further strengthened the partnership between the participating organisations and confirmed the importance of international cooperation for improving the quality of social services and supporting professionals working with children and young people.

The project E.S.P.E.C.I.A.L. – Enhancing Specialised Professional Educators Competences for Inclusion, Abilities, Skills is funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Programme. The project is coordinated by Fondazione Luigi Quondamatteo, with the Social Activities and Practices Institute (SAPI) and Il Fiore del Deserto as project partners.