Thuis op straat
www.thuisopstraat.nl
TOS stands for Thuis Op Straat (“At home on the streets”).
The initiator of this foundation, Ton Huiskens, has worked in Rotterdam
neighbourhoods for years. He grew despondent and embittered about the decline in
these neighbourhoods. It was time to start working with the kids on the squares
in a positive way. The foundation wants to give the public space back to the
youth by putting TOS teams on the streets. These are in touch with the playing
children, they signal problems, and raise these matters. At TOS children are
rewarded for their initiatives and efforts instead of being punished for the
things they do wrong. To do this work adequately it is important to know exactly
what’s going on in the streets, even on days of absence. Apart from that it is
important that all TOS chiefs work in the same manner and approach the youth in
the same way. Co-workers need to be supported in their work and be enabled to
transfer their knowledge appropriately. With the help of Digitale Pioniers a log
and handbook is developed, so that co-workers can learn inter-actively and use
the same approach.
Final Products
The TOS logbook and TOS handbook are developed in
cooperation with the University of Rotterdam. Through the handbook young people
from the neighbourhoods are trained as TOS workers. In short films simple
working situations are shown like ‘how do I ring at a local resident’s and
inform him about an activity in the neighbourhood’. Everything that everybody is
doing on the square is kept up-to-date in the logbook. Monthly prints better map
out the situation and potential troubles can be signalled in time. The two
applications now go with the standard kit that every new franchiser in a new
city will have at his disposal.
Impact
Thuis Op Straat is a learning organization in which
cooperation, evaluation and short lines of communication are important
principles. The logbook and handbook are important ways of supplying information
and organizational standardization. Helping new TOS practices starting up now
costs considerable less time and effort. Youths who want to work with TOS can
soon attend a training at an ROC. At the moment TOS works in many Rotterdam
neighbourhoods and in various Dutch cities like Amsterdam, Schiedam, Dordrecht
and Leiden. They work in England as well. The number of TOS practices is growing
every year.
Contact
Stichting Thuis op Straat
Ton Huiskens
www.thuisopstraat.nl
