Socialising Office Space: Flexibility through a layering of multiple programs in traditional office buildings.

<p>This design-research project explores extending the flexibility of a typical 1960s open-plan office building. Through the use of cross-programming, the building now works along a 24- hour timespan. Housing a co-working office, community space and a night shelter, the building models a more efficient use of office space within our central cities. A focus on the individual allows a meaningful connection to space and to others through parallel design interventions that operate as desks and as sleeping pods.</p>

Socialising Office Space: Flexibility through a layering of multiple programs in traditional office buildings.

<p>This design-research project explores extending the flexibility of a typical 1960s open-plan office building. Through the use of cross-programming, the building now works along a 24- hour timespan. Housing a co-working office, community space and a night shelter, the building models a more efficient use of office space within our central cities. A focus on the individual allows a meaningful connection to space and to others through parallel design interventions that operate as desks and as sleeping pods.</p>

Access, equity and social cohesion: evaluation of intersectoral strategies for people experiencing homelessness

Objective To understand and evaluate the work of intersectoral assistance on the insertion and the flow of people in situation of street with severe mental illness in public services of Mental Health. Method A case study developed from ten visits to a night shelter between March and April 2012. For data collection, the participant observation and semi-structured interviews were carried out with four sheltered individuals, as well as non-directive group interviews with five technicians of the social-assistance services. Results Were analyzed using Content Analysis and developing a Logic Model validated with the professionals involved. Conclusion The social assistance services are the main entry of this clientele in the public network of assistance services, and the Mental Health services have difficulty in responding to the specificities of the same clientele and in establishing intersectoral work.

Social innovation i indsatsen for hjemløse kvinder – tilblivelsen af en natcafé

I forbindelse med de nationale strategiplaner ”Det fælles ansvar II” og ”Den nationale hjemløsestrategi” er der blevet iværksat flere aktiviteter i Københavns Kommune for at skabe øget viden og forbedre indsatsen i forhold til hjemløse og andre grupper af socialt udsatte kvinder. Flere af disse er sociale innovationer. De har som formål at imødekomme kvindernes behov og problemer på nye og bedre måder. I artiklen analyseres tilblivelsen af en af disse sociale innovationer, ”Café Klare – Natcaféen for kvinder”. Det undersøges således hvorledes ideen til natcaféen er fremkommet, og hvordan processen bag implementeringen af den er forløbet. Analysen viser bl.a., at der er tale om en længerevarende proces, hvor medarbejdere og ledere i Socialforvaltningen og i organisationer på hjemløseområdet, mere eller mindre strategisk har skabt, udnyttet og forhandlet muligheder for at skabe en forbedret indsats for de hjemløse kvinder, heriblandt natcaféen. Analysen er baseret på et længerevarende, kvalitativt casestudie. ENGELSK ABSTRACT: Catharina Juul Kristensen: Social Innovation in Services for Homeless Women – the Creation of a Night Shelter Within the framework of the Danish national action plans ”Our Common Responsibility II” and ”The National Homeless Strategy”, the municipality of Copenhagen launched a number of initiatives to improve social services for socially vulnerable and homeless women. Another goal of these initiatives was to increase awareness and knowledge of these women’s needs. Many of these efforts are social innovations that endeavor to meet the needs and problems of homeless women in new ways. This article analyzes the emergence of one of these social innovations, ”Café Klare – the night shelter for women”. It focuses on the process of idea generation and implementation of the night shelter. The analysis shows how employees and managers in both the municipal social administration and in organizations for homelessness created, used and negotiated the opportunity to improve the social services for homeless women more or less strategically. Among these services was ”Café Klare”. The analysis is based on an in depth case study. Key words: Social innovation, innovation processes, entrepreneurship, night shelters, homeless women.

Dietary inadequacies observed in homeless men visiting an emergency night shelter in Paris

ObjectiveTo assess the dietary intake and the nutritional status of homeless men.SettingA night emergency shelter in Paris, France.DesignDietary survey (48-h) including alcohol intake and a questionnaire on age, duration of homelessness, smoking habits. Subjects were also weighed and measured.SubjectsNinety-seven men aged 18–72 years (mean 43.3), of whom 54% were homeless for more than 18 months, 82% were smokers and 53% were regular and/or excessive drinkers.ResultsThe BMI distribution was shifted towards low values, the percentage of wasted persons being four times higher than in the reference population. The mean total energy intake was 2376 kcal (SD = 879) and included a high and highly variable percentage of energy derived from alcohol (12.0% (SD = 18.1)). Among drinkers, the mean ethanol intake was 90 g (SD = 102) and there was a significant negative correlation between ethanol and non-alcoholic energy intakes. The median intakes of potassium, calcium, zinc, vitamins B1, B2, and niacin were lower than European Population Reference Intakes but only the mean intake of vitamin B1 was significantly lower. Eighty percent of non-alcoholic energy was provided by charitable organisations. For most nutrients, the nutritional density of the shelter ration was not significantly different from the density of the foods purchased by the homeless.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the content of some nutrients should be increased in existing food assistance programs for homeless people in France.

The Effectiveness of a Service for Helping Destitute Men

SummaryThe effectiveness of a voluntary organization which aimed to help destitute men contacted by means of a ‘soup run’ was evaluated. The assessment was carried out in stages. At the end of each stage results were discussed with the organization and a set of recommendations for further action put forward. At the end of the first stage, it was agreed that the organization's aim should be restricted to attempting to help men settle in one of its houses (staffed by young volunteer workers) for a period of at least three months. A number of recommendations intended to achieve this result were unsuccessful. Following the setting up of a night shelter, it was observed that many men attended regularly. An assessment procedure was instituted which resulted in the selection of men who did settle in the houses for long periods, so much so that no further admissions became possible.