Community Work for/with Vulnerable Groups – Young People and Others - a short, national perspective and local examples from the Municipality of Næstved, Denmark May 2013 Leif Jacobsen Chief Consultant; Mag.art. & MPA

’es: Denmark picked a road… 2. Welfare – a state obligation ’es: the fiscal crises – a a wake up call for welfare production 4. The new millenium: a slow but growning increase in co- production and community work in Næstved…

Welfare production in the early 1950’es – which road to pick? Case: early childhood; kindergarten or community oriented care? State support for care provided by mothers themselves? Infant nurses and kindergartens, provided by the state and administrated by the local municipalities.

Children and Young People – the general picture in Næstved Center for Day Care (40 day care centers) Center fo Education (14 schools - primary and secondary level) Center for Culture and Leisure Facilities Center for Children and Young People

Children and Young People – the specific picture… Team of Health Nurses (including health doctor, physiotherapists, ergotherapists) Team of Social Workers (including Team for Children with Handicaps) Team of Psychologists

The specific picture - continued NetWork for Young People NetWork for Families NetWork for Children with Special Needs Special Day Care Center for Children with Handicaps 4 residential care units – for different diagnosis

NetWork for Young People in Næstved Crime prevention Supporting young people and their environments in dealing with behaviourial, personal and social problems, … and a welfare production which could not maintain its traditional mode of production 1995: NetWork for Young People moves out of the administration building i Næstved…

Street level production, but… Advantages of street level production of welfare Eye level relationships – with young people, their schools and parents … but still: the NetWork for Young People-pedagogue or social worker is the undisputed Master of the Universe (the Essense of Knowledge)

Two decades of interruption – New Public Management Fiscal crises – bureaucracy of welfare professionals is challenged by economical management (New Public Management)

4 waves of NPM: 1.Public production challenged by competition 2.Steering principles Aims and frames – and result measurements 3.Steering of processes - accreditation 4.Reducing the costs of the public professionals (teachers, general practitioners, who’s next?) – increasing their flexibility

And after New Public Management? The citizen is not just A client or a patient A customer but each and every person must be considered: An active and coproducing citizen, capable of participating in his or her own problem solving – and maybe even those of others!

Community work policy in Næstved A Municipality Policy on Voluntary Social Work in 1998 Renewed in 2002 and 2007 The municipality is not just economically supportive, but wants to learn from citizens active in social work The early start of community work in a modern framework

Community work as replacement?? David Cameron, Conservative Prime Minister of Great Brittain, was elected on an election campaign indicating that public systems (and spending) could be cut back and new, voluntary initiatives would benefit from this. Research has shown that this is not the case. A new balance between Caring time is money Curing ”we have the time needed!”

Agreement on partnership Center for Volunteers in Næstved (approx. 140 groups and organizations, doing voluntary social work) NetWork for Young People Agreement on cooperation; mutual support and exchange of knowledge; ongoing redefinition of limits between professional and voluntary work.

Homeless, alcoholics, drug addicts… Center for Socially Volunarable (adults): A few citizens doing voluntary social work The work is rough…

New Public Governance The gap between expectations and a situation with scarce ressouces may be solved by ’plugging in the citizen’! The citizen – no matter his or her problem or situation – must be considered a coproducers of his og her own welfare – and maybe that of others. Community work is not replacement or supplement, but integrated!!! A new era is emerging…