The aim of the European Red Cross/Red Crescent Network for Psychosocial Support (ENPS) is to facilitate exchange of experience and developments in the psychosocial domain within the National Societies of the RC/RC Movement; co-ordinate resources and help the transfer of good practices.

Structure:

The European Red Cross/Red Crescent network for Psychosocial Support (ENPS) was established in 2000. It is open to all 53 National Societies in Europe.

For the present steering committee (SC) look here.

Origins:

The idea of creating a regional European network for Psychological Support within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stemmed from specific experiences of collaboration between the European RC/RC Societies over the last 20 years within the context of catastrophic events.

ANNUAL ENPS MEETING: As in Innsbruck in 2004, the ENPS held the annual meeting in Budapest 2005 where 45 participants from 27 National Societies and 4 IFRC regional office, participated in presentations and workshops on the following themes: community based psychosocial support, a working model for the field, PS training, supporting the helpers and building resilience.

2006 the meeting was hosted by the Hellenic Red Cross in Athens. Over 40 participants and 28 National Societies were represented. The main theme of the forum, “Working with our volunteers in Communities”, seemed to stimulate all of the participants to reflect and advance on future strategy.

The first international consultation on psychological support was held in Copenhagen in 1991. Two international RC/RC conferences on psychological support were held in Copenhagen in 1995 and in Lyon in 1998 where the advantage of forming a network was further underlined.

The French Red Cross, during it's year of Presidency of the European Union of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in 2000 organised the formative meeting of the European network, ENPS. It was at this meeting that a founding Charter was endorsed. (See attached document).

This Charter set out the missions and functioning of the ENPS and includes a common definition of psychological support. At the same meeting a Steering Committee was formed to promote the development of the network. During the Steering Committee meeting held before the 4th International RC/RC Conference on Psychological Support in 2001 in Copenhagen, the Secretariat of ENPS was conferred on the French Red Cross.

Objectives:

The objectives of the ENPS are fully set-out in the Charter and are briefly as follows:

• To take an inventory and share experiences and practices in psychological support in the national European societies. This includes action and team training programmes adapted to cultural sensitivities.
• To establish and develop the specificities of psychological support in the Red Cross Movement at the European level.
• To set-up a co-operation between the National Societies, the authorities and the European institutions.
• To work in contact with the IFRC Reference Centre for Psychological Support based in Danish Red Cross.