Diapositiva 1

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FIELD VISIT
Integrated Programme for the Homeless Fundación
RAIS Madrid
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Integrated Programme for the Homeless

• RAIS Foundation
• The Homeless in Spain
• How we work
• With society
• With people

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RAIS Foundation

• Is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1998 by
  professionals in the social field
• Its overall objective as sumarised in its
  statutes is the ongoing cutting edge fight
  against social exclusion
• Develops social intervention programmes with
  homeless people and inmmigrants who are at risk
  of social exclusion
• It works in the Autonomous Communities of Madrid
  (in the cities of Madrid, Móstoles, Alcobendas
  and San Sebastián de los Reyes), Valencia
  (Valencia city) and the Basque Country (cities of
  San Sebastián, Irún and Bilbao)
• Employs 50 professionals
• 48 volunteers
• 73 of its funding came from government grants in
  2005

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The Homeless in Spain

• 21.900 men and women are attended to in homeless
  centres across Spain every year
• In 619 homeless centres
• Only 27,2 of these are state run. The majority
  are of catholic origin
• 73,9 of the centres offer accommodation (some
  10.000 beds)
• The minimum wage is one of the ways to facilitate
  integration but it is not the same in all
  autonomous communities. In Madrid, it is a right
  and is 300 Euros a month
• The homeless are not many in numbers but form
  the principal cause of social exclusion in
  society

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How we work

• To deal with extreem social exclusion we decided
  to focus on two main areas
• 1- With society
• 2- With people
• The integrated programme for homeless people
• Street Work
• Drop in Centre
• Social Support
• Accommodation
• Activation Free time, Training and Work

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How we work with society

• We believe that for social and structural change
  to happen we need to address the root causes of
  social exclusion.
• For this reason we all work, and particularly in
  the Department of Resource Mobilisation in
• Promotion of social volunteering
• Publication of books
• Relationship with the media
• Relationship with private companies interested in
  Corporate Social Responsability
• Working in networks with other social
  organisations
• Working with and building the awareness of
  various public administrations

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How we work with people

• When our Foundation started 8 years ago, the
  main resources available centred around
  satisfying basic immediate needs such as hostels,
  soup kitchens, the provision of clothes etc.
• Three things were essentially lacking and we
  have focused on these for the past 3 years
• 1- Individualised social intervention which is
  necessary to get people started on the process of
  integration
• 2- Flexible drop in programmes that reach out to
  individuals and enable them to exercise their
  right to receive services
• 3- Proposals adapted to the individual in all
  aspects but particualrly in terms of training and
  work

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How we work with people

• WHO ARE THE HOMELESS?
• They are individuals seriously lacking structure
  in their lives and who have a multiple mix of
  problems
• They are not excluded, poor or homeless but
  people who are living a situation of exclusion,
  poverty and lack of a roof over their heads.
• OUR OBJECTIVE
• The main objective of the Integral Homeless
  Programme is to enable the individuals themselves
  to decide to initiate a process of change (in
  their own time and at their own pace)
• This is not an easy objective to fulfil and it
  requires
• Creativity
• Flexibility
• Time (long processes)
• A good deal of resources

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How we work with people

• For this reason we have designed a series of
  programmes that adapt to the homeless with
  flexiblity in order to motivate them to take the
  step towards change.
• All our professionals use as their basic tool
  the relationship they build with the homeless
  which is based on respect and on helping them to
  help themselves. The timing and momentum is set
  by the individuals and in return we offer
  patience and a belief in what they can achieve.
• When someone decides to start a process of
  change, we accompany them on a one to one basis
  and aim to provide them with specifically
  designed opportunities for their own situation
  accomodation, free time opportunities and support
  for integration into the labour market.
• Our expertise lies in reaching out to the
  individual, building a bond with them and
  motivating them to embark upon change and
  accompanying them during the process.

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Centering on their Abilities
It is essential that the individual does not
assume the role of a poor person and that they
believe in themselves. But in order for this to
happen firstly the professionals need to see them
in a positive light and not just centre
themselves on their problems. What abilities
do you have? Vs What problems have you got?

Idea of Robert Sztarovics
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Project Title
Different Resources, One same line
Integration as a Process
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Street Work

• People who live on the street tend to be
  physically very detiorated and need more support
  in this area. They tend not to approach and
  receive the services or resources or exercise
  their rights in a way that other citizens do.
• Our professionals in pairs and without wearing a
  uniform take 5 routes though the streets where
  they use their patience to do outreach work with
  those people that no one else reaches out to.
• As a professional team we reach out to them with
  the intention of
• Knowing the situation they find themselves in.
• Bring them into contact with the health and
  social services they are entitled to and ensure
  that they receive them.
• Accompany them in the steps they take to improve
  their quality of life.

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Street Work
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Drop in Day Centre

• Drop in Centre.
• Open to anyone
• Noone has to show their identity cards
• The only requirements are respect and that toxic
  substances are not consumed on the premises.
• Coffee is free on a self service basis
• Volunteers and professionals socialise here with
  the homeless
• The aim is to link the individual with the
  centre. We work on normalising the individuals in
  a way that motivates them to want to change
  various aspects of their lives.
• This process is supported by other activities
  such as arte, board games, video forum,
  conversations, newspaper reading or borrowing
  books from the library.
• You cannot watch television here.

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Drop in Centre

• Internet access.
• Email access.
• There is a shower and lockers. These are not
  available to everyone but are one more tool that
  the professionals use to
• Attract people
• Build a relationship with them
• Assist them in the process they have embarked
  upon.

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Individualised Social Support

• We support the process of integration by offering
  flexible and intensive individualised social
  support through a buddying system
• Our role is to accompany the individual on their
  journey. They are the protagonists of their
  story.

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Accommodation

• Flats 16 beds
• One sheltered acommodation flat
• (6 bed)
• One supervised hostal
• (5 beds)
• Five individual flats in the centre of Madrid in
  the borough of Lavapies
• (5 beds)
• These flats offer an alternative to temporary
  accommodation with differing levels of
  supervision depending on the needs of each
  individual.
• We help them develop their domestic skills,
  budget managment, ability to live with others and
  use of their free time.

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Activation Leisure, Training and Work

• Work in itself is not a guarantee of integration
  but it is one of a range of tools towards
  integration as it can lead to a stable dignified
  job.
• For this reason it is important to work on the
  concept of activation and not just see
  integration from the point of view of a regular
  job. Personal development and the use of free
  time and other productive activties that are
  unpaid are as important as work for the
  individual and the process.
• It is essential to work on the development of
  their abilities and self esteem in order to
  achieve real change. This helps build their
  motivation which is a first tep towards their
  integration particularly into the labour market.

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The importance of motivation
Why work if I dont like what I do and when at
the end of the day I have no one to share it
with?
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Free Time

• The overall objective is to complement the
  intevention by creating oportunities for personal
  development that enable some participants to lock
  into a positive upward spiral.
• Specific objectives are
• Building personal resources of participants
• Increase self esteem of participants
• Increase the participation of individuals in
  society
• Access to work
• Activities
• Organic Vegetable Garden
• Theatre Group
• Football Team
• Swimming
• Street Art
• Nature Excursions
• Cultural Trips
• Volunteering (changing roles)
• Citizens acitivites

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Free Time

• Group intervention
• Breaking the isolation
• Working on social skills from social interaction
• Develop a feeling of belonging
• Incorporation of social volunteering
• Participation and empowerment

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Work

• Workshop on actively searching for work

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Work

• Insertion Companies
• Jobs protected for up to 2 years that offer work
  experience and enable them to get into the habit
  of working.
• Organic vegetable production and distribution.
• Since May 2006 we have employed 3 people on
  insertion contracts.

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