Presentation given by Maarten Davelaar, NL at the Ninth European Research Conference on Homelessness, "Homelessness in Times of Crisis", Warsaw, September 2014 http://feantsaresearch.org/spip.php?article222&lang=en

1. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Coping With The Crisis by investing in User-involvement and Quality of services?
Maarten Davelaar, NL
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2. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

4. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Summary
Activation Centres
Economic crisis
Why user-involvement in times of crisis?
Participative Audits of services: goals, steps, results
Conclusion

5. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Activation Centres
Homeless people, clients of psychiatric care, addiction care
offering meaningful activities: arts, carpentry, bicycle repair, second hand shops, catering, restaurants, cleaning facilities & public spaces, computer training
collective day centres & individualised job training / education

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Crisis
Local austerity measures: budget cuts
Decline in demand
Decline in unskilled jobs
Uncertainty: unprecedented decentralisation of reduced (- > 25%) budgets & responsibilities

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
User-involvement?
Active clients = better outcomes
Practice what you preach: expand participation of users to management & quality control
Transparency counts
Join forces as clients & services: stand stronger in the face of external pressure?

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
‘Participative Audits’ - method
Since 2008; 7 projects, 10-14 months
A user-led, ‘bottom up’ evaluation of services aiming to
empower clients
asses & improve the quality of services
foster a ‘culture of participation’ in services
detect gaps in local policies & services

9. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Participative-audit, steps (1)
1. Build a client-audit team, create commitment
2. Train clients: empower, improve skills
3. Client-team interviews fellow clients
4. Team suggest improvements to staff and management

10. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Participative-audit, steps (2)
5. Management & staff implement changes
6. Client-team checks improvements & gives/refuses certificate
7. Communicate, celebrate & cooperate

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Some facts Audit The Hague
13 months, 16 team members/co- researchers, 2 ‘street consuls’, 1 trainer, 2 researchers, 21 members of staff & managers, 8 services
191 interviews with users of activation services
> 3 improvements per service

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Improvements
Food: quality, distribution, price
Dealing with aggression
New life for client councils
Individual support
Excursions
Portfolio

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Impact (1)
Personal success individual participants
A voice to the ‘silent majority’ of clients
Sustainable changes in services: food, activities, rules, client councils
intrinsic changes in behavior: ‘culture of participation’

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Impact (2)
New information on: gaps in supply of services, effective ways of motivating people,
Fuel for city-wide cooperation
‘User-knowledge is essential for a genuine assessment of the effectiveness of services’

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Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
Conclusion & take home message
Empowerment matters: helping people helping themselves
User-involvement = motivated clients & better quality = more effective services / better outcomes for society
Next level of user-involvement: moderates crisis

16. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014

17. 9th European Research Conference
Homelessness in Times of Crisis
Warsaw, Friday 19th September 2014
More information?
maarten.davelaar@gmail.com