1 / 10

Where’s the ‘Faith’ in FBOs? The evolving expression of faith in faith-based homelessness services

Where’s the ‘Faith’ in FBOs? The evolving expression of faith in faith-based homelessness services. Dr Sarah Johnsen. What is an FBO?.

lisbet
Download Presentation

Where’s the ‘Faith’ in FBOs? The evolving expression of faith in faith-based homelessness services

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Where’s the ‘Faith’ in FBOs? The evolving expression of faith in faith-based homelessness services Dr Sarah Johnsen

  2. What is an FBO? • FBO: “derives inspiration and guidance for its activities from the teachings and principles of the faith or from a particular interpretation or school of thought within the faiths” (Clarke and Jennings, 2008, p.6) • Faith may influence an organisation’s: 2

  3. Methods • Review of literature and service databases • Interviews with representatives of central govt. and national umbrella organisations (n=5), and national FBd welfare providers (n=5) • Two case studies (London and Manchester), involving: • interviews with homelessness service managers (n=30; 17 FBd and 8 secular organisations) • interviews with frontline staff in these services (n=35, incl. 22 paid and 13 volunteer) • interviews and focus groups with service users (n=73) • interviews with other key informants representing LAs, umbrella bodies, places of worship etc. (n=7) 3

  4. Evolution of Homelessness Services • Majority of existing services emerged out of FBd initiatives • Divergent developmental trajectories, esp. re extent of ‘professionalisation’ • So, today: • ‘Basic’ services (e.g. soup runs/kitchens, winter shelters) dominated by FBOs (with wide range of religious affiliations) • ‘Specialist’ services (e.g. hostels, supported housing) provided by greater mix of FBd and secular agencies (these FBOs primarily Christian) • As structure/type has evolved, so too has expression of faith... 4

  5. Public Identity, Ethos & Staffing • Fluidity and ambiguity in public expression of (current or historical) faith identifies • Strong similarities in ethos of faith-based and secular, agencies esp. re dignity and non-discrimination • But, notable differences amongst FBOs re sharing faith: some overtly ‘evangelical’, others not • Some FBOs required senior staff to practice (their) faith; very rarely requirement for frontline staff • Almost all (FBd and secular) staffed by mix of people with and without faith and/or from a range of religious affiliations 5

  6. Resourcing and Environment • No clear-cut differences re resourcing: • both FBd and secular providers seek support from faith communities • proportion of govt funding largely determined by service type • some sources (e.g. lottery) avoided by (some) FBOs on ‘moral’ grounds • ‘Environmental’ clues (e.g. building type, presence of religious images) re organisational affiliation ... but can sometimes be misleading 6

  7. Programme Content / Practices • Visibility/practice of faith in programmes subsided significantly in recent decades • Participation in religious practices (e.g. prayer) optional in all but one (charitably funded) project • Such requirements had been in place in several others in past, but discontinued due, primarily, to: • (external) pressure from commissioning bodies; and • (internal) wish to avoid appearing unwelcoming to people of other/no faith • Opportunities for religious worship, teaching, pastoral care, counselling generally available in FBd projects; always optional 7

  8. Service User Views • Many homeless people find it difficult to discern tangible difference between FBd and secular projects • No obvious differences in the quality, or integrity, of ‘care’ provided by staff • Some sought FBOs out, others avoided them; greater majority indifferent • Virtually all felt that any wish to avoid talking about religion had been respected (i.e. no evidence of unwelcome proselytism) • Preferences mostly defined by expectations re behaviour change (i.e. how ‘interventionist’ services are) 8

  9. Conclusions - 1 • The ‘F’ in FBO can be articulated (and/or suppressed) in a myriad of nuanced ways • Nature/strength of faith influence rarely static, but evolve in response to coercive, mimetic and normative influences • Faith ‘matters’ as is a key motivation in sector (in both FBd and secular services) and arguably ‘adds value’ by providing (optional) spiritual support • But, given blurring of boundaries between FBd and secular we should guard against exaggerating differences between them 9

  10. Conclusions - 2 • Ultimately, its the perceived ‘integrity of care’ that matters to homeless people: FBd and secular equally equipped to deliver if sufficiently resourced/staffed • Question of how care is most appropriately expressed complicated by interventionism debate • Faith communities will be central to debates on this highly sensitive, and contentious, issue 10

More Related