Social work with homeless populations across Europe: approaches to social support and humanitarian response
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25128/2520-6230.25.2.11Keywords:
homeless individuals, social work, social services, social support, humanitarian assistance, social projects, international organizations, communityAbstract
The problem of homelessness is one of the most acute and social problems of society that exists in the world. The study of foreign experience in the field of supporting homeless people is extremely valuable for improving national policies and practices of social work.
The purpose of the article is to analyze the European experience of social support and humanitarian assistance to homeless people in order to identify effective models, strategies and practices that can be adapted to Ukrainian conditions to improve the quality of social services and reduce the scale of homelessness.
The authors consider the essence of the concept of "homeless person" abroad, in particular, in the countries of the European Union (Finland, Sweden, France, Poland). The experience of social support and humanitarian assistance to homeless people in the indicated countries is systematized, since they have examples of both leading and transitional models in the field of social support and they have different levels of development of the system of social protection of homeless people.
It is determined that the main areas of work with homeless people in European countries are: providing housing (permanent, temporary and emergency); providing humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs (food, clothing, blankets, hygiene products, the ability to wash clothes, take a shower); ensuring free access to social and medical services; providing social support for the purpose of reintegration and returning to normal life; street social work (humanitarian assistance, establishing interaction with homeless people, information and awareness-raising activities, informing about housing opportunities and assistance in obtaining housing and medical care); assistance with employment; prevention of homelessness. It has been determined that improving the quality of social services and reducing the scale of homelessness in Ukraine is possible by adapting European experience to Ukrainian conditions (establishing intersectoral interaction in providing assistance to homeless people, comprehensiveness of services taking into account the individual needs of homeless people, creating a safe, inclusive and favorable environment for the prevention of vulnerability, social exclusion and discrimination of homeless people).
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