Introduction

The subject of this chapter is ‘Assistance from A to Z: Professional Activation of Homeless People from Wroclaw Circle St. Brother Albert Aid Society’, hereafter referred to as ‘Assistance from A to Z’. It applies to a specific group of people at risk of exclusion – the homeless – and is an investment in their activation for the labour market and social empowerment. ‘Assistance from A to Z’ was implemented between 2012 and 2015 in Wroclaw by the non-profit organisation Koło Wrocławskie Towarzystwa Pomocy im. św. Brata Alberta (Wroclaw Circle St. Brother Albert Aid Society). It involved interventions to promote the social and labour market integration of homeless people who were out of work and at risk of social exclusion, in three annual cohorts. ‘Assistance from A to Z’ was implemented under the Operational Programme Human Capital and was financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). It received funding of PLN3,230,097 (amounting to €773,695 at the average euro rate used in public procurement in 2016).

‘Assistance from A to Z’ is an example of investment in homeless people who, thanks to intensive actions for social inclusion, overcame their difficult life situation, returned to the labour market and even became self-reliant. The innovative solutions contributed to the project's success. The key innovative element of ‘Assistance from A to Z’ was the use of ‘accompaniment’, a method of working with homeless people based on the support of an ‘accompanist’, who is an individual adviser, mentor and assistant providing comprehensive help in solving the problems of the project participant. In the Polish context, another innovative aspect was the joint implementation of a wide range of support, especially the combination of social and professional support with psychological, motivational and legal assistance.

‘Assistance from A to Z’: innovative homeless support

‘Assistance from A to Z’ concerns the area of social inclusion, which is important in Polish social policy. Active inclusion focuses on the fight against unemployment and for labour market inclusion (through social and vocational activation). It also refers to the fight against poverty (especially among children), support for families, the development of activities for young people (including training and support for entering the labour market), safety and the activation of seniors and people with disabilities. An important, though underestimated, policy area is housing and homelessness.