On the 18th of March, Diagrama Foundation travelled to Belgium for a 3-day visit as part of the project “ICE – Into Caring Europe”. ICE aims to improve the quality of domiciliary community care by learning about existing qualifications in each partner country. The partners’ objective is to develop a foundation course to raise the standard of domiciliary care available and to raise awareness about the needs of clients.

Diagrama was welcomed by the project’s host partner, Group Ubuntu, a Flemish non-profit organisation active in the domain of mental, physically disabled people & elderly clients, and joined by Fundación Diagrama, a large Spanish non-profit organisation that offers support to a diverse range of client groups in need, including the elderly. In addition, throughout the visit the partners were introduced to players from different Belgian sectors with a stake in domiciliary care and training.

Group Ubuntu prepared an active and all-inclusive programme that included visits to day centres for people with mental disabilities, local support resources, and a farm. The programme also included informative seminars about the Belgian care system and the training and qualifications that are on offer. The partners had a chance to discuss the differences and similarities about the system in each participating country, which included discussions about what is happening on a local and national level, as well as what works in each country.

The trip was yet another productive and successful visit that has left Diagrama and its partners with much to think about, and each organisation will continue to think about new ways for improving the care system.