ROMODROM

HomeLab Pilot project

 NGO ROMODROM
• Founded in 2001 by Mrs. Marie Gailová
• NGO provides registered social services and runs
programs focused on education and projects with
different focuses in 8 out of 14 regions of the
Czech Republic
• We mainly work with socially excluded people or
persons who are endangered by social exclusion
• Romodrom employs around 60 employees

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 LOCATIONS OF THE PROJECT
1) Pardubice region –
mainly in the smaller
settlements, villages,
municipalities
2) Olomouc region –
the city of Prostějov
3) Moravian – Silesian
region – in the cities
of Ostrava, Bohumín,
Karviná and Orlová
 TARGET GROUP
• households living in substandard housing
(according to the classification ETHOS subgroups 3.1., 3.2, 4, 6 and 8 to 13)
while there is at least one adult member without
an employment agreement
• the demand to move
• must be motivated to collaborate
How do we approach them:
• We look for the clients of HomeLab Project in the
current target group of the Romodrom social services
• In each location we address at least 50 new households
 Housing situation of current target
group
Majority of flats belong to private owners, the
municipal housing is lacking and there is no
social housing

• Hostels – not regulated by law, solution for poor or

socially excluded persons → becomes long term or
permanent housing; lack of privacy, inadequate quality
for rather high price, additional fees
• Asylum houses, shelters etc.
• Insecure accommodation – no contract, living with
relatives, friends, overcrowded households
 Employment situation of current
target group
1) Pardubice region – 15% of our clients
are employed with the help of social
service (ancillary works, agriculture,
green maintenance and recycling), the
average length of employment is 2-3
years
2) Olomouc region – no current clients,
from experience we know, that it takes
them around half a year to get legal
employment (mostly low-skilled work
that is poorly paid)
3) Moravian – Silesian region – mostly
employed in public works for limited
period of 11 months or with the
employment agency for a specific job
 ELIGIBILITY CRITERION
• A household must meet the criteria of target group
• Fill in the Questionnaire on Signs of social exclusion
• The main tool is the ACTIVITY/COLLABORATION
INDEX which is observed by the social worker and
recorded in the Individual plan of a client
• The assessment phase of the eligibility takes 2-3
months
• Nothing else than strong MOTIVATION and
willingness to change the current situation is
needed
PROVISION OF INTGRATED SERVICES

HOUSING EMPLOYMENT
Method of standard housing Guideline/ method on the
area of employment
•Launching the Social Real
Estate Agency

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 HOUSING
The main idea is to move the households into the
standard housing

• We cooperate with private owners (93%)

• The flats/ houses are not concentrated in one place (we do
not create new ghetto)
• The prices of the rent are usual/common in the area

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 Phases of housing
• Establishing collaboration
with the user - identifying
and testing the appropriate
user
• Finding suitable housing
and establishing
cooperation with the
owner of the apartment
• The relocation of the user
and the subsequent
implementation of the
social accompaniment
 Launching the Social Real Estate
Agency
• Employ Real Estate Workers – better understanding
and knowledge of housing market
• Avoid the conflict of interests (social worker cannot
defend the rights of both parties)
 EMPLOYMENT
Steps and actions to support the
beneficiaries:
• Gathering the information – on ambitions, ideas and aspirations (kind of job,
willingness to commute, salary, part time/ full time employment)+ diagnoses of a
clients situation ( education, work experience, skills, retraining…)
• Individual counselling on finding job and acquiring the abilities – writing CV, basic
internets skills (email, job websites), building a self-confidence, accompaniment
for a job interview
• Getting a new job – debt counselling with focus on anchoring the financial
situation – to avoid the seizures on salary, family budget, straighten of self-image
of the client (underestimation or overestimation). Provision information on the
employment relationship, and legal connotations
• Maintaining the job– offer of assistance in resolving difficulties encountered in the
workplace (towards both employers and clients). Prevention of job losses - regular
inquiries by phone / appointments (laziness, bullying in the workplace, addressing
the situation changes in public transportation, illness in the family etc.)
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 COST BENEFIT ANALYSES
Mapping the public costs/ savings on:

• Social benefits • Institutional children

• Health insurance care
• Social work
 STAKEHOLDERS

EMPLOYMENT
HOUSING • Labour Offices
• Private owners • Employment agencies
• Real Estate Agencies • Employers
• NGO • Municipalities – Majors
• Municipality • NGO
• Labour Offices

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Cooperation with Stakeholders
• One to one cooperation – on clients causes
• Multilateral cooperation - Local action groups,
Community planning

• Regional platform – more partners within one

region
• National platform – members from different
region, consulting with ombudsman
Thank you for your attention

Eva Nedomová – head of the services

Kateřina Vyskočilová – administrative coordinator
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