Activity

The Foundation is active is three main areas:

1. DIRECT INTERVENTION
2. RESEARCH
3. PUBLICATIONS

1. DIRECT INTERVENTION

The Foundation has worked with the town council of Boffalora Ticino, near Milan, in setting up a Health and Social Services Centre for the elderly. The Centre comprises 10 apartments with assistance for non-chronically sick old people, a day hospital, rehabilitation clinic, canteen and various services.

In collaboration with the Istituto Lombardo di Gerontologia, the Foundation has promoted and supported a GERIATRIC ADVISORY CENTRE in the city of Milan. Through an agreement with the Local Health Authority of Zone 18 in the early 1990s, a preventive medicine service for the elderly was instituted based on screening and health education. Old people can apply directly or upon the request of their GPs or the health and social services. An important role has been played in getting this Centre underway by both City Council and Local Health Authority operators, leading to the creation and development of ‘motory activation’ groups, health education meetings and support for assistance in the home. The formulation of this operational model has been followed by its application outside of the Foundation’s own direct involvement and it has now been adopted in various places inside the city and in surrounding districts.

IRecently, the Foundation has worked together with Il Melo Social Cooperative and Boffalora Town Council in drawing up a plan for the conversion of buildings within an experiment in social housing for old people in need of shelter and for low-income families. The edifice housing the Foundation’s offices in Boffalora Ticino has been used for the experiment.

2. RESEARCH

For over 30 years, the Foundation has acted as a hub for numerous research groups and their projects. Some of the most recent are listed below:

1991-1992
Information Flows on Home Assistance and Shelter Provision in Lombardy: the objective of the study was twofold: to provide a picture of the users of these services and to formulate a data collection card which could be used by operators in Services. The study was commissioned by the Lombardy Regional Council
1992
Users of the Local Health Authority 73 Geriatric Advisory Centre: 10 years on from the setting up of the first advisory centres, this project aimed to identify the types of user, going beyond a purely administrative approach
1993-1998
Minors at risk in Milan, in collaboration with the Urban Poverty Monitoring Unit: this research provided an in-depth analysis of minors in difficulty and their families that benefited in the city of Milan from the Provincial and Council Services for Children and Mothers
1996-1998
ESOPO (Evaluation of Social Policies): this project studied and evaluated social policies to combat exclusion in 13 European cities in 6 countries, using different methods of analysis to focus on common and contrasting features. The project was funded by the European Union (TSER 1st call) and its international coordinator was Prof. Chiara Saraceno
1997
Training of Operators at the Multi-Services Centre in Pioltello: the course covered 4 areas – professional expertise and exchange of experiences; definition of types of user to involve in the educational centre’s activities; grounding in techniques for leading group discussion; a project for organising and running the educational centre in Pioltello
1997-1998
Preparation of Reports and Materials on the Young for the 1998 Congress of the European Social Foundation: this consisted in selecting material, holding a meeting and drawing up a final report
1997-1999
CISP (Comparative Social Inclusion Policies): this project analysed work insertion policies in all European Union countries, focussing particularly on young people. The project was funded by European Union DG XII and its coordinator for Italy was Prof. Enzo Mingione
1999–2001
Requirements and Costs of Social Policies for Minors, in collaboration with the Urban Poverty Monitoring Unit: the main aim of the project is to formulate a model for computerised collection of data produced by Milan City Council Department for Minors in order to have a constantly accessible and updated data bank for operators and administrators. The project is funded by the Social Services Sector of Milan City Council
1999-2000
Working on The Fringes: Immigrant Businesses, Economic Integration and Informal Practices: this project studies the role of immigrant entrepreneurs in the hidden economy and intends to assess from a comparative angle policies and provisions connected with criminal economic activity. The project is funded by European Union DG XII and its international coordinator is Prof. Jan Rath of the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES), University of Amsterdam
1999-2000
Survey of Local Policies for the Homeless: this was a Government-commissioned research aimed at identifying the various local models of intervention to benefit the homeless
1999-2000
Environment Team: a guidance and educational project for socially excluded young people and in support of concrete initiatives in social and environmental areas of the city. Engaged by LEGAMBIENTE (League for the Environment), the Foundation carried out a study of social exclusion focussing on socio-economic mechanisms producing marginalisation, welfare policies against poverty among the young and for their social integration in Milan and Lodi, features of marginalisation and risk of impoverishment in Milan and Lodi, and the needs of and opportunities for young people
2000
Centre in Bassa Soglia: a Service for Dealing with the Hidden Economy in an Area Strongly Affected by Privation: a professional training course for employees in services provided by Milan Province Local Health Authority 2
2000–2003
UGIS (Urban Governance, Social Inclusion & Sustainability): a project funded by European Union DG RTD with the participation of 9 countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Hungary, Spain and Sweden. The principal aspects it aims to examine are: the effects of urban development programmes (UDPs) on social inclusion and urban sustainability processes; the way in which alternative forms of urban governance can help in defining and implementing UDPs and determining their success or failure; and the extent to which the carrying out of UDPs affects the practices of urban governance. The project’s international coordinator is Prof. Jan Vranken, University of Antwerp
2000–2003
Review of Use of Young People Information System (SIG) Facilities: a survey commissioned by Milan Province to ascertain the degree of satisfaction with the SIG archives with a view to meeting the growing requirements of users.
2000–2005
Self-Help in Ethnic Communities. The Case of Foster Care: the project is funded by Milan Province Social Services Sector. Research aims to find out how foreign citizens’ cultural identities can be viewed as a resource in relation to needs and demands of minors.
2005-2006
Socio-territorial research on services demand in order to create a “Services Plan” of Bergamo Municipality.
2006-2007
SanGiulianOntime Project, work commissioned by San Giuliano Milanese Municipality. Aim of the research: making services to the people feasible and harmonize timetables.
2009
Research on the needs of aged people. Vimodrone Municipality.
2009-2010
Partner of the Association Progetto Artemide, team Leader: Monza Municipality. Project for a territorial system facing violence against women.

3. PUBLICATIONS

The Foundation edits the series Transitions and Public Policies published by Franco Angeli Editore of Milan. The series aims specifically at providing works that enable social services operators to contextualise the areas in which they work. It also fulfils the important role of making available material that is invaluable in terms of, on one hand, experimentation and innovation and, on the other, the search for the ‘roots’ of and links with an operator’s day-to-day activities.

Here the books published in the series till now:

1994, Giumelli G., Anziani e assistenza. Dalla carità verso la sicurezza sociale
1994, Lesemann F. e Martin C. (eds), Assistenza a domicilio, famiglia e anziani. Un confronto internazionale
1995, Mariani G. e Tognetti Bordogna M. (eds), Politiche sociali tra mutamenti normativi e scenari futuri
1996, Brunod M., Celli T. e Di Monaco R., Cambiamenti organizzativi e ricerca della qualità nella psichiatria territoriale
2001, Facchini C. (ed), Anziani, pluralità e mutamenti. Rapporto 2000 su condizioni sociali e demografiche, pensioni, salute e servizi in Lombardia
2001, Da Roit B., Politiche pubbliche per l’assistenza. Attori, orientamenti e risorse: i mutamenti in Lombardia tra il 1970 e il 2000
2001, Facchini C. e Ruspini E. (eds), Salute e disuguaglianze. Genere, condizioni sociali e corso di vita
2002, AA.VV., Anziani. Tra bisogni in evoluzione e risposte innovative
2003, Facchini C. (ed), Invecchiare: un’occasione per crescere. Attività culturali, partecipazione sociale e benessere. Rapporto 2002 Spi CGIL – Cadef
2005, Facchini C. (ed), Anziani e sistemi di welfare. Lombardia, Italia, Europa. Rapporto 2005 Spi CGIL – Cadef
2010, Carabelli G. e Facchini C. (eds), Il modello lombardo di welfare. Continuità, riassestamenti, prospettive
2010, Da Roit B. e Facchini C., Anziani e badanti. Le differenti condizioni di che è accudito e di chi accudisce
2012, Rossi P., Il segretariato sociale e l’accesso ai servizi socio-assistenziali. Assetti istituzionali, logiche organizzative, pratiche professionali
2013, Ruggeri F. (ed), Stato sociale, assistenza, cittadinanza. Sulla centralità del servizio sociale
2013, Bifulco L. e Facchini C. (eds), Partecipazione sociale e competenze. Il ruolo delle professioni nei Piani di Zona.
2015, Civenti G., Una casa tutta per sé. Indagine sulle donne che vivono da sole.

By granting permission to use its premises and facilities, the Foundation has contributed to research that has given rise to the following published works:

Boffi, Mario and Facchini, Carla, 1991 – Evoluzione, Caratteristiche, Prospettive della Popolazione di Presso negli Anni Novanta. Un’Analisi Socio Demografica in un Comune dell’Hinterland Milanese – Milan: CUESP
Boffi, Mario and Facchini, Carla, 1991 – Condizioni di Vita e Utilizzo dei Servizi nella Popolazione Anziana. Una Ricerca Sociologica in un Comune dell’ Hinterland Milanese – Milan: CUESP
Boffi, Mario and Facchini, Carla, 1991 – Cura del Bambino e Utilizzo del Servizio Nido. Una Ricerca Sociologica in un Comune dell’ Hinterland Milanese – Milan: CUESP