Preventing young people becoming homeless

Prague 8 november 2013

** Piedad Díaz Ortiz**

[email protected]

Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe:

key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness

8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

THE BEGINNING

For a few years now, the Madrid Municipality through its social services network

and assistance to homeless people, has been detecting an increasing number of

young people who demand social support as they are forced on to the streets.

From that moment on, Madrid has developed a series of specific strategies of

intervention with young people who live in this reality, implementing these

strategies across the whole network of homeless people and in the primary

attention network.




In addition, we

have a specific programme

for young homeless people

and the youth at risk of homeless,

Programme SIE, developed by Opción 3.







Currently the programme is financially

supported by the European Social

Fund and by the Region of Madrid.

Finally, the programme has the logistic support and resources of the

Homeless People Department at the Madrid Municipality, specifically

the Housing Programmes and Social Emergencies care.




Programme

SIE

Is a programme of social mentoring

for youngsters forced on to the

streets in the City of Madrid.

Programme SIE: Youngsters

MAINLY BUT NOT ONLY THOSE……

• Who, after leaving the child care system when they reach 18, find themselves in a situation of having neither family nor social support

• From families with high-levels of conflict, in poverty or in social exclusion.

• Young immigrants who come to Spain without any family.




Where do they come from?

Programme SIE: How do they arrive to our Programme?

• Municipal Network Care for Homeless people.

• Madrid Social Services Centres.

• Resources for the Child Care System.

• Specific programmes for young people focused on: job searching, use of freetime, education, …

• Other Social programmes: specifically for immigrants, women,…

• Detection through the programme itself.




Programme SIE: What difficulties may they have? 1/2

• Unable to have a clear project for the future: Can´t do it by themselves.

• Fundamental distrust of the institutional or public resources.

• Without the main required Spanish documents: ID card, social security number, municipal registration,…




Programme SIE: What difficulties may they have? 2/2

• Problematic, inexistent or distant family relationships

• No social network.

• High School Dropouts

• Little or nonexistent professional experience and vocational training.




Programme SIE: What specific difficulties may they have?

• With intellectual disabilities or mental health problems, most of the time without diagnosis.

• Undocumented young immigrants with difficulties to change their legal status.

• Substance use.

• Pending causes with the legal system.

• Sexual risk behaviour: premature parenthood.

• . Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe:






Needs Main Working Areas

MATERIAL Covering basic needs

AFFECTIVE BONDS

MOTIVATIONAL

Socio-emotional development for

their adulthood

Defining a project for the future




Potentialities

Strong points

MOTIVATION Highly motivated to assume changes in

their lives.

FAST LEARNERS Often able to accept changes in a

short period of time.

MENTOR

Once they find a reference person who trusts them, they feel safe and become more confident.




OUR METHODOLOGY

EMPLOYMENT

MENTORING

MICROCREDIT

REFERENTIAL SPACE

NETWORKING




PROFESSIONAL

RELATIONSHIP

Being close and kind

• The young person is the main character in his/her change.

• Individualised and adapted to the needs of the young person.

• Flexible, depending on his/her independence and abilities.

MENTORING




MENTORING…

… FACE TO

FACE




UCO: Co-Living

Unit.

Specific for

youngsters in one

Shelter Shelters.

Emergency

resources from the

Homeless

Municipality Network.

Hostels.

Supported

accommodation.

Semi-supervised

flats.

Private-rented

flats




EMPLOYMENT

• Supported employment

• Networking with employers and companies




• Creating awareness about responsibilities in adult life.

• Responsibility towards their own expenses:

-What is needed / not needed.

MICROCREDITS




SPACE OF

REFERENCE




NETWORKING

Housing programmes Companies and

Employers

Medical institutions

Child care system

… … … … … … …

Specific homeless people resources

Social Services Centres of

primary attention




STILL A LONG WAY TO GO …

…

Preventing young people becoming homeless

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