Report from the visit to Special Institution in Demir Kapija

This report was prepared within the framework of the project “Strengthening human rights and services for children and vulnerable persons at risk in closed institutions”. The main objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of services for target groups through a human rights-based approach. The specific objectives are aimed at improving conditions and protecting human rights, strengthening the capacities of staff and encouraging cooperation between local activists, institutions and the community. Within the first part of the project activities – monitoring and visit – a visit was carried out to The Special institution in Demir Kapija and the housing units.

During the visit, interviews were conducted with the institution’s staff, including the acting director, who is also a special
educator, two social workers, three coordinators of organizational units, two nurses, one laboratory assistant, and
more than twelve caregivers.

The visit was conducted based on a previously developed methodology, and the goal of the monitoring was to obtain a
comprehensive picture of the current living conditions, healthcare, staff capacity, organizational practices and the degree of implementation of the deinstitutionalization process in the institution, with the aim of developing recommendations for improving the quality of services and protecting the rights of beneficiaries.