Category: Featured Home

iSocial participates in the kick-off meeting of the Care4Skills project in Brussels

Last Thursday, May 23rd, we attended the kick-off meeting of the Care4Skills project in Brussels, organized by the EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities), the entity leading the initiative.

The participatory workshops of the All By Myself project begin

This May, we inaugurated the first participatory workshops included in the research process of the All By Myself project, coordinated by the iSocial Foundation and supported by the Department of Social Rights of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

23 social entities have been trained to use Flapp! and Nidus

Flapp! and Nidus, the two virtual safes created by the iSocial Foundation in collaboration with Pere Claver Group, are consolidating with the training offered so far to 23 entities.

The iSocial Foundation participates in the First Social Services Conference

iSocial has presented Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group

iSocial presents Vincles at the Caixaforum in Lleida

Vincles, an initiative aimed at combating unwanted loneliness, is part of the projects approved by the La Caixa Foundation in the 2024 call.

We present Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran at a public event in La Seu d’Urgell

Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran is a project, led by the iSocial Foundation, which aims to detect and prevent situations of unwanted loneliness in the elderly population in the Alt Pirineu and Vall d’Aran territory.

AISSS Alt Pirineu-Aran

Ferran Benito on 28 May 2024

Foto: Gemma Pla (Tucutun)

AISSS Alt Pirineu-Aran is an integrated Social and Healthcare project for unwanted loneliness among the elderly in the Alt Pirineu-Aran Regions (AISSS)

(2024-2025)

The Integrated Social and Healthcare Project for Unwanted Loneliness among the Elderly in the Alt Pirineu-Aran regions (AISSS Alt Pirineu-Aran) aims to tackle the challenge of unwanted loneliness through research aimed at expanding and strengthening the Vincles Alt-Pirineu Aran project by incorporating and involving the healthcare system.

Thanks to the collaboration with HISS (Hub of Social and Healthcare Innovation of Catalonia), which has selected the AISSS project in its 1st Call against Unwanted Loneliness, this project explores how to incorporate various data from the healthcare system and the perspectives of healthcare teams into the detection and intervention processes of the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project, in order to enable a common and integrated social and healthcare approach.

Unwanted loneliness and health

While it is true that unwanted loneliness is a phenomenon rooted in the social and emotional sphere, an increasing number of studies demonstrate the significant impact that loneliness can have on individuals, ranging from mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress, to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks.

Unwanted loneliness is also associated with a more sedentary lifestyle, as there are often few incentives to lead an active life. This factor can have serious health consequences and contribute to cognitive decline. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate the expertise of the healthcare sector both in detecting situations of unwanted loneliness and in intervening when necessary.

Big data for detecting unwanted loneliness

Both the Vincles project and AISSS are based on the successful experience of the Basque program Auzosare, promoted by Agintzari and Gislan, which combines a data analysis tool with direct community intervention. In the Vincles project, a set of 58 indicators is taken into account to classify all individuals over 65 years old according to their risk of experiencing unwanted loneliness, allowing for more proactive and preventive care for the entire population at risk of loneliness.

The goal of the AISSS project is to identify data and indicators from the healthcare system that can improve the accuracy of the loneliness risk algorithms of the Vincles project, and at the same time, determine the best ways for healthcare system agents to participate in the social intervention and community activation processes of the project.

Objectives

Validate and expand the conceptual framework for detecting and intervening in unwanted loneliness of the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project to include the healthcare dimension.
Analyze the set of indicators from the healthcare system to assess its ability to provide sensitive and specific data on unwanted loneliness.
Understand the perspective of healthcare professionals from the 6 involved regions (Cerdanya, Alt Urgell, Alta Ribagorça, Pallars Sobirà, Pallars Jussà, and the Aran territory) on the loneliness-health issue, their expectations, and their requirements regarding a community-based early detection and intervention system that incorporates the healthcare aspect.
Incorporate healthcare professionals into the detection and social intervention program of the Vincles project: data collection and contribution processes, case detection, and intervention prescription.

Expected Impacts and Improvements

Improvement of interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, fostering collaboration and coordination among social and healthcare service professionals, reducing duplication of work.
Training and skills development, enhancing the skills of social and healthcare professionals in detecting unwanted loneliness and intervention methods.
Reduce the workload and emotional burden of workers by more effectively distributing their tasks and allowing for earlier intervention.

Lideren:

Promotors:

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En col·laboració amb:

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Finançat per:

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The participatory workshops of the All By Myself project begin

Laura Hurtado on 23 May 2024

News, Featured Home

The five partner entities of the project will conduct guided workshops during the months of May and June with the users to detect the needs they have in their daily lives

This May, we inaugurated the first participatory workshops included in the research process of the All By Myself project, coordinated by the iSocial Foundation and supported by the Department of Social Rights of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The sessions will bring together people with disabilities linked to the entities that are part of the project to collaboratively detect the main obstacles this group faces in their daily lives.

The objective of these workshops, which will take place between May and June, is to generate a conversation among the people who fit the profiles defined by the project, to better understand their routines and observe the barriers they encounter. From everyday actions such as dressing, cooking, going out, taking public transportation, etc., to relational contexts such as leisure, the dialogues driven in these workshops will present different situations to jointly detect the pain points, a term referring to the existence of difficulties or needs not always detected or previously verbalized.

Users from the partner entities of the project (Ampans, Fundación El Maresme, FCSD, Support Girona, and the Alba association) will participate in the workshops, and the discussion topics will be adapted to their specific circumstances. Each workshop will have a total of between 4 and 8 participants and will last one hour. A person from each entity will also participate, facilitating the workshop, and a person will act as a rapporteur, noting all the information that arises.

These workshops will allow a better understanding of daily barriers and their context and will be the starting point for a reflection that, in a second phase of the project, will seek to design the best response to the observed obstacles.

Actualitat

iSocial participates in the kick-off meeting of the Care4Skills project in Brussels

The participatory workshops of the All By Myself project begin

23 social entities have been trained to use Flapp! and Nidus

Flapp! and Nidus, the two virtual safes created by the iSocial Foundation in collaboration with Pere Claver Group, are consolidating with the training offered so far to 23 entities.

The iSocial Foundation participates in the First Social Services Conference

iSocial has presented Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group

iSocial presents Vincles at the Caixaforum in Lleida

Vincles, an initiative aimed at combating unwanted loneliness, is part of the projects approved by the La Caixa Foundation in the 2024 call.

We present Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran at a public event in La Seu d’Urgell

23 social entities have been trained to use Flapp! and Nidus

Laura Hurtado on 22 May 2024

News, Featured Home

The professionals come from entities in Catalonia and across the State

Flapp! and Nidus, the two virtual safes created by the iSocial Foundation in collaboration with Pere Claver Group, are consolidating with the training offered so far to 23 entities.

The two tools, aimed respectively at young people with emancipation needs and people in situations of homelessness, will be used by the professionals of these entities in their accompaniment tasks. Thanks to these applications, users will be able to store and share documents and photos in the cloud and contact their reference professionals more easily without needing to have their phone number.

A total of 223 social professionals have attended the training sessions, both online and in-person. Some of the entities come from Catalonia, such as Intress, Resilis, or the Pere Claver Group itself. Other organizations, however, come from other territories of the State, such as Castilla y León, Aragón, Balearic Islands, and Asturias.

These data show the interest generated by these tools, which today already have, between the two, 292 professionals and 368 users registered on the platform, as well as 114 services activated.

For their part, Flapp! and Nidus continue to grow to meet the needs of their users and have recently incorporated two new features: the chat and the alarm button, which aim to facilitate direct contact with their reference professionals, especially in emergency situations, ensuring the best attention and support.

Actualitat

iSocial participates in the kick-off meeting of the Care4Skills project in Brussels

The participatory workshops of the All By Myself project begin

23 social entities have been trained to use Flapp! and Nidus

Flapp! and Nidus, the two virtual safes created by the iSocial Foundation in collaboration with Pere Claver Group, are consolidating with the training offered so far to 23 entities.

The iSocial Foundation participates in the First Social Services Conference

iSocial has presented Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group

iSocial presents Vincles at the Caixaforum in Lleida

Vincles, an initiative aimed at combating unwanted loneliness, is part of the projects approved by the La Caixa Foundation in the 2024 call.

We present Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran at a public event in La Seu d’Urgell

The iSocial Foundation participates in the First Social Services Conference

Laura Hurtado on 15 May 2024

News, Featured Home

iSocial has presented Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group

Today, May 15th, we attended the I Jornada de Serveis Socials (1st Social Services Conference), organized by La Unió (Association of Health and Social Entities) at the Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB).

Joan M. Adserà, president of La Unió, inaugurated the event and assured that all the entities present share “the purpose of building a national social services system that is equitable, sustainable, solvent, professionalized, and value-driven.”

🔵El president de #LaUnió, Joan M. Adserà: "Compartim el Propòsit de construir un sistema de serveis socials de país, equitatiu, sostenible i solvent, professionalitzat i amb valors, volem contribuir a desplegar i enfortir el que ja en diem el SISOCAT"

👉#IJornadaServeisSocials pic.twitter.com/5C0PDziHyK
— La Unió (@uchcat) May 15, 2024

During the conference, various social services professionals delivered different interventions. Toni Codina, director of the iSocial Foundation, participated in the round table “Cultural and Management Changes to Move Forward,” where innovative experiences in the sector were shared. In particular, he introduced Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness and the professionals who assist them, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group.

On the other hand, Marta Segura from the Department of Social Rights of the Generalitat de Catalunya highlighted some challenges for social services, such as flexibility, innovation, care, the dignification of caregivers’ tasks, and the restoration of trust.

Actualitat

iSocial participates in the kick-off meeting of the Care4Skills project in Brussels

The participatory workshops of the All By Myself project begin

23 social entities have been trained to use Flapp! and Nidus

Flapp! and Nidus, the two virtual safes created by the iSocial Foundation in collaboration with Pere Claver Group, are consolidating with the training offered so far to 23 entities.

The iSocial Foundation participates in the First Social Services Conference

iSocial has presented Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group

iSocial presents Vincles at the Caixaforum in Lleida

Vincles, an initiative aimed at combating unwanted loneliness, is part of the projects approved by the La Caixa Foundation in the 2024 call.

We present Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran at a public event in La Seu d’Urgell

iSocial presents Vincles at the Caixaforum in Lleida

Laura Hurtado on 14 May 2024

Featured Home, News

The initiative, which aims to combat unwanted loneliness, is part of the projects approved by Fundación La Caixa in the 2024 call

Last Friday, May 10th, we attended the Caixaforum in Lleida to present Vincles at the event for the projects approved by Fundación La Caixa in the province for the 2024 call.

Toni Codina, director of the iSocial Foundation, and Gemma Valeri, coordinator of the Vincles project, participated in the event, where a total of 18 social projects related to the areas of poverty and social inclusion, people with disabilities or mental disorders, the elderly, and social action were presented.

During our turn, Gemma Valeri explained the importance of the Vincles project, a pioneering program that combines technology with community intervention to detect, prevent, and address situations of unwanted loneliness among the elderly in Alt Pirineu and Aran.

Vincles is an initiative jointly driven by the Basic Social Services of the Comarcal Councils of Alt Pirineu and the Conselh Generau d’Aran, with the participation of the Private Foundation Integra Pirineus, ABD Association for Welfare and Development, the Alba Jussà Association, and IDAPA, and the collaboration of Fundación “la Caixa” and the Diputación de Lleida. It is based on the successful experience implemented in several municipalities in the Basque Country by Agintzari S. Coop., a member of iSocial, and GISLAN. On April 10th, we held the first project presentation in La Seu d’Urgell, with the presence of the different organizations and entities involved.

We thank Fundació La Caixa for their support and trust in helping to ensure this project has the broadest possible impact among the population affected by situations of unwanted loneliness.

Actualitat

iSocial participates in the kick-off meeting of the Care4Skills project in Brussels

The participatory workshops of the All By Myself project begin

23 social entities have been trained to use Flapp! and Nidus

Flapp! and Nidus, the two virtual safes created by the iSocial Foundation in collaboration with Pere Claver Group, are consolidating with the training offered so far to 23 entities.

The iSocial Foundation participates in the First Social Services Conference

iSocial has presented Nidus, a digital tool to support people experiencing homelessness, promoted jointly with the Pere Claver Group

iSocial presents Vincles at the Caixaforum in Lleida

Vincles, an initiative aimed at combating unwanted loneliness, is part of the projects approved by the La Caixa Foundation in the 2024 call.

We present Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran at a public event in La Seu d’Urgell

Innovative perspectives to promote access to housing

Laura Hurtado on 13 May 2024

Perspectives innovadores accés a l'habitatge

Articles, Featured Home

According to the UN, the lack of decent housing is a problem affecting over 20% of the global population. In Catalonia, nearly 60,000 people experience some form of residential exclusion. What innovative initiatives are being implemented worldwide to promote access to housing?

Housing, a global issue

Decent housing is a fundamental right recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25) and the Spanish Constitution (Article 47). However, many individuals live in precarious situations and face difficulties in accessing housing. According to the UN, this is a global problem affecting over 20% of the world’s population. In Catalonia, although there are no updated data on the number of people sleeping rough, it is estimated that around 18,000 people experience homelessness, according to the Arrels Foundation. Additionally, data collected in the Framework for Addressing Homelessness in Catalonia (2022-2025) indicates that 58,930 people experience some form of residential exclusion or sleep rough. Furthermore, in Spain, there are 86.6 homeless individuals per 100,000 inhabitants, according to INE data. The main reasons for homelessness include being in a migratory situation (28.8%), losing employment (26.8%), and facing eviction (16.1%). These statistics are calculated according to official data, but they do not show the whole reality. Firstly, there are many uncounted cases and, secondly, there is invisible homelessness. This refers to all those people living in substandard housing or unsafe spaces.

The difficulty in accessing decent housing affects various segments of society, such as youth, individuals with different types of disabilities, and populations at risk of social exclusion.

ETHOS Classification

According to the ETHOS classification, a common typology used in Europe in the field of housing and residential exclusion, there are four groups of individuals in situations of housing vulnerability:

Roofless individuals: Includes those living in public spaces or staying in shelters without a fixed address.

Houseless individuals: Refers to anyone residing in service centers, women’s shelters, temporary accommodations for immigrants and asylum seekers, institutions such as prisons or hospitals, and supportive housing without a lease contract.

Individuals in insecure housing: Describes cases where individuals live in a home without legal title, are under legal notice of abandonment of the property, or live under the threat of domestic violence.

Individuals in inadequate housing: Includes living in temporary structures or shacks, housing not compliant with legislation, and overcrowded spaces.

The first two classifications refer to homelessness, and the last two refer to invisible homelessness.

Innovative perspective worldwide to promote access to housing

Social housing: The city of Vienna is a global benchmark in housing policy, with 220,000 publicly owned properties, compared to 11,500 in Barcelona. Additionally, the municipality promotes the creation of non-publicly owned social housing through the announcement of property sale contests for social renting, at prices lower than market prices, open to entities and companies. An essential requirement to be selected in the process is to have a social housing plan that promotes diversity, community, and equal opportunities. Additionally, there is a limit on the profits of real estate companies in the city, and the generated profits must be reinvested. As a result of this limitation, rents are more affordable, and access to housing by vulnerable groups is encouraged.

In countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, or Sweden, housing cooperatives are also common, based on lease transfer regimes. This implies collective ownership of the property by a cooperative. Its inhabitants pay a refundable entry fee, at prices below the market, and can use the housing for life. Additionally, all involved partners participate in the purchasing, design, and development process of the housing. It is, therefore, an alternative that promotes self-management and collective fabric.

In Barcelona, the ESAL Agreement, signed by Habicoop, Cohabitac, and XES, establishes a municipal framework for public-social-community collaboration, which seeks to streamline the expansion of the protected public housing stock in the city through rental promotions and use transfer regimes.

As for Catalonia, the Generalitat holds the rights of preemption and redemption regarding housing, which means that the administration has preference in the acquisition of housing that its owner wishes to transfer. The institution can exercise this right directly or indirectly, through entities competent in the matter.

On the other hand, the Empty Flats project, promoted by Hàbitat 3, an entity associated with the iSocial Foundation, offers social housing for people in vulnerable situations. The Barcelona City Council, in agreement with the organization, takes care of the rent and any possible refurbishment works. The aim is to ensure that the city’s empty properties can be made available to those who cannot afford market prices.

Similarly, in Mexico, the Renta tu Casa program offers abandoned and uninhabited houses to individuals with few resources or in situations of social vulnerability. The municipal authority pays a monthly rent to the property owner, and the user contributes with 350 Mexican pesos (approximately 20 euros) and five hours of community work.

Shared housing: In the Netherlands, the Mixed Living project promotes cohabitation between homeless individuals and economically vulnerable individuals in blocks of social housing. This formula streamlines the process of accessing shelter and promotes social reintegration.

In the same vein, Startblok is an innovative Dutch model that offers temporary and affordable rentals for young people and migrants, aged between 18 and 28. This space allows for the creation of a diverse community that operates through self-management of residents. The model proposed by Startblok favors, on the one hand, the social integration of newcomers and, on the other hand, allows combating the housing precarity of young people.

Similarly, the SällBo building in Sweden brings together young migrant individuals and elderly people to promote social cohesion between generations and cultures through affordable rentals.

Sustainable housing: In California, the Mutual Housing program offers sustainable and low-cost housing to the agricultural population of the area. The price of bills is very low, as the houses generate the same amount of energy they consume. In addition to energy efficiency, the project also includes other services such as digital literacy and affordable loans.

Similarly, the Mas Coop cooperative in France accommodates low-income families in ecological housing with communal spaces. The land and buildings belong to the entity, which acquired them through a state loan for social renting, and the fees for resident members are more affordable than market prices.

Technology: Technological tools can be useful in processing data related to housing supply. Kloosiv is a cooperative web platform that combines technology and social intervention to facilitate access to housing for vulnerable groups with difficulties paying rent. Similarly, the Vivenda platform uses technological supports to create a network that connects supply and demand from the parties involved in renovation processes, to combat insecure and poor-condition housing, at reduced prices.

The new formulas in the field of housing access represent an alternative to traditional schemes, with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable groups in society, to ensure access to this universal right for all individuals.

References

Mas Coop: una cooperativa de residentes intergeneracional, ecológica y solidaria – World Habitat. (2023, 6 julio). World Habitat. https://world-habitat.org/es/premios-mundiales-del-habitat/ganadores-y-finalistas/mas-coop-una-cooperativa-de-residentes-intergeneracional-ecologica-y-solidaria/ [13/05/24]

Renta tu casa – World Habitat. (2023, 6 julio). World Habitat. https://world-habitat.org/es/premios-mundiales-del-habitat/ganadores-y-finalistas/renta-tu-casa-mexico/ [13/05/24]

L’habitatge cooperatiu en cessió d’ús (Cohabitatge). Habicoop. (2024, 28 febrero). Habicoop. https://habicoop.cat/cessio-dus/ [13/05/24]

Vivienda Mutua en Spring Lake – World Habitat. (2019, 21 febrero). World Habitat. https://world-habitat.org/es/premios-mundiales-del-habitat/ganadores-y-finalistas/11215/ [13/05/24]

Tipología europea de sin hogar y exclusión residencial. FEANTSA. https://www.feantsa.org/download/ethos_spain-24518105836657575492.pdf [13/05/24]

VESTA, un projecte d’innovació social i treball compartit pel sensellarisme femení. (2021, 23 noviembre). Cohabitac. https://www.cohabitac.cat/vesta-un-projecte-dinnovacio-social-i-treball-compartit-pel-sensellarisme-femeni/ [13/05/24]

Cuando hablamos de innovación en vivienda social también hablamos de la calidad de vida. (s. f.). Vivienda. https://www.habitatge.barcelona/es/noticia/cuando-hablamos-de-innovacion-en-vivienda-social-tambien-hablamos-de-la-calidad-de-vida_1123422 [13/05/24]

Alvear, A. (2022, 11 noviembre). ¿Cómo pueden la innovación y la tecnología solucionar el déficit de vivienda? Ciudades Sostenibles. https://blogs.iadb.org/ciudades-sostenibles/es/como-pueden-la-innovacion-y-la-tecnologia-solucionar-el-deficit-de-vivienda/ [13/05/24]

La Sexta Columna. (2024, 23 febrero). El ‘secreto’ mejor guardado de Austria: así funcionan las viviendas cooperativas de alquiler público. LaSexta. https://www.lasexta.com/programas/sexta-columna/secreto-mejor-guardado-austria-asi-funcionan-viviendas-cooperativas-alquiler-publico-viena_2024022365d909dc4129260001d2feca.html [13/05/24]

El Parque Público de Vivienda. (2023, 6 abril). Vivienda. https://www.habitatge.barcelona/es/acceso-a-vivienda/el-parque-publico-de-vivienda [13/05/24]

Vivienda en cesión de uso. (2018, 24 octubre). Co-Vivienda Barcelona. https://cohousingbarcelona.cat/es/vivienda-cesion-uso/ [13/05/24]

Projecte «Pisos buits» BCN – Fundació Hàbitat3. (s. f.). Fundació Hàbitat3. https://www.habitat3.cat/projecte-pisos-buits-bcn

Conveni ESAL Ajuntament Barcelona – Habicoop. (2022, 20 abril). Habicoop. https://habicoop.cat/conveni-esal-ajuntament-barcelona/

Articles

Publications Articles

Why artificial intelligence will transform social services

Current initiatives that try to harness the potential of artificial intelligence to strengthen and improve wellness systems. (Toni Codina, Social Work Magazine, 2022 December)

Publications Articles

Los Servicios Sociales ante la inteligencia de grandes cantidades de datos (big data)

The impact of artificial intelligence and big data in the Social Services, nowadays and in the future. (Fernando Fantova, iSocial Foundation, 2020 March)

Homelessness and Technology: Tools to rebuild the bonds with the community

Ferran Benito on 10 May 2024

Entourage (France) and Nidus (Catalonia). Held on June 5th, 2024.

It is estimated that, as of today, 700.00 people sleep on the streets, in emergency shelters, and temporary accommodations throughout the European Union . In Catalonia alone, according to the estimated data from the Action Framework for Homelessness, at least 58.930 people suffer from some form of homelessness or housing exclusion.

Homelessness is a complex issue, mainly linked to housing, but with consequences that transcend it. Numerous studies and programs show housing insecurity has a significant impact on the physical health and psychological well-being of the individuals experiencing it.

In this Innobreak, we will learn firsthand about two initiatives that seek to significantly improve the quality of life of people experiencing homelessness, addressing some of their relational and support needs:

Entourage (France):With over 170,000 active members, the Entourage app promotes the creation of a community committed to social inclusion by connecting people experiencing homelessness with members of the local community. Entourage’s focus is on overcoming social isolation and breaking the stigmas that contribute to the deterioration of the mental healh of those affected.

Nidus (Catalonia) is a mobile and web-accessible application designed to provide personalized support to people experiencing homelessness and facilitate communication with their designated professionals. Its features include a digital safe, direct chat with support professionals, and an emergency button. Soon, an interactive map of useful geolocated resources will also be added.

Speakers:

Pol Robert, Entourage (France)
Oriol Janer, Nidus (Catalonia)

Innobreaks

Preventive action against neglect and child abuse

AFST – Allegheny Family Screening Tool (USA) and PIPPI – Intervention Program for the Prevention of Institutionalization (Italy) – Held on 14/06/2022

4.0 solutions that empower and facilitate personal autonomy

APP&TOWN COMPAGNON (Spain, Canada) and REHAB-LAB (France) – Held on 06/04/2022

ICT tools to combat loneliness in the elderly

TEKNOADINEKO (Euskadi, Spain) and ELDCARE (Catalonia, Spain) – Held on 08/02/2022

Online peer-to-peer psychosocial support services

CIRCLES (San Francisco, USA) and IPSO (Konstanz, Germany) – Held on 14/12/2021

New tools for remote social services users monitoring

WACS (UK) and DigiContact (Netherlands) – Held on 22/10/2021

Care4Skills

Ferran Benito on 29 April 2024

Care4Skills is a European Erasmus+ collaborative project aimed at addressing the training needs in Long-Term Care and establishing a European training strategy with common curricula

(2024-2027)

The Care4Skills project promotes a new strategic approach to enhance the skills and retraining of professional caregivers in the Long-Term Care sector. Through cross-sectoral collaboration among actors from various European countries, with a special focus on elderly care and disability support, the project aims to improve the quality of services and facilitate the digital transition in this field of social intervention. The initiative is supported by the European Union through the Erasmus+ program and will be developed over a four-year period.

Care4Skills is led by EASPD (European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities) and brings together 6 European platforms and national actors from 10 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain). The key player in Spain is the iSocial Foundation. The consortium includes both Long-Term Care providers and vocational training providers, as well as higher education institutions and certification bodies. The main goal of the collaboration is to address two priority competence areas for the sector: person-centered skills and digital skills.

Systematizing Long-Term Care Training

In the first year, the project plans to develop a training program to address the sector’s most urgent training needs, training 1500 frontline workers in Long-Term Care. This program will be based on an updated version of the MOOC that awards the European Care Certificate, a European qualification that provides the basic knowledge needed to work in the social and health care sector. Additionally, it will gather information on future training needs and develop a standardized methodology to anticipate and monitor these needs.

Care4Skills will not only improve the skills of professional caregivers but also develop new modular vocational training curricula, which will be piloted in the 10 participating countries. As a result of this research process, the project also plans to create European and national certifications and develop a European strategy for Long-Term Care skills, ensuring the project’s impact continues after its completion.

Evaluation of the Training Program

In this context, iSocial Foundation’s role within the project will be to adapt, implement, and evaluate the training program in Spain. To accomplish this task, iSocial Foundation will analyze the Long-Term Care sector in Spain, identifying the existing and necessary skills and competences, and diagnosing the gaps that exist.

Furthermore, it will study the trends in the Long-Term Care sector, defining both the current scenarios with characteristics familiar to the sector and the emerging and innovative elements, thus being able to project probable future scenarios that could accelerate the sector’s transformation.

Care4Skills aligns with the European Commission’s ambition to evaluate and enhance the skills of professional caregivers, with a special emphasis on digital skills and person-centered care. The project follows the guidelines set by the European Care Strategy (September 2022) and the Pact for Skills (“Large-scale Skills Partnership for Long-Term Care,” April 2023), and aims to address the challenges posed by both the sector’s evolution and the rapid social transformation and aging population.

Objectives

Develop a rapid response training program to address urgent training needs in Long-Term Care.
Create new modular vocational training curricula, with pilots in the 10 participating countries.
Launch European and national certifications to disseminate the knowledge gained during the project.
Develop a European strategy for skills development in Long-Term Care, ensuring the continuity of impact once the project period ends.

Expected outcomes

Training of 1500 frontline workers in Long-Term Care during the first year of the project.
Development of training curricula that address emerging needs in the sector.
Increased resilience of the Long-Term Care sector to potential future changes through the improvement of professionals’ skills.
Promotion of relevant sector qualifications and facilitation of cross-border certification to enhance the mobility of workers and professionals in the sector.
Generation of practical knowledge and learning for the development of new vocational training curricula through the evaluation of implemented training programs and the collection of feedback from participants.
Identification of future training needs and development of a standardized methodology to anticipate and monitor new challenges.

Lead:

Partners:

Amb el cofinançament de la Unió Europea a través del programa Erasmus+:

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We present Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran at a public event in La Seu d’Urgell

Laura Hurtado on 17 April 2024

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El projecte, liderat per la Fundació iSocial, té per objectiu la detecció i prevenció de situacions de soledat no desitjada en la gent gran al territori de l’Alt Pirineu i la Vall d’Aran

El passat 10 d’abril es va presentar, a La Seu d’Urgell, el projecte Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran, en un acte al qual van assistir-hi responsables dels serveis socials, representants polítics de la regió i mitjans de comunicació. Vincles és una iniciativa que aplica la innovació per fer front a l’increment de situacions de soledat no desitjada entre la gent gran a l’Alt Pirineu i el territori de l’Aran, combinant, d’una banda, la ciència de dades per geolocalitzar zones de risc, i de l’altra, l’activació de la xarxa comunitària local. Després d’uns mesos en els quals s’han realitzat sis pilots a diferents localitats de l’Alt Pirineu, el projecte arrenca ara en ferm en el conjunt d’aquest territori.

L’acte de presentació va comptar amb la intervenció inicial de Toni Codina, director de la Fundació iSocial, que va explicar el funcionament del projecte i les necessitats a les quals respon. Tot seguit, van intervenir-hi representants dels diversos governs regionals implicats en Vincles, que van ressaltar que la soledat no desitjada és una problemàtica cada cop més present en el territori. Per aquest motiu, van celebrar la posada en marxa del projecte.

Els assistents a la presentació van poder conèixer també el testimoni d‘Albert Marquet, alcalde de Montferrer i Castellbó, un dels municipis on s’ha realitzat la prova pilot del projecte. Marquet va explicar els avenços duts a terme en els darrers mesos i va valorar molt positivament la iniciativa. També van assistir a l’acte representants d’ABD, Integra Pirineus i Alba Jussà, entitats que participen en el projecte.

El projecte Vincles inclou la realització d’un doble diagnòstic, qualitatiu i quantitatiu, per conèixer amb més detall la situació de la zona i estudiar les estratègies de desplegament més adequades. Gemma Valeri, coordinadora del projecte, va exposar els primers resultats dels diagnòstics qualitatius, que s’han obtingut a través d’entrevistes, d’observacions de camp i prop de 700 qüestionaris. Les dades revelen que la soledat no desitjada preocupa seriosament el 80% dels habitants de l’Alt Pirineu-Aran. A més, una gran part dels enquestats assenyalen que troben a faltar millors xarxes de transport per poder accedir a la socialització, així com espais oberts on poder dur a terme trobades informals. Els resultats també apunten una bretxa de gènere en la participació en les activitats socials, ja que la majoria de les persones que hi assisteixen són dones.

Aliança per combatre la soledat

L’Alt Pirineu-Aran concentra algunes de les comarques més sobre envellides de tot Catalunya i registra la xifra més alta de llars unipersonals, que conformen aproximadament una tercera part del total. Com a conseqüència, hi ha moltes persones que se senten soles.

En aquest context, Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran reuneix un consorci d’entitats i serveis socials amb la idea de sumar esforços per combatre el fenomen de la soledat no desitjada al territori. Per fer-ho, s’emmiralla en el programa Auzosare, impulsat per la cooperativa Agintzari, entitat membre d’iSocial, i per l’empresa tecnològica Gislan, i que ja s’ha aplicat en diversos municipis d’Euskadi amb gran efectivitat. Totes dues organitzacions han compartit els seus coneixements amb les entitats i organismes catalans per tal de facilitar la implantació del projecte Vincles al territori de l’Alt Pirineu i l’Aran.

Vincles està liderat per la Fundació iSocial i també compta amb la participació dels organismes territorials de l’Alt Pirineu-Aran (els Consells Comarcals de l’Alt Urgell, el Pallars Sobirà, Pallars Jussà, la Cerdanya, l’Alta Ribagorça i el Conselh Generau d’Aran), la Universitat de Lleida, l’Institut per al Desenvolupament i la Promoció de l’Alt Pirineu-Aran (IDAPA), i tres entitats del tercer sector que actuen en aquestes comarques: la cooperativa Alba Jussà, la fundació Integra Pirineus i l’Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament (ABD). El projecte compta també amb la col·laboració de la Fundació La Caixa i la Diputació de Lleida. Vincles és finançat pels fons europeus Next Generation, a través del Departament de Drets Socials de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

Actualitat