Commendations and examples of good practice The NPM commended the management and staff of residential group 1 in MD Maribor for the success attained and the achieved one hundred per cent academic performance in the school year 2014/2015; we thus further encourage the free-time activities of individual adolescents, since enthusiasm for sports and relaxation can result in improved interest and efficient studying during the remaining free time. The NPM commended the efforts of all staff in MD Maribor on their wide range of diverse free-time activities. The NPM encourages all stakeholders to continue the practice. The NPM commended the engagement and efforts of VIZ Smlednik when adjusting to the individual needs of certain adolescents and when seeking alternative forms of work to benefit adolescents the most. The NPM commended cooperation with parents and VIZ Smlednik’s activities to guide parents through workshops, consulting and team meetings and a specially prepared guidebook for the education of parents and facilitated planning and monitoring of children’s behaviour at home. In VIZ Smlednik, the NPM particularly commended positive intergenerational cooperation with Medvode retirement home and the Simbioza Association, because we believe that such cooperation can contribute to the socialisation of adolescents. The NPM determined that the premises of the primary school and educational groups in VIZ Smlednik are pleasant and well-arranged. The NPM particularly commended that a small rabbit was being kept in the living room of group 1 and that a terrarium with stick insects had been installed in one of the rooms. The NPM believes that working with animals helps adolescents’ socialisation and helps them to learn responsibility. The NPM also commended the institution’s encouragement of adolescents to separate waste. The NPM commended the idea and efforts of the management of MD Jarše when preparing the project regarding youth apartments, providing assistance to young adults who cannot integrate in their primary family. The project of youth apartments gives the necessary social safety and accompanying expert support to older adolescents who cannot or do not want to return to their primary family after living in a residential group. The NPM commended the activities of MD Jarše and the MIZŠ in preparing a suitable and systemically comprehensive solution in the field of youth apartments. In this respect, we particularly hope that the project of youth apartments is regulated on a legislative basis. Relating to the aforementioned, the NPM expects that the recommendation made during its previous visit, i.e. that the idea of youth apartments be upgraded and expanded to other residential treatment institutions, will be realised in reasonable time. The NPM supports the efforts of staff to encourage adolescents to transfer and use skills they learned in their home environment. The NPM believes that the methods of working with adolescents in MD Jarše are appropriate, since they strive to realise their objectives and enforce responsibility for desired changes. The NPM is certain that the implementation of the production school programme in MD Jarše is a very useful and positive way of guiding adolescents who leave educational institutions. The NPM thus supports the management of MD Jarše regarding possible decisions on further developing the programme. The NPM further supports staff efforts at MD Jarše to increase adolescents’ participation in extracurricular activities. The NPM also established that the staff do their best to give meaning to the children’s and adolescents’ lives, help them participate in extra-curricular activities, and also to form their values and acquire practical skills for later independent life. The NPM commended the cooperation with parents and the activities of MD Jarše when guiding parents at consulting and team meetings, and particularly with the introduction and functioning of the school for parents. The NPM commended the innovative ways of informing adolescents about the rules, their rights and obligations, since these are memorised and internalised more easily when they are presented in a creative form. 106 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2016 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT