2013 Quantitative Report of St Lazarus Boarding House

24.09.2014

In CMSA, we beleive that eventhough it is diffucult to make clear judgements on effectiveness of our services because of many reasons, it is very much possible to show our performance in a transparent way so that everyone can make her/his own judgement. Our performance is not only number of beds, meals, cloathing provided and social workers, councelors, psychologists employed. It is the situation of people who use our services. This is why we created a Template for Quantitative Report of the Shelter for the Homeless. It is based on our experience as well as European good practice including Homelessness Core and Non-core Variables from the MPHASIS Project and European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion ETHOS 2008 by FEANTSA.

In our statement from December 2013 we encourage all stakeholders to mainstream the Template. Ministry of Labour and Social Policy should establish incentives for service providers to create data collection systems which enable quick and easy preparation of Template based reports, while service providers, in particular big national and regional networks, should start preparing such reports based on data they do already collect.

To start with we publish our first “2013 Quantitative Report of the Saint Lazarus Boarding House (download)” based on the Template for Quantitative Report. It is not perfect, but we are trying and improving.

2013 QUANTITATIVE REPORT OF THE SAINT LAZARUS BOARDING HOUSE

Camillian Mission for Social Assistance

Warsaw, Poland February 2014

SAINT LAZARUS BOARDING HOUSE, CAMILLIAN MISSION FOR SOCIAL ASSISTANCE (CMSA)

Service type: Accommodation for homeless men whose life is endangered or who are in transition to independent housing

GOAL:

The purpose of activity of St. Lazarus Social Boarding House in general: social inclusion of persons experiencing the crisis of homelessness through the provision of safe accommodation for the night and boarding, and facilitating social inclusion through employment.

Service users are supported by a team of our employers: street workers, social workers, an employment counsellor, psychologists, therapists, a psychiatrist, and clergymen. Jointly with our service users, we conduct an individual programme to end homelessness, and we motivate them to permanently change the way they live and their lifestyle. The end result we want to see is the service user’s entirely independent life and his/her return to the society, but this rarely happens during the first stay. We always cater for the basic needs of our service users, and give people time to analyse their situation and find their own internal strength to take yet another difficult attempt to change their life. We do not have a magic wand, but we have extended hands, warm hearts, open minds, and an unshakable belief in other people. Everyone arriving at our Boarding House may count on the full professionalism, and friendliness of our multi-disciplinary team. We try to assist people in recovering contact with their families, finding a job, or stabilising their situation if they are in debt, and we provide them with information on the steps necessary to be granted a council flat or rent a flat. If there are serious health issues involved, people requiring support are referred to residential homes or residential medical care facilities. To strengthen and broaden the range of assistance provided to the people staying in our House, we provide all of them with information on the services offered by other local institutions, such as welfare centres, and outpatient clinics. For many years, we have been cooperating with institutions providing assistance in the area of addiction treatment, psychological and psychiatric support, as well as employment counselling. Our service users may use the entire spectrum of assistance services offered in the Capital City of Warsaw. We endeavour to continue cooperation with the persons leaving our service.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM:

Data collection tool:

Electronic MS ACCESS Data Base by Foundation for Social Innovation and Research „Shipyard” based on Homelessness and Housing Exclusion Data Collection Standard (pl. standard gromadzenia danych biwm) – 2011 Full Version for Shelters, expanded in 2012 with the Streetworking Module and in 2013 with Training Apartments Module.

Data collection procedures:

Client data is entered on ongoing basis by social workers as an inherent part of social work, since January 2012. In addition, some retrospective data was added (back to 2008) on previous stays of people who were clients since January 2012.

Data is gathered at the beginning of the stay, during the stay and at the end of the stay:

Full interview at the beginning of the stay is conducted with each person who stayed for at least 3 days.
Information on support provided and important event’s in inhabitant’s live is gathered on ongoing basis, however in 2013 not all support was mentioned in the Data Base (quite a few dates were missing and therefore significant piece of support is not included in 2013 report)
Full interview at the end of the stay (Discharge Interview) is conducted with each inhabitant whose leaving is planned and agreed with Staff. For other inhabitants information is gathered according to the best knowledge of Staff.

Personal identification data (name, last name, date of birth, sex) and dates of stays or visits is gathered for all clients regardless of the length of stay, also for clients who were rejected.

Rejections are marked for each person who came to the Pension and personally asked Staff for a place. Rejections to people who asked for a place by phone or came to the Pension under influence of alcohol or other substances are not marked (people under influence of alcohol are not allowed to social worker’s office).

The Boarding House still runs parallel paper based data collection system which is a result of long term tradition and staff habits as well as requirements from founders including Municipality of Warsaw. Complete replacement of the paper based system is planned in 2014.

REPORTING PERIOD:

1st of January 2013 – 31st of December 2013

PART 1. SCALE OF THE SERVICE AND SUPPORT PROVIDED

Number of places/beds	100
Avarage stock for the year (number of inhabitants on each day of the year – Mean)	99
Number of stays which began in 2013	192
Number of stays which ended in 2013	189
Avarage lenght of stay which ended in 2013	199

Number of rejections	509
– including rejections due to lack of available place/beds	469
– including number of unique people who were rejected	342

Support provided to inhabitants and important events in their lifeaccording to classification used by CMSA social workers	909*
Looked up by the police	96
Motivation and support talk with inhabitant	66
Registration for Temporary Stay under Pension’s address	64
Written request for access to personal data in other institution	60
Getting a job by inhabitant	47
Registration at Local Employment Office	42
Issuing certificate of the stay at the Pension	34
Contact with psychological support services	32
Contact with Local Welfare Centre	29
Referral to CMSA Work Counselor	29
Getting Personal Identification Card by inhabitant	28
Contact with health services	25
Contact with a doctor (general, psychologist, psychiatrist)	24
Support in writing a letter to bailiff, Social Security Office, Local Communal Housing Office	24
Taking pictures to Personal Identification Card	23
Contact with potential employer (support in looking for a job)	19
Contact with Local Disability Office	19
Alcohol dependency treatment in an institution (closed)	15
Getting financial benefits for the inhabitant from Local Welfare Centre	15
Inhabitant taking part in Motivation Support Group for Alcoholics at VICTI	14
Inhabitant begins alcohol treatment	14
Inhabitant is placed at hospital, sanatorium	12
Inhabitant referred to Local Welfare Centre for a full Social Welfare Interview	11
Writing to Local Welfare Centre to cover costs of stay of the inhabitant	9
Filling in annual Personal Income Tax Form for inhabitant	9
Inhabitant takes part in AA or Al-Anon meetings	8
Referral to Residential Welfare Home	7
Inhabitant losses a job	7
Contact with probation officer	6
Support in getting important documents e.g. work certificate	6
Support in filling forms to Employment Office, Communal Housing Office, Tax forms, etc.	6
Contact with court of law	5
Making an appointment with a specialist doctor	5
Getting a place in Residential Welfare Home for inhabitant	3
Other	86

*Data is not complete – it presents only activities which were registered under certain date.

PART 2: CLIENT PROFILE: CORE VARIABLES ON HOMELESSNESS (MPHASIS)

Annual Flow (number of unique people who were inhabitants for at least one day regardless of the number of stays and length of stay):

256

Age	256	Sex	256
Mean	52	Female	0
Median	53	Male	256

Number of people with Disability Status

Highest educational attainment (ISCED 2011)	256
Unfinished primary school and/or gymnasium (Unfinished lower secondary education	0
Primary school and/or gymnasium (Lower Secondary/Compulsory education)	45
Vocational education (Short-cycle tertiary education)	107
High school/technical school (Upper secondary/Post-secondary non-tertiary)	70
Unfinished higher education (not sufficient for Master or equivalent)	21
Higher education (Master or equivalent)	10
Missing data	3

Marital Status	256
Never married/available	96
Married	21
Divorced	121
Separated	6
Informal relationship	0
Widowed	11
Missing data	1

Geographical/territorial origin	256
Number of inhabitants born in the local gmina (community): Municipality of Warsaw	57
Number of inhabitants born outside of Poland	4
Number of inhabitants with non-Polish or undeclared citizenship	3
Missing data	0

Administrative origin – registration for permanent stay	256
Number of inhabitants currently registered for permanent stay in local gmina (Warsaw)	7
Number of inhabitants with no current registration but lastly registered for permanent stay in the local gmina (Warsaw)	76
Number of inhabitants currently or previously/lastly registered for permanent stay in one of the gminas from local voivodship (Mazovia)	140
Missing data	0

Support needs/problems (several answers possible)(measured at the end of the last stay finished in 2013)	256
Lack of occupation (school/work/supported employment… )	174
Alcohol dependency (suspected or diagnosed)	154
Hopelessness, helplessness in life	122
Nicotine (cigarettes) dependency	103
Long term health problems/diseases	62
Disability	46
Other physical health problems	28
Debts due to unpaid alimonies	26
Mental problems (suspected or diagnosed)	24
Rent arrears	14
Debts due to unpaid credits	11
Other substance dependency e.g. drugs (suspected or diagnosed)	7
Dependency on gambling (suspected or diagnosed)	6
Experience of domestic abuse/violence	2
None of the above	22

Declared length of homelessness – how long have you been homeless?	256
Less than 2 months	22
2 to 6 months	25
6 months – one year	24
1 to 3 years	30
3 – 5 years	30
More than 5 years	124
Missing data	0

Reasons for homelessness (measured at the beginning of the last stay finished in 2013)	256
Personal (diseases, dependencies)	124
Loss of job/employment	71
Conflict in a family/household, relationship breakdown	55
Financial	52
Institutional discharge (hospital, penitentiary, foster care)	15
Failure to find work outside the place of residence (during migration)	13
Landlord action (eviction, cancellation of the rent contract)	11
Termination of the rent contract	3
Violence in a family/household	3
Immigration	3
Force majeur	0
None of the above	35

PART 3. CHANGE – SITUATION OF SERVICE USERS BEFORE AND AFTER: ETHOS AND MPHASIS

Number of inhabitants who ended their stays in 2013 – regardless of the number of stays

174

– including number of inhabitants who went through Discharge Interview with social worker while leaving the service

Leaving the Pension	174
Leaving without contacting the Staff, so called „no return”	71
Planned, „with good bye”, including: resignation and being taken by the Police	55
Removed due to breaking the regulation/Statute of the Pension	47
Death	0
Missing data	1

Former stays (back to 2008)	174
First stay	122
Second stay	37
Third stay	9
Forth stay	4
Fifth and following stay	2

Housing situation according to ETHOS 2008 (based on declaration of inhabitant and the best knowledge of the social worker)	The night before stay at the Pension	The night after stay at the Pension
1. Living in public space	57	36
2. Emergency accommodation: Night shelter, warming up facility	4	0
3. Accommodation for the homeless: shelter, specialist shelter, training and supported apartments, other …- including CMSA Training Apartments	36	16 (10)
5. Accommodation for immigrants	0	0
6. Released from institutions: hospital, penitentiary, foster- including Residential Welfare Home	19	10 (5)
7. Longer term support due to homelessness	0	0
8.1 Living with a family or friends due to lack of housing	8	9
8.2 No legal (sub)tenancy (rented room, room from employer)	18	29
11. Living in temporary non-conventional structures: abandoned buildings, gardening allotments, self-made structures, mobile…	13	0
(12. Unfit housing) Social apartment (lokal socjalny)	0	1
Home: communal housing, privately owned housing, family home, legal long term rent contract for an apartment/home	2	0
Missing data	17	73
Total number of inhabitants	174	174

Main activity (several answers possible)	First day of stay	Last day of stay
Unemployment	125	148
Long term sick/disable	18	19
Pension	4	3
Paid employment	3	53
Voluntary work	1	0
Supported employment	0	0
School or training	0	0
Missing data	28	53
Total number of inhabitants	174	174

Source/type of income (several answers possible)	First day of stay	Last day of stay
No income	113	46
Pension or long term welfare benefits	28	22
Long term legal employment	2	6
Short term legal employment	1	40
Unemployment benefits	1	1
Employment with no contract/illegal	0	5
Registered self-employment	0	1
Income from begging, collecting garbage, sex working…	0	0
Alimonies	0	0
Educational grants	0	0
Support from the family	0	0
Missing data	29	54
Total number of inhabitants	174	174