Training for housing support Erasmus Project

Project Title

Training for housing support

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged; Social dialogue; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The start of the Trainhouse project was affected by the fact that it was first put on a waiting list. By the time we could start there were some particular changes in some partner organisation’s leadership or structure, and they had different plans of activities. Two of the original partners – Turning Point Scotland and HFH International Hungary Kft decided not to take part in the ongoing project activities. Turning Point Scotland was replaced by Vailla vakinaista asuntoa ry (Vvary) from Helsinki – an organisation with a very similar profile so that they could undertake the relevant tasks and responsibilities. In the case of HFH leaving, the partnership decided to distribute its responsibilities and activities among themselves.
In spite of these changes, the original aims remained the same: sharing experiences, good practices and methodologies that are used to support former homeless people in their own homes. Based on the systemised knowledge collected we started to develop an educational material for training on the field of the continuous learning development for the staff who work in this area. Partners developed 3 guides that contain the fundamental values and principles, and provide practical ideas and tools that can be used in the relationship implemented between support workers and their clients. From our perspective, supported housing means that the former homeless people are not only given access to housing outside the traditional institutional environment, but they also receive support with their emerging social problems, while reinforcing their ability to become as independent as possible.
The 6 partner organisations which participated in this process have experience in the field of supported housing. Besides, they all deliver (formal or informal) training on different kind of areas connected to tackling homelessness to their staff, volunteers as well as peers. The coordinator of the partnership was BMSZKI from Hungary, a public body and the biggest homeless service provider in Budapest. All other partners were NGOs. Menhely Foundation attempts to tackle homelessness by running different programs and services in Budapest. St. Mungo’s provides support and services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the UK. Arrels supports homeless people in Barcelona. Next to relatively small number of professional staff they also rely on a high number of volunteers. Their experience about organising and carrying out the voluntary work brought an unique knowledge that could be used in the project. Vvary from Helsinki is an NGO founded by homeless people themselves, so it has a long history of participation and peer support work. The sixth partner is Platform for Social Housing, an umbrella organisation in the Czech Republic. One of their members, IQ Roma Service has specific experience and training in housing stability support services based on the Housing First principles.
During the implementation of the project, the partners organised 5 educational events – Joint Training Sessions. They took place in each country of the partnership. On these sessions the delegates of the organisations could visit and discuss different areas relevant to supported housing, collect new knowledge and share their experiences, challenges and solutions.
Issues and topics discussed through on these events:
– Services and types of provision in the field of supported housing.
– Areas that need to be affected by organisations dealing with supported housing (public relation, awareness raising, advocacy)
– Involvement of volunteers into the provision. Risks and opportunities.
– Involvement of peers and experts by experiences. Risks and opportunities.
– How the social and housing policy of the hosting country affects the field of supporting housing.
Another activity of the Joint Training Sessions were to form and operate work teams to develop the 3 guides connected to supported housing. The 3 different work teams developed the guides which dealt with professional support, volunteer work and peer work. They discussed the possible structure and content on the sessions and continued the development as domestic activity. The production of each guide was coordinated by an expert from a different partner, while others provided experts to offer their views and experience.
The coordinator created a project website where all presentations of the the Joint Training Sessions were published.
The main results of the cooperation were the 3 completed guides in English, Hungarian and 2 of them in Czech. They are available online on the project website and on the homepages of the participant organisations, and were used on different local training (multiplier) events. As they contain fresh and relevant knowledge, they can be used on further training events or in the induction process of new employees.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 167700 Eur

Project Coordinator

BUDAPESTI MODSZERTANI SZOCIALIS KOZPONT ES INTEZMENYEI & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Platforma pro sociální bydlení, z.s.
• St Mungo Community Housing Association
• Turning Point Scotland
• HFH International Hungary Nonprofit Kft
• Menhely Alapítvány
• Arrels Fundació
• Vailla vakinaista asuntoa ry