Social development

Social planning analyzes the social situation, identifies needs and supports the planning of social offers and services. It thus provides steering support for the management of social administration and works in a networked and participatory manner. The work process is based on data on the one hand (quantitative data analysis) and communication on the other (qualitative information). The integrated view of the interrelationships and interactions between individual subject areas makes social planning an interdisciplinary analysis tool that considers different political fields of action (e.g. education, health, economy or labor market) together. Social reporting is a key instrument for social planning. As part of social reporting, the social development of the population is analyzed at a small-scale level and with an integrated, interdisciplinary view.

In Aachen in particular, social planning is responsible for integrated social reporting, supporting spatial funding acquisitions by providing small-scale social area analyses, promoting neighborhood-related network structures (e.g. district conferences), providing conceptual support for neighborhood-related management instruments (e.g. neighborhood management) and promoting internal and external administrative networking on the topic of "social development".

Neighborhood management

In order to make a difference in a neighborhood, everyone has to pull together. This is the goal pursued by the City of Aachen's neighborhood managers in seven districts. They are the central point of contact for citizens and institutions for what is happening on the ground. Neighborhood managers keep track of everything that is happening in the neighborhood and help to ensure that the many social services on offer reach people. Through discussions with citizens and social institutions such as schools or youth clubs, they know where the problems lie and pass this valuable information on to central departments of the city administration. Neighbourhood managers actively support citizens' groups and social institutions in the implementation of project ideas, advise on the acquisition of financial subsidies and strengthen the cooperation of all those involved in the central networks, such as the district conferences.

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District conference

Neighborhood conferences are a voluntary association of professionals and volunteers working in the neighborhood. They therefore include both employees of institutions and individuals involved in the neighborhood - regardless of their association affiliation and the type of institution in which they work. The institutions represented include youth work facilities, schools, visiting services, clubs, senior citizens' representatives, meeting places and representatives of care facilities. Interested and volunteer citizens are also represented in some of the district conferences. In line with a grassroots and participatory approach, the above-mentioned institutions are seen as key players who are aware of local resources, potential and challenges and can formulate needs. District conferences are primarily platforms for exchange where the flow of information between local stakeholders on projects, events and challenges in day-to-day work is ensured. In addition, there are eight "local working groups for the elderly" and a social area conference (in Kornelimünster/Walheim) on the topic of "children and young people" as topic-specific local networks.

Social development plan

The social development plan is the central instrument of social reporting. The social development plan analyzes and illustrates the social, socio-economic and demographic development of Aachen's population. The social development plan provides data and information on 60 sub-areas of the city (so-called living spaces) and thus supports decision-making processes in the distribution of resources. At the same time, the social development plan provides valuable, bundled information on various topics as a basis for the preparation of funding applications with a spatial reference.

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Social conference

The Social Conference is a specialist forum for urban social development in which experts from administration, politics and associations discuss social development in the city as a whole and new ideas for planning and day-to-day work with their member associations. The conference is dedicated to current demographic and social developments in Aachen and integrated contributions "from outside" for the first time in 2018.

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Low-threshold social assistance for the homeless

In December 2019, Dr. Markus Baum from the Department of Housing, Social Affairs and Integration (FB 56) was commissioned as a cooperation partner of the Catholic University of Applied Sciences NRW to analyze the low-threshold social assistance for homeless people and people affected by homelessness in Aachen. The results were presented to the Committee for Social Affairs, Integration and Demography in February 2021.

To the study (PDF)

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