A bright room in the south-east of Munich with murals on the walls. Here, in the offices of the social enterprise Social Impact, the reintegration counsellors are meeting on a Wednesday morning to exchange ideas. At the same time, a mutual client of theirs is taking off from Munich airport to travel back to his native West Africa. Gildas Bagné, a coach for the StartHope@Home Social Impact programme, tells us about the Nigerian who had completed one of his business training courses. His departure was brought forward, which meant that the man hadn’t yet received the training certificate he needs for his career plans. This certificate is important, for example when applying for start-up loans in his home country.

That’s why Ruth Holzbauer made a call to ensure that the young Nigerian did get the valuable document in time after all. She is a reintegration coach at the Training and Development Centers of the Bavarian Employers' Associations (bfz), and in this case she was responsible for the Nigerian client’s qualification. He had just attended her crafts training course, so she swiftly sorted out his certificate. “When deadlines are tight, we work together even more closely”, says Gildas Bagné. Ruth Holzbauer adds: “That isn’t just helpful in this specific case. People then go and spread the word about how we pull together to do the best for them.”

Better communication, fewer missed appointments

How does this cooperation work in practice? A core team, which also includes Katherine Kellein and Judith Steinbach from Social Impact as well as Holzbauer and Osterloh, meets on a regular basis, twice a week online and occasionally in person. At these meetings, the returnees’ cases are discussed and procedures are agreed upon directly. These may include aspects such as when a particular training course would be useful and when it is being planned, or if a client doesn't have adequate access to a computer for a qualification or a video call. It also covers who can provide support for this case in an uncomplicated way. “Working with the cooperation partners saves a lot of time and avoids any misunderstandings. It makes communication much more effective”, stresses Judith Steinbach from Social Impact. It also results in clients attending 90 per cent of their appointments. The reintegration scout Osterloh feels that this is major progress, and can't be taken for granted.

“Together we can provide a complete service because we complement one another”, Bagné says. One person in the team simultaneously serves as the main spokesperson. “We make a decision based on who has established the best contact”, says Osterloh. This coordinated procedure encourages those who are looking to return to their home countries to trust those trying to help them. They experience a coherent approach rather than a multitude of voices, which is very important – particularly given the difficult circumstances due to the corona pandemic. In 2021, around 55 people from different countries were able to take part in the “Reintegration Coaching with Qualification” initiative that the bfz held throughout Bavaria as part of the “Returning to New Opportunities” programme. More than half of them were able to return to their home countries with useful certificates.

Ruth Holzbauer also has enough experience to know that trust is the most important currency. As a bfz reintegration coach, in recent months she has heard that people are starting to talk about the reliable and coordinated reintegration counselling available in Bavaria, both for people who want to return to their home countries as well as among multipliers in the likes of NGOs. This makes it possible to reach even more people. “It’s becoming widely known now, and the great work we've been doing together is now paying dividends”, Holzbauer states optimistically.

As of: 02/2022