In total, more than 1500 persons participated in the distance three-day training sessions organized by the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office. The Seimas Ombudsman Augustinas Normantas was happy to note that the organized trainings have already become a beautiful tradition that empowers the employees of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office to contribute to ensuring the well-being of vulnerable persons in places of deprivation of liberty and the development of employees’ competencies.
During the distance training for employees of specialized correctional institutions, which took place on 6th of May, the Seimas Ombudsman expressed his hope that the high interest of correctional officers in training showed a changing approach to the execution of sentences. Moreover, addressing the heads of the Prisons Department and correctional institutions, the Seimas Ombudsman revealed that he sincerely hopes that the trainings aimed at raising awareness of human rights will help to find solutions to problems based on human rights principles.
“It is important to understand that there will never be too much knowledge about human rights, and that the available knowledge will always be useful in dealing with a wide range of issues related to the daily care of convicts. Therefore, wishing you a meaningful training and constructive discussions, I want to remind you that proper reintegration of convicts into the society very much depends on your efforts and responsible work”, the Seimas Ombudsman Augustinas Normantas noted in his opening speech.
The other training Human Rights-Based Approach in Social Care Institutions: Where There is Room for Improvement? was held even twice, on 29th of April and 7th of and May. Valija Šap, President of the Lithuanian Psychological Association (LPA) and Psychologist of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, also contributed to the training content with her presentation Psychological Services in Social Care Institutions: Challenges and Opportunities.
During the training, Vytautas Valentinavičius, Head of the Human Rights Division of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office, introduced the staff of social care homes to the activities of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office in the field of human rights protection and acknowledged his hope that the good practices presented by the employees of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office would be implemented and noticeable during visits to social care institutions in Lithuania while performing the functions of national prevention of torture.
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