Muurame: Residential facilities in housing services for
special needs groups and alternatives for service provision - A
description of an HuIA process
Need for Human Impact Assessment
The Social Welfare Committee of Muurame decided on 12 October
2004 to set up a working group to plan housing and support services
for special needs groups. HuIA was to be used in examining issues
related to the availability of residential facilities for this type
of services and alternatives for service provision.
The process and its participants
The working group met eight times between 14 December 2004 and 6
August 2005. On 11 October 2005, the working group's summary report
with proposals for action was presented to the Social Welfare
Committee. In line with the report, the Committee proposed that the
existing residential facilities should be enlarged and that one
particular block of flats should be renovated in order to be able
to respond to the housing needs of special needs groups in the
future.
The working group included representatives for both the
municipality and the joint municipal authority for health care. It
included the social services director, a home-help supervisor, two
social workers, the housing and planning manager, a psychiatric
nurse and a representative for the Social Welfare Committee.
The models examined and their impacts
The availability of residential facilities in housing services
for people with disabilities, older people and mental health
rehabilitation clients and alternatives for service provision were
looked at within the framework of two alternative approaches
(passive reaction (alternative I), proactive approach (alternative
II). In other words, the starting point was that different
operational strategies could be applied in providing the housing
services. In the alternative I approach, action is taken and
services purchased in response to emerging situations. In the
alternative II approach, in turn, the emphasis is on planning,
anticipation and prevention.
The measures proposed by the Social Welfare Committee emphasise
the multi-purpose use and adjustability of residential facilities.
One example of this is the renovation of the block of flats: the
flats are of different sizes and therefore suitable not only for
people with special needs but also for other people if the flats
are not always needed by special needs groups.
In other words, Muurame applied the proactive approach in
arranging housing for special needs groups.
Use and benefits of the HuIA
The group drafted a summary paper where HuIA was the underlying
idea. The summary described the present state and future prospects
of housing services for people with disabilities, older people and
mental health rehabilitation clients. It dealt with the
availability of residential facilities and various alternatives for
service provision, as well as any problems and challenges.
Further information
Kari Jaatinen
Social Services Director
Muurame Municipality |