scholarly journals A Conceptual Framework for the Evaluation of Social Agriculture: An Application to a Project Aimed at the Employability of Young People NEET

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8608
Author(s):  
Antonio Baselice ◽  
Maurizio Prosperi ◽  
Antonio Lopolito
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Public Support ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Evaluation Exercise

Agriculture can be a possible provider of social services of relevant importance for the whole society. In order to generate a valuable social service, a multi-actor approach is often applied, based on an active collaboration among public institutions, non-profit organizations, and private firms, and capable of generating multiple positive impacts. This new approach may both favorite agricultural diversification and enhance the quality of life of rural communities. However, in order to enable policymakers in motivating the public support to these types of initiatives, an evaluation method capable of disentangling the multiple benefits generated by social agricultural projects is required. In this paper, we adapted the evaluation method previously developed by the SIMRA consortium for Social Innovation initiatives, to a project aimed at the employability of NEETs in the south of Italy. A selection grid, framed by cross-referencing the national policy objectives of social agriculture and the criteria of eligibility adopted in public calls is proposed, to choose the suitable indicators for the evaluation. The evaluation experience allowed the measurement of 34 indicators of performance. The results prove that 12 indicators are positive, while 12 are moderate, and 10 are low and are mainly related to the enhancement of social inclusion. The evaluation exercise may be useful to disentangling the multiple outcomes generated by initiatives based on social innovation, which are highly based on intangible assets, and exert a positive effect on the internal cohesion and the engagement of the civil society.

Reti di servizi e comunitŕ per l'inserimento lavorativo dei pazienti psichiatrici

2009 ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Flavia Franzoni
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Disabled Persons ◽  
Service Network ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Work Integration ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Educational Inclusion

- A vast and complex legislation for disabled and disadvantaged people regulates the work inclusion of psychiatric patients. However, the implementation of this legislation - particularly in the case of mentally distressed persons - is difficult to enforce, for inclusion requires continuity and collaboration, comprising: different local mental health and social services, the non-profit sector, and the companies that take on the new "social responsibility" of integrating disabled persons. Community networks are valuable resources for implementing work and social inclusion. The author explores ways of collaboration between all stakeholders in order to strengthen social and work integration processes, based on a common culture of social inclusion.Key Words: service network, targeted employment, employability, social and educational inclusion, corporate social responsibility, competent community.Parole Chiave: rete dei servizi, collocamento mirato, occupabilitŕ, integrazione socio-sanitaria ed educativa, responsabilitŕ sociale di impresa, comunitŕ competente.

scholarly journals Social Farming: Heterogeneity in Social and Agricultural Relationships

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4824
Author(s):  
Angela Genova ◽  
Martina Maccaroni ◽  
Elena Viganò
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Local Case ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Farming

Social farming (SF) has emerged as a social innovation practice shaping heterogeneous approaches and results. This study discusses the complexity of SF policy and practices, and it is led by the main hypothesis that the relationship between agricultural and social dimensions might be very heterogeneous, not only in different national contexts but also within the same national and local level. SF policy and practices are investigated testing the hypothesis of three main different modalities of interaction according to how the social and the agricultural perspectives interact. In the first, social target is not involved in the production system of the farm and the farm is the context where actions and measures of a social nature take place. In the second type of interaction, the farm employs the beneficiaries in some of its production activities collaborating with the social services. The third is where the farm organizes its activities to actively employ targeted people to enhance their social inclusion and integration in the community. Italian SF policy and practices are analyzed as case study, through the lens of sociological critical discourse analysis regarding the regional regulatory documents, and interviews for local case studies. The results of the study show that SF policy and practices might be very heterogeneous also within the same national and local level, outlining different hybridization of social and agriculture actions that can be properly analyzed through the three SF model proposal. This study contributes to the broader debate on the various dimensions of sustainability, suggesting the need for further research on the efficiency of SF as local development model sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms.

scholarly journals “When I hear my language, I travel back in time and I feel at home”: Intersections of culture with social inclusion and exclusion of persons with dementia and their caregivers

2021 ◽  
pp. 136346152110017
Author(s):  
Rossio Motta-Ochoa ◽  
Paola Bresba ◽  
Jason Da Silva Castanheira ◽  
Chelsey Lai Kwan ◽  
Shaindl Shaffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Dementia Caregivers ◽  
Cultural Elements ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Canadian City ◽  
Person With Dementia

Individuals with dementia and their carers often experience a rupture of relationships that co-occurs with declining functional and cognitive abilities, leading to their increased social exclusion in both intimate relationships and community settings. While initiatives have been developed to support meaningful interaction and participation in society, they have broadly ignored the significance of how cultural factors influence experiences of inclusion/exclusion of these individuals. An ethnographic study was conducted by an interdisciplinary research team between April 2018 and January 2019 to explore the intersections of culture and social inclusion/exclusion in a culturally diverse group of persons with dementia, caregivers and staff members of a non-profit organization located in a multicultural neighborhood of a bilingual Canadian city. The participants’ culture was inextricably linked to their experiences in three overarching themes of social inclusion/exclusion: transformation of the person with dementia and the caregiver; participation in social networks and meaningful relations; and styles of care provision in health and social services. Cultural mandates that prescribe practices of intergenerational care shape the way certain caregivers perceive their role and mitigated experiences of exclusion. Culturally specific notions and views associated with dementia prevalent in certain communities increased experiences of inclusion or exclusion. Engagement with the cultural elements of individuals with dementia was shown to be an effective and underexplored tool for fostering inclusion. The results of this study highlight the value of the ethnographic methods for incorporating the perspective of persons with dementia in research.

The Complex Support and Assistance to Children with Disability and their Families in the Czech Republic and the Presentation of Case Final Reports on Early Care of Client as an Example of Good Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-84
Author(s):  
Zdenka Šándorová
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Practical Case ◽  
Early Care ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Children With Disability ◽  
Global Comparison ◽  
The Social

Abstract The theme of the paper is very topical in global and European context. It brings theoretical information on the concept of asocial model of early care in the Czech Republic and practical case studies and final reports related to the early care provision which demonstrate tangible activities within the system of the complex support and assistance to children with disability and their families. The author applies the theoretical-practical approach as she is of the opinion that „the practice without theory is as a blind person on the road and the theory without practice is as a cart without an axle”. The aim of the paper is to extend theoretical information on the topic in the Czech Republic by individual examples of final reports related to the provision of social prevention of the early care in the Czech Republic. The overall aim of the paper is to justify topicality and eligibility of early care in its broad reference framework, including its practical impact. The theoretical basis of the paper is elaborated with respect to the analysis and comparison of Czech and foreign literature, legislation, methodology document and other relevant written resources. The practical level is elaborated with respect to 3 cases and final reports of the provider of an early care of the social prevention. The early care in the Czech Republic represents a professional, modern and recognized system in European and global comparison and is legally anchored in the Act 108/2006 Coll. on social services. It aims on the minimization of child´s disability impact upon child´s development, especially the social inclusion of a child and a family and their capability to cope with limitating disability in natural environ, i.e. by the preservation of standard way of life. It represents a multi-dimensional model, overcoming limitation of sectoral division of the early care and facilitating complex assistance from a series of subject fields at the same time. Services for families with an endangered child in early age are the background for social, educational and pedagogical inclusion of a child and the re-socialisation and re-inclusion of a family. Early care is considered preventive, from the point of the prevention of the second disability (i.e. is effective), in the prevention of institutionalized and asylum care (i.e. is economical), in the prevention of segregation (i.e. is ethical).

Social Capital and Sustainable Health Care: An Analysis of Community Based Palliative Care Model of Kerala

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Azeez. E.P
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Palliative Care Units

Social Capital is the most crucial asset which significantly influence the efficacy and resilience of any community. Social capital is a dependent variable that depends upon the competence and coherence of the individuals in the community and mode of social relationships, trust and networks they maintain. It is one of the most sustainable social resources that originate from human relations and results on the mutual support of people. Utilization of Social capital has a wide applicability in the process of social inclusion, especially in dealing with the vulnerable and disadvantaged sections in the community itself. Voluntary organizations are very keen to utilize the social capital for community/social services and community development in a sustainable manner. Community based de-institutionalized Palliative Care is one of the foremost among such organizations that made social capital in a strategic way for social inclusion and community well being. This paper analyses the extent to which different elements of social capital helps in initiating the sustainable community based palliative care movement by assessing the unique intervention strategies carried out by the palliative care. This paper explores conceptual questions of how social capital and voluntary community based services are correlated. A case study method was adopted for the study in which ten palliative care units were analyzed. The results show that a number of social capital elements are playing a vital role in the sustainability of community palliative care movement in Kerala.

scholarly journals Empirical Evidence for Professional Practice and Public Policies: An Exploratory Study on Social Exclusion in Users of Primary Care Social Services in Spain

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giménez‐Bertomeu ◽  
Domenech‐López ◽  
Mateo‐Pérez ◽  
de‐Alfonseti‐Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Life Trajectories ◽  
The Social ◽  
Study Population ◽  
The University

This study examines the social exclusion characteristics of a sample of users of primary care social services in two local entities in Spain. The objective of this study was to identify the intensity and scope of social exclusion in an exploratory way and to look at the typology of existing exclusionary situations to inform policy making and professional practice. Data from 1009 users were collected by primary care social services professionals, completing the Social Exclusion Scale of the University of Alicante (SES-UA). The dimensions with the greatest levels of social exclusion in the study population were those related to work/employment, income and education and training. The dimensions with an intermediate level of exclusion were those related to housing and social isolation. Social acceptance, family and social conflict and health were the dimensions with the lowest levels of exclusion. The analysis also showed the existence of five significantly different groups, that showed five different life trajectories along the continuum between social exclusion and social inclusion. The results show the importance and utility of developing professional and policy intervention protocols based on research evidence, with the objective of improving the quality of life of the users.

scholarly journals What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4359
Author(s):  
Carla Barlagne ◽  
Mariana Melnykovych ◽  
David Miller ◽  
Richard J. Hewitt ◽  
Laura Secco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Study Approach

In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.

scholarly journals DYNAMICS OF DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR IN THE THREE SIBERIAN REGIONS (BASED ON EXPERT EVALUATIONS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-34
Author(s):  
Daria A. Omelchenko ◽  
Svetlana G. Maximova ◽  
Oksana E. Noyanzina
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Actual State ◽  
Novosibirsk Oblast ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Border Regions ◽  
The Republic

Contemporary Russian social policy is marked by intensive development of state-public partnership as an important instrument for identifying and responding to social issues, improving quality of social services, protecting rights and freedoms of the Russian citizens. Shouldering some of the state functions on the provision of social services, organization of socially significant events and activities, NPOs are often more efficient and effective, they react faster on social needs and provide population with opportunities to participate in resolution of their problems and change their lives for the better way. The analysis of dynamic characteristics of civil society, fulfilled by the authors on the base of expert evaluations in the three border regions of the Siberian federal district (the Altai region, the Novosibirsk oblast, the Republic of Altai, n = 180), allowed to reveal their structure and relationships with peculiarities of the functioning and interaction with other NPOs and governmental bodies at different levels. Our findings suggest that processes in civil society are strongly interconnected, and that the assessment of their actual state and dynamics is very subjective, affected by professional experience and peculiarities of expert organization.

scholarly journals Law enforcement agencies’ approach to de-escalation: Incorporating a social services perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-70
Author(s):  
Lisa Deveau
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Police Services ◽  
Canadian Law

In this critical review and social innovation narrative, we analyze the literature regarding Canadian law enforcement agencies’ approach to de-escalation and crisis intervention. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we consider how the skills and values of social work can be used to inform and train officers on essential skills such as de-escalation and conflict resolution. We look at the systemic barriers to bringing about change within Canadian police forces as the current culture continues to be influenced by colonization and law enforcement continues to value and endorse use of force over de-escalation. While services can benefit by applying an interdisciplinary lens when training officers, the factors that impede this union and collaboration are discussed and explored as police services are given immense discretion in how they train and respond to mental health crises. In conclusion, we examine the government’s role in perpetuating these issues.

Rural midwifery practice in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Strengths, vulnerabilities, opportunities and challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
Rea Daellenbach ◽  
Lorna Davies ◽  
Mary Kensington ◽  
Susan Crowther ◽  
Andrea Gilkison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Rural Practice ◽  
Midwifery Practice ◽  
Adverse Weather

Background: The sustainability of rural maternity services is threatened by underfunding, insufficient resourcing and challenges with recruitment and retention of midwives. Aims: The broader aim of this study was to gain knowledge to inform the optimisation of equitable and sustainable maternity care for rural communities within New Zealand and Scotland, through eliciting the views of rural midwives about their working conditions and practice. This article focuses on the New Zealand midwives’ responses. Method: Invitations to participate in an online questionnaire were sent out to midwives working in rural areas. Subsequently, themes from the survey results were followed up for more in-depth discussion in confidential, online group forums. 145 New Zealand midwives responded to the survey and 12 took part in the forums. Findings: The New Zealand rural midwives who participated in this study outlined that they are attracted to, and sustained in, rural practice by their sense of connectedness to the countryside and rural communities, and that they need to be uniquely skilled for rural practice. Rural midwives, and the women they provide care to, frequently experience long travel times and distances which are economically costly. Adverse weather conditions, occasional lack of cell phone coverage and variable access to emergency transport are other factors that need to be taken into account in rural midwifery practice. Additionally, many participants noted challenges at the rural/urban interface in relation to referral or transfer of care of a woman and/or a baby. Strategies identified that support rural midwives in New Zealand include: locum and mentoring services, networking with other health professionals, support from social services and community service providers, developing supportive relationships with other rural midwives and providing rural placements for student midwives. Conclusion: Midwives face economic, topographic, meteorological and workforce challenges in providing a service for rural women. However, midwives draw strength through their respect of the women, and the support of their midwifery colleagues and other health professionals in their community.

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