Workshop Session 2

The role of quality in finding solutions to homelessness in emergency and transitional contexts

For an Humanitarian Global Action

National Social Services

2

Speak about:

National Social Services

Quality requirements/standards defined for emergency services Differences for non- emergency services

Should the quality requirements/standards of services be different for interventions of emergency character than the ones working on longer-term bases?

AMI Emergency Services

Challenges to ensuring that emergency services meet their aims to respond to users

3National Social Services

Quality requirements/standards defined for emergency services Differences for non-emergency services

In Portugal there are about 4000 social institutions and around 13.000 social responses

Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Social Security that aims the social responses evaluation, according to 2 main areas:

Security and Building Quality (accessibility, hygiene, signage, etc.)

Quality Management of the Social Responses (assistance, communication, trust, etc.)

• Quality Management System of the provided services

• Qualification System of the Social Responses (SQRS) – certification of the social responses in order to grant citizens the access to quality services and equipments.

There are specific social guideline-manuals for a few responses: Childhood and elderly people (nursery/day-care center, temporary accommodation center, residential nursing home, home support service, among others)

4

Quality requirements/standards defined for emergency services. Differences for non-emergency services

On 2009 was presented by the minister of social security the “National Strategy for the integration of homeless people” with a national homeless concept. (Roofless and Houseless).

Since 2008, at AMI structures, there has been technical monitoring visits from the Ministry of Social Security – the technical guidelines already refers to issues on quality of services.

There are typologies for specific homeless services: Street Teams, Occupational Workshop.

Besides these specific social responses, there are other social general typologies that support homeless people like: community centers; refectory; insertion community; temporary lodgment shelters.

National Social Services

5

Should the quality requirements/standards of services be different for interventions of na emergency character than the ones working on longer-term bases

The principles contained in EQUASS – European Quality Assurance for Social Services – are common to all areas of intervention and as such should not be changed (Leadership, Rights, Ethics, Partnership, Participation, Person Centred, Comprehensivness, Continuos Improvement, Result Orientation)

However, the indicators and evaluation criteria should be appropriate to the specific type of response and the target population, especially when it comes to emergency services

Examples:

Participation of Users

More flexibility in particular in reference to emergency services to ensure that participation doesn´t become only a technical paper exercise

National Social Services

6

Partnership

Very important to precise in order to ensure the applicability of the common European quality standards. (The role of the Institutions at the local social networks must be clarified (ex: City Halls and Social Security Centers and particularly Lisbon/Homelessness Strategy);

Training

Most of the street teams, those who are supervised/financed by the Social Security, have special training, and usually are inter-disciplinary teams: social workers, psychologists; nurses or doctors. (ex. Inter and intra training, share information between university studies related with homelessness).

This practice should be done also to informal helping attitudes (Ex: give soup or bread in the street, give the rest of the meals from restaurants or others goods on the street).

National Social Services

Should the quality requirements/standards of services be different for interventions of an emergency character than the ones working on longer-term bases

7

Should the quality requirements/standards of services be different for interventions of an emergency character than the ones working on longer-term bases

Person Centered

According to the National Strategy signaling situations of homelessness can be made by different types of services. This should be done to NPISA (local group of institutions working with the homeless) that will decide who will follow up on the person. This is already happening in some districts of Portugal but not in all.

We think it`s a good way of working, because sometimes street teams who works in the field (emergence) don`t have the means to resolve the situations.

It’s very important to ensure the quality of services at the emergency level because this is the most complicated and crucial stage of the process.

In our opinion, all emergency institutions adequately financed (amount and on time) by the state must predict costs related to human resources inherent to the adoption of this criteria and be subjected to EQUASS. Those institutions with relevant and justified social work, even if they don’t accomplished the quality criteria, should continue to develop their emergence actions to homeless.

National Social Services

8

AMI Emergency Services

Since the beginning of our social intervention, 17 years ago, AMI follow the FEANTSA European definition and now ETHOS concept and its monitoring indicators.

We have a data base at national level which allows us to monitor and analyze the phenomenon. This data base is shared by all our equipments and social projects.

At AMI we have two specific responses for homeless: Street teams (2) and Temporary Night Shelters (2). Those are funded and supervised by the State.

Partnership work with other institutions and public or private social responses, is privileged (ex: street teams from Lisbon and Oporto meet monthly in order to share and discuss cases).

The technicians who work directly with this population have continuum specific and proper training, at internal and external level.

National Social Services

9

Other Police (PSP+GNR)

EM

ER

GE

NC

Y

Outreach Street Teams

Social Emergency

National Line (LNES)

Specialized Street Team

Health Services

Emergency Centre

Signaling

Identification and

Multidisciplinary Diagnosis

1st Line

Diagrame 1: Intervention

NationalSocial Services

Follow-up

10

AMI Street Teams

Multidisciplinary teams with specific training who meet the homeless population that stays on the street. Their intervention aims to respond homeless needs and prevent future means of exclusion;

AMI has two Street Teams composed by technicians who intervenes at Lisbon and Oporto;

These Street Teams are attached to AMI’s Social Centers (Centros Porta Amiga) which complement their intervention through periodical meetings, cases follow up and routing and made available other services.

On 2010 supported 262 (39% more than in 2009) homeless people (181 were supported for the 1st time, plus 24% than in 2009)

National Social Services

AMI Emergency Services

11

Temporary Night Shelters

Main Goal To provide temporary accommodation to working aged homeless men who have favorable conditions for their socio-professional integration

Provide a space for promotion, it is intended that the individual perceives the situation as being of change and not something with a tendency to conformity and accommodation

There are 2 night shelters:

Lisbon (since 1997) – 27 beds

Oporto (since 2006)– 28 beds

- On 2010 were supported 131 homeless men.

National Social Services

AMI Emergency Services

12

Temporary Night Shelters

National Social Services

Dominat Profile

Men;Portuguese;Between 30 and 49 years old;Are Alone (Single, Divorced/Separated, Widow);Low qualifications;Unemployed;Physical health problems or mental;Precarious economic problems;

AMI Emergency Services

13

Challenges to ensuring that emergency services meet their aims to respond to users

Difficulty in finding answers after the emergency services;

Lack of adequate answers:

Housing, (social houses, house first,led)

Health care, (Hospitals, alcohol, drug reabilitation)

Psychological support

Link difficulties between formal and informal answers (ex: volunteers and private street teams)

Urgent need to create housing led solutions.

National Social Services

House FirstHouse lad

14

FOLL

OW

-UP

Planification and

Intervention Core

Case Manager atribution

Accommodation

Other responses

(health; employment;

SS)

Temporary Specific/non-

specific accommodatio

n

Housing Permanent

accommodation

Case Manager follow-up

Individual Insertion

Plan

Social Action Local Service

3rd Line

2nd Line

National Social Services