EAVA, integral service against elder abuse

Publications Bank of innovations

EAVA, integral service against elder abuse

Regional Council of Anoia

Service specialised in the detection and accompaniment of elderly people in the county of Anoia. Promoted and financed by the Consell Comarcal, the aim of the team is to detect and prevent situations of abuse, on the one hand, and to offer multidisciplinary care to protect and reduce the possible damage caused in these situations, on the other.

The Anoia Elderly Care Team (EAVA) is a pioneering public service in Europe that makes visible and tackles a problem that is gaining strength in the context of generalised population ageing. According to the World Health Organisation, 15% of people over the age of 65 suffer abuse, although the official data do not reflect this figure because reporting is rare.

The service is mainly aimed at elderly people who are known or suspected of suffering situations of abuse –physical, psychological, sexual or economic or derived from abandonment, negligence, self-neglect and violation of rights– both at home and in institutions. According to the statistics presented by the EAVA, elder abuse is feminised –more than 75% of the cases are women– and the aggressors are mostly children and non-professional carers.

The team is multidisciplinary; it is composed by a network of experts from different fields to offer a comprehensive view of the situation. It coordinates on a daily basis with the professionals who care for the elderly to detect suspicions and emergencies and prevent abuse. It also advises, assesses and intervenes on a case-by-case basis. Generally, the unit opts for mediation rather than legal action, although if it does so, it offers the elderly accompaniment before the courts. However, the direction of the service is not unidirectional: any professional in the field of social services, social entities and health services can request the team’s service and jointly coordinate individualised care.

Thus, the EAVA highlights the need for co-operation between a wide co-ordinated network to detect and take action against elder abuse. The collaboration is intended to be comprehensive and to go beyond social services, including notaries and bank offices in the county useful for detecting financial abuse. In this sense, given that the membership and impact of the team’s actions require efficient coordination, the EAVA has provided training to health personnel, social service workers, judges and regional police officers.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Confidant, an application for remote care of children and the elderly

Publications Bank of innovations

Confidant, an application for remote care of children and the elderly

Confidant

A technological tool that facilitates the care of people who need regular care or supervision, especially dependent elderly people and minors. It reduces the worry and anguish of not being able to locate loved ones and allows vulnerability to be addressed through innovative technology.

The Confidant app works in such a way that it allows access to mobile devices –phones, smart watches, tablets, etc.– of the people to be cared for. It makes it possible to geolocate them in real time and contact them easily to ensure their well-being at all times. In addition, the app has several functions that can be configured: obtaining a record of activity –of the applications consulted, calls made and sites visited by the controlled device–, partial blocking –of certain applications– or total blocking of the device, preventing the linked device from being switched off and receiving notifications in the event that it has a low battery level, among others. It also has an anti-theft function, allowing the user to know the location in real time and to avoid a forced shutdown of the device.

It is, therefore, a highly personalised tool, adaptable to the diverse needs –mainly depending on age– of the confidants or people receiving care. Confidant can be especially useful for educating children to make good use of technology and avoid situations of cyberbullying. In the case of older people, the option of a smart watch may be relevant for people who are not used to the use of new technologies.

Confidant is easy to download and allows a one-week free trial. It guarantees security, privacy and transparency. To avoid potential misuse, the app cannot be installed in stealth: whenever it is activated, a notification is sent to the monitored device. In this sense, it allows the option to activate these functions only in case of emergency, only when the person does not respond to several calls.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Scottish national program to help implement Self-Directed Support

Publications Bank of innovations

Scottish national program to help implement Self-Directed Support

Social Work Scotland

National program to facilitate the implementation of the Self-Directed Support intervention model in local social services in Scotland’s municipalities. It aims to bridge the gap between the regulatory framework and the day-to-day practice of Social Services by providing guidance and support to overcome the challenges faced by social professionals in implementing the model..

Self-Directed Support is a model for accompanying people who are served by Social Services, with a focus on support in decision making. The aim is for people to have control and power of choice over the actions or support plans aimed at improving their living conditions, based on their demands and their rights. Within this approach, this Social Work Scotland program aims to ensure that social workers are able to implement the model based on the principles, perspective and values of human rights. The aim is to empower social workers to be autonomous in implementing the model with each person served.

The program has three main lines of action. First, to promote the autonomy of social professionals in the implementation of the model through the definition of standards and training and advisory activities aimed at improving social intervention. Secondly, to provide a community of practice where public professionals and community entities can learn together to find solutions to the challenges posed by the implementation of the Self-Directed Support model. And finally, to energize a collaborative Scottish network of all public and private stakeholders to contribute to the development of the Scottish national Self-Directed Support framework.

Within this national framework, a library of tools, resources and practical examples for practitioners is provided. In addition, the program is working to get personal assistants recognized as members of the social care workforce, and to bring about changes in the Scottish legal framework to facilitate effective implementation of the model.


Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

The Access Hub, a multi-institutional support center for homeless people

Publications Bank of innovations

The Access Hub, a multi-institutional support center for homeless people

Simon Community

An innovative multi-institutional counseling and support center for homeless people. It is a space designed to ensure that users feel that their well-being is a priority and to make it easier for them to obtain the accompaniment and support they need.

The key to the center is the participation of more than 20 organizations, all of which offer their services under one roof. This removes many bureaucratic barriers that often hinder access to critical services. In addition, the organizations’ partners are in contact and work more efficiently, offering solutions with multiple viewpoints, even in the most difficult circumstances. Users can access more than 40 supports provided by a wide range of experts, from financial and legal support, to digital, health or wellness advice.

Just walking into the building, the user meets a person instead of a reception desk. The goal is to offer a space of connection and tranquility, giving a welcoming and comfortable feeling to ensure a safe and comfortable place. To achieve this feeling, the space has high quality furniture and finishes. Colors are chosen in a way that is not over the top, but with originality and awareness.

The center hopes to break the mold of the usual service delivery by offering a space that is easily accessible, modern and adapted to the needs of the users.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Konekta2, intelligent sensorization of homes for the elderly

Publications Bank of innovations

Konekta2, intelligent sensorization of homes for the elderly

Fuenlabrada City Council

A virtual assistant for the elderly that is able to detect changes in movements and routines at home to alert in the event of an incident.

The program is aimed at elderly people with cognitive impairment who live alone. It is a pilot project for which 30 people have been selected, with the intention of being extended to other users once the pilot phase is completed.

Through sensors placed on doors, household appliances or corridors, changes in these can be detected. First, an analysis of each person’s routines is carried out to detect anomalies and check the elderly person’s condition. By this way, if a door is opened at dawn, or the front door is not opened all day (indicating that the person has not left the house), it can be detected and the people nearby can be alerted (every time there is a change, a message is sent to the next contact person). The tool has a voice-controlled virtual assistant, a sensor for opening the front door and the refrigerator, and motion sensors that can be placed in different areas of the house.

The assistant also alerts the emergency services in the event of an accident, since it works as a complement to the help button or tele-alarm that users have at home. In addition, users can call for help using only their voice.

The pilot project makes it possible to anticipate cases of risk, avoiding emergency situations thanks to preventive work. It is a tool that helps the elderly to spend more of their lives at home safely.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Youth and Family Office, community-based model for raising vulnerable children.

Publications Bank of innovations

Youth and Family Office, community-based model for raising vulnerable children.

Youth and Familiy Office

Community model of care for vulnerable children and teenagers in the Austrian municipality of Graz, which seeks to strengthen resources for families, and to identify and resolve their specific needs. It is designed so that the child or teenager and the family are at the center, with an approach that takes into account the domestic and social context in which they live.

The initiative has been developed in four districts of the city, and focuses mainly on avoiding the institutionalization of the most vulnerable children. The program’s approach is preventive, offering families who are expecting a child to receive information free of charge and to participate in a wide range of activities to prepare them for future parenting. Some of the activities offered are home visits by professionals, as well as free lectures and courses. Attendance at these courses provides a booklet with stamps that provide an economic incentive exchangeable for other services in the city, such as visits to parental counseling centers.

Once the children are born, parents receive counseling, and if special needs are identified, they can be transitioned to specialized services. The program is also aimed at older ages, including adolescence, with services such as nursery schools or youth centers, as well as leisure activities and digital support.

Graz’s model promotes flexible assistance tailored to the needs of each family, which is always involved in the research and identification of solutions.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Getxo Zurekin, community accompaniment at the end of life

Publications Bank of innovations

Getxo Zurekin, community accompaniment at the end of life

Fundación doble sonrisa

A local community network that supports and accompanies people who are in a situation of advanced illness, offering a model of health, social and community care to improve their well-being and quality of life that goes beyond the resources and capacity of the health and social services systems.

The network acts in different areas: raising public awareness of the importance of care and support for dependent people or those at the end of life; training neighbors in palliative care; and promoting research to foster a paradigm shift in community care.

The network also provides information on the resources available in the municipality in relation to palliative care and the situation of people with advanced illness, in the form of a local observatory that seeks to detect support needs based on a pioneering collaborative methodology where citizen participation is key.

Getxo Zurekin believes in the strength of the community and in networking among people of the same population to take care of each other, to reach where public services cannot reach.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Hoplr, a neighborhood social network to strengthen mutual support and inclusion

Publications Bank of innovations

Hoplr, a neighborhood social network to strengthen mutual support and inclusion

Hoplr

Social network aimed at creating social capital among neighbors in a neighborhood. It builds local communities that go hand in hand with current social changes to create fully inclusive and participatory cities.

The initiative aims to put community at the center of neighborhood life, as it considers mutual support to be one of the key elements of neighborhoods. It works free of charge for all types of mobile devices and access is based on each person’s address. To connect neighbors in the same area, neighborhoods are geographically delimited and only profiles from the same neighborhood have access to messages posted within it.

People using the application can meet other people living in the same neighborhood, ask for help to carry out different tasks, or help other neighbors with their needs. In addition, it is a good tool for organizing activities or events such as bike tours or game nights. Hoplr promotes care among the people who participate, whether it is companionship when a person is sick, shopping for elderly people who ask for it, or finding a person to take care of children for a few afternoons during the week.

As for public institutions, they cannot see the conversations between neighbors, but they have the possibility of publishing messages to inform about new developments, with which neighbors can interact and contribute ideas. In other words, it is a social network that promotes direct communication between neighborhood demands and the actions carried out by municipal authorities.

It is a social network free of commercial and advertising intervention, which works respecting the privacy of users, to create a safe environment for communication and citizen participation.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Vila Veïna, a new public community care system

Publications Bank of innovations

Vila Veïna, a new public community care system

Barcelona City Council

A new public care system in the city of Barcelona that aims to achieve a model of social and health care that is smaller and closer to the users.

To achieve this, it structures the service in a set of “Super Islands” of care, which encompass a group of houses and neighborhoods of between 10,000 and 30,000 inhabitants, with a reference point located in an open community space (for example, a library) to manage the needs of service users in an integrated manner. Thanks to this new innovative service model, professionals enjoy greater autonomy in the organization and management of their work, since they know the users more closely and are able to deal more directly and satisfactorily with all of them.

Each Vila Veïna has the essential services and benefits related to care in a centralized manner, in order to be able to deal with them closely. It also has emotional support groups and a resource bank for the care of children and the elderly, which provides material such as crutches, cradles, wheelchairs and other items necessary for the care of children and the elderly. It also offers legal and employment advice for caregivers and families in need, as well as talks and outdoor activities. The aim is to provide caregivers with access to information about existing services, as well as to create communities of care and proximity.

Each Vila Veïna has a professional who dedicates his or her working day to promoting networking, programming activities and attending to citizens in relation to care. The new profile of this professional is essential in innovation and requires a set of skills for community activation, as well as knowledge of municipal administrative systems and other administrations.

The project is aimed at the entire population living in the territory, because it is based on the idea that ‘we all take care of each other’, and the goal is to achieve a more caring community with all the people who are part of it.

In short, it is an innovative model that humanizes services and contemplates the participation of people, both caregivers and those receiving care, who are part of a community network and co-responsible for the collective welfare.

By 2022 there will be 12 Vila Veïna spaces in the city of Barcelona, and the goal is to have 115 throughout the city in the future.

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence

Social Hotel for drug addicts in a homeless situation

Publications Bank of innovations

Social Hotel for drug addicts in a homeless situation

ABD (Welfare and Development Association)

Hotel Social per a persones drogodependents en situació de sensellarisme

Daniela and Paola, two residents of the Social Hotel

A low-demand temporary residential center for drug addicts who spend the night on the street. It is a pioneering and unique residential resource in Spain, which offers accommodation and coverage of basic needs, as well as a space for professional accompaniment to enable supervised substance use.

It is estimated that 30% of homeless people in the city of Barcelona are drug addicts, a fact that prevents them from accessing the network of shelters and municipal housing for the homeless. In addition, living on the street implies a state of enormous uncertainty and precariousness that hinders any voluntary process of abandoning substance use. Therefore, these people find themselves inside a wheel from which it is very difficult to get out. That is why the ABD Social Hotel does not require abstinence from addictions to enter the center, but offers individualized monitoring of each drug-dependent person without imposing any commitment or specific starting point.

The Social Hotel, which at the beginning of 2022 ABD has been moved to a hotel located in the Horta-Guinardó neighborhood of Barcelona that had been closed due to the drop in tourism caused by Covid-19, has a capacity for 50 people and has single rooms, a dining room and multipurpose rooms, among which there is a room open for those residents who need to consume. In the room there are nurses, psychologists and sometimes a doctor, as well as the necessary material to do so with maximum hygienic guarantees. It is, therefore, an environment in which professionals and users establish relationships of trust that facilitate recovery and personalized follow-up.

Another of the innovative aspects of this new Social Hotel in comparison with other resources is that the shelter works with a gender perspective, since 50% of the places are reserved for women and it has non-mixed spaces and groups to work on gender violence. It also has spaces for people with reduced mobility and places for victims of gender violence.

In short, it is a project that works for the social inclusion of people who are doubly socially excluded: homeless and drug addicts.

The Social Hotel opened during the pandemic, in 2020, in a provisional facility, and since 2022 it has a permanent building in a former hotel. After a year and a half in operation and with 200 residents already having passed through, the professionals of the Social Hotel have been able to note a substantial improvement in the emotional state and health of the residents, some of whom have made a satisfactory transition to other, more autonomous accommodations.

ADB Associació Benestar i Desenvolupament

Banc d’innovacions

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

AutisMIND is a mobile application that enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork, social workers who assist young people through the Internet

Digital Streetwork is an initiative that moves street work with youth to the Internet
BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

BRUS is an accompaniment program to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction
App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada, support against gender-based violence for women with disability

App Morada is an application that helps and guides women with disability and victims of gender-based violence