"“DIS.CO.” is a Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership supporting innovation in the field of vocational Education and Training, aiming at Enhancing the Work-based skills of Counselling Practitioners through Networking and Capacity Building, on the topic of ""Counselling at a Distance"" when working with Women Victims of Domestic or Sexual Violence or Abuse. The project is led by the Union of Women Associations of Heraklion Prefecture (Greece) and brings together local and European Civil Society Organisations engaged with victim support; Higher Education Institutions in the field of Social Sciences and Psychology; and VET provider experts. The main objectives of the project are: - Strengthen cooperation, exchanges and networking between Partners on the topic of Counselling at a Distance for Women Victims of Violence or Abuse; - Improve work-based skills of Counsellors working with women victims by developing Counselling at a Distance skills through development and delivery of VET; - Promote innovative practices in the field of counselling women victims and exploit ICT potential through developing/ improving ICT related skills and setting up virtual workplaces; - Improve the capacity of participating organisations as well as of other interested organisations through the production and dissemination of training material and courses for staff and volunteers; - Deliver efficient services of high quality for victims of violence or abuse in the context of victim support. DIS.CO. focuses on the creation of specialised training material and tools, to enhance the work-based competences of counselling professionals and to facilitate the creation of virtual workspaces and alternative ways of victim support. So far, despite the fact that the majority of victim support organisations conduct counselling at a distance through teleconference or other means; counsellors and volunteers do not receive specialised training on Counselling at a Distance, as there is no openly accessible training material available. To address this necessity, DISCO has conducted research and analysis so as to identify the needs of professionals and beneficiaries on the topic, and has developed a comprehensive kit of vocational education tools for the capacity building of professionals.In detail, DISCO results include: - A “Needs Assessment” report, exploring issues surrounding women who have experienced abuse and their online and other help seeking behaviour and opinions towards online provision of counselling; - A “Profile of Counsellor at a distance”, focusing on detailing the necessary competences and skills for professionals when working at a distance;- A “Training Curriculum on CaaD”, aiming at improving the work-based skills of counselling professionals;- A “Training Course”, accompanying the curriculum, including an 8-module course structure, useful practical exercises and an assessment tool;- An “Online Course on CaaD”, aligned with the 8-module course structure, covering the theoretical parts of CaaD; - An online “Safety Planning Application”, enabling professionals to design and propose personalized safety plans for victims and monitor their progress.- A “Practical Guide” for relevant organisations describing the lessons learned from the project and providing good practices and practical tips for capacity building of professionals, staff and volunteers. The DIS.CO. educational material and online tools are available for free, online, in five European languages (English, Estonian, German, Greek, Spanish), at: https://discoprojectcom.wordpress.com/ ."