It is a fact that our country is going through a difficult period: more and more young people need help, but those who work with them are often under pressure, with few resources at their disposal and a great deal to do. For this reason, the Catholic University, together with our Foundation and with the support of Fondazione Cariplo, has decided to take concrete action and has launched the project “Stand by me: Addressing Social Workers’ Vulnerability to Support Youth From Social Exclusion,” or SAVE for short.

The goal is simple yet ambitious: to support and protect social workers and all professionals who dedicate themselves daily to minors in vulnerable situations. The project is led by a team of experts from the Catholic University, under the direction of Prof. Mara Gorli, and features our Foundation as a communications partner.

What is the SAVE project?

The name “SAVE” embodies a true mission. The project operates on multiple fronts to truly understand what social workers need and to provide concrete support:

🔎Phase 1: Understanding (through December 2025). We begin with an analysis: who are social workers in Italy, how many are there, and how do they work? We will seek to create a comprehensive snapshot of the sector to better understand the challenges they face.

🧠Phase 2: Understanding (through May 2027). Here we go deeper, seeking to understand what makes a job “high-quality” for a social worker. What factors influence their well-being? The goal is to collect useful data to offer practical suggestions and improve working conditions.

🕵🏻Phase 3: Analyze (through April 2026). We move on to field research. Through a questionnaire, we will collect data on the workplace well-being of workers in residential communities for minors, with a particular focus on Lombardy.

🎤Phase 4: Interview (through April 2027). This is the most human part. The project team will speak directly with the staff, listening to their stories, their emotions, and their daily challenges to understand what helps or hinders them in their work.

⚙️Phase 5: Evaluate (through June 2027). Finally, the project will be transformed into a practical tool: a self-assessment tool that organizations can use to monitor and improve the well-being of their employees.