Wigwam
“An open house for everyone”
Tom Possemiers (Wigwam) Eline Van Thienen (Wigwam)
Els Delcon (Kind en Gezin)
Focus on
•INTEGRATED SUPPORT
•ACCESSIBILITY FOR VULNERABLE FAMILIES
INTEGRATED SUPPORT
Through different parts of our setup, Wigwam tries to create a powerful leverage for inclusion and community development:
•Daycare
•“Meeting” moments for children, parents and others
•Preventive family support (individual and group level)
INTEGRATED SUPPORT
In Wigwam: connection daycare and family support Collaboration with different welfare organizations, an important partner is the regional team of Kind en Gezin:
•Started once as referral for prenatal support
•Now “shared accommodation” :
• Jointly meeting times
• Jointly workshops/information sessions
• Referring parents for pedagogical questions
• Collaboration in family support, and guided referral to other welfare partners
INTEGRATED SUPPORT
Collaboration with other welfare organizations, as such:
•CBE Open School teaches Dutch classes in Wigwam
•Different kindergartens
•Workshops: How to apply for a job?, What services offer an OCMW (Centre for social services) or “healthy food”
etc.
•Community services, for instance Buurtwerk Casablanca and KOALA
•CGG (centre for mental health), CAW (centre for welfare services), OCMW (centre for social services), CIG (centre for integrated familycare), juvenile court, WGC
(community healt centre), Huis van het Kind Leuven etc.
INTEGRATED SUPPORT Obstacles
•Too much deliberation, too little action
•Same target audience, different opinions (flexibility is needed, support intensively, first basic needs)
•Professional secrecy
•Governmental regulations (too little resources, lots of administration, quality measurement, topdown)
•Waiting lists
INTEGRATED SUPPORT What does work?!
•Willing to do more than what is your job
• Is different for everyone
• Taking into account your own and the organization’s limitations
•Feel/see the implicit needs
•Using the 7 known concepts to base your service on:
accessibility, reliability, affordability, availability, understandability, usefulness, familiarity
ACCESSIBILITY FOR VULNERABLE FAMILIES
•Primary vs secondary accessibility
•Informal and homely environment, AND doing fun stuff together - coffee
•Long journey of mistrust towards hope for a future
•Stay present and approachable (don’t take harsh criticism too personal)
•Communication (staff // parents):
• Language (verbal vs non-verbal)
• Different standards and values
• Different habits and rules at home SOFT BUT CLOSE APPROACH
ACCESSIBILITY FOR VULNERABLE FAMILIES
•Location: visibility
•Team: diversity in staff members
•Continuity in support, AND ‘customized care’
Obstacles
•Our service vs regulations (waiting lists, subscribing online, etc)
•Regulations in other welfare organizations
•Too few resources, too little staff vs more challenges
ACCESSIBILITY FOR VULNERABLE FAMILIES What works?!
•Being creative in finding solutions
•No big theories, methods, models, programs, …
•Authenticity, sensitivity, human warmth, kindness
•Working with enthusiastic volunteers (coaching!)
•Feeling rewarded by the little things you’ve achieved with parents and children, we smile when we see happy faces
Wigwam vzw
Diestsesteenweg 379 C, 3010 Kessel-Lo
016 25 78 30
info@dewigwam.be www.dewigwam.be
