ELLAN – European Later Life Active Network: Transnational development of an agreed Core European Competencies Framework for working with older people

Background:
The need for cooperation throughout Europe to meet new challenges in professional work with older people seems to be undeniable. Therefore, it is regarded as essential to build on both, inter- and transnational partnerships between Higher Education Institutes and transprofessional partnerships, including older adults on the one hand and students on the other hand, as experts of their own experience. In this context the EU-funded Project ELLAN (2013 – 2016) takes place with a consortium of 28 partners from all over Europe.
Educational Philosophy or theory:
The overarching aim of ELLAN is to develop a European Core Competencies Framework for working with older people (ECCF) in the horizon of positive ageing and social cohesion. Moreover, the ECCF is being developed as an instrument for transnational curriculum design in this field. Consequently, the project is designed to share good practice and innovative approaches of both, the work with older adults and competency based learning.
Method:
A Europe-wide literature review exploring competencies required for working with older people has been conducted. Accordingly, qualitative research has been carried out to explore the older people’s ideas about required and desired competencies of professionals. A mixed method’s research related to the professionals and the student’s outlooks has been carried out, accompanied by innovative educational approaches. Finally the results will be consolidated in the ECCF, Competency framework.
Application to Education and /or practice:
Each partner is at the moment working with how to explore possibilities to implement the results from the ELLAN project into the curricula.