Social space-oriented integration assistance - adults

Manageable social spaces

Manageable social spaces are more helpful for creating interactional encounters and support arrangements than anonymous, large and unmanageable social spaces (Röh/Meins 2021). The often limited mobility of recipients of integration assistance must be taken into account when classifying social spaces.

Division into five social spaces

In order to also take into account the heterogeneity of the individual areas and to think on a small scale, this results in a division into five social areas. The resulting geographical proximity facilitates access to public services, for example. Another advantage is that comprehensive data evaluations are still possible (degree of disability [GdB] case files are address-specific and unambiguous; evaluation by the job center jenarbeit is also detailed). This classification is also already used within the administration for planning purposes (daycare needs planning).

Linking localities to planning areas

When dividing Jena into social areas, it seems sensible to link the localities to the "nearest" planning area. This allows for small-scale thinking and yet the localities are still considered individually.

Advantages of this division

This division also enables the use of district development concepts. The small scale offers more individuality. The social space can be better (individually) explored and used.

Possible participation centers are therefore easier to reach. Possible social space conferences are also easier to carry out.

All concepts submitted so far by service providers for socio-spatial work consider all planning areas and can therefore be easily applied to this division. Despite the large area and strong (structural) development potential, there are currently fewer open integration assistance services in North. It is particularly important to develop this social space in order to enable low-threshold support.

Disadvantage of this classification

Another disadvantage of this classification is that the localities are somewhat neglected in the analysis. However, it should be noted that a different social structure generally prevails there than in urban districts and that increased mobility is expected of all residents.

Goal: sustainable improvement of people's living conditions in their neighborhoods

For the Social Services Department of the City of Jena, social area orientation means much more than just a change in responsibilities or administrative structures. It stands for a holistic strategy that pursues the goal of sustainably improving the living conditions of people in their neighborhoods. It is about recognizing and activating the existing resources and potential in the districts and linking them to the needs of the people living there.

Citizens as active shapers of their lives and social spaces

The approach of social space orientation deliberately focuses on the strengths of the people, their environment and their social networks. It views citizens as active shapers of their lives and their social space. Support services should therefore be more closely geared to the real living environments and developed together with those affected, their relatives and the stakeholders in the social space.

Enabling and strengthening social participation in the living environment

For integration assistance, this means going beyond traditional individual assistance. The focus is no longer exclusively on individual services, but also on the question of how social participation can be enabled and strengthened in the living environment. This means that specialists, providers and administrators must jointly consider how they can support people with support needs in such a way that their living environment - neighborhood, leisure, work and education - is actively included.

Social space orientation working group

In order to shape this change in practice, the city of Jena is working together with a specially established working group on social space orientation. Representatives of service providers, administrative staff and people with their own experience are involved in this working group. The aim is a coordinated approach that pools resources sensibly and strengthens people's self-determination.

Step by step, a new understanding of integration assistance is emerging - one that is based on trust, networking and shared responsibility and consistently focuses on participation in the social space.

The idea of working together to develop a new collaboration that incorporates the resources of the individual and the social space was presented at a meeting of the community psychiatric network at the end of 2022. Participation in the working group was made optional. This working group has been meeting monthly since January 2023.

The aim of the working group is to create a jointly supported BTHG concept for the city of Jena through a common mission statement and jointly developed professional standards in (collaborative) work as well as social space profiles, which is to be tested as part of a pilot project.

To this end, the joint guiding principles were developed in the first meetings and Jena was divided into social spaces.

Members of the working group

The members of the working group are

• Service providers
  • Aktion Wandlungswelten Wohnverbund gGmbH
  • Diako Teilhabe und Inklusion gemeinnützige GmbH
  • A roof for all e. V. Jena
  • Grenzenlos e. V. - Association for disabled people and people in emergency situations
  • Saale-Betreuungswerk der Lebenshilfe Jena gGmbH
  • Dr. Georg Haar Foundation
  • TSA Bildung und Soziales gGmbH
  • AWO Regionalverband Mitte-West-Thüringen e. V.
• Employees of the administration
  • Health department
  • Social Services Department
  • Staff unit cross-sectional tasks Department 4
  • jenarbeit - Jobcenter of the City of Jena
• People with their own experience.

In addition, the day care centers / day centers of Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe - Begegnung Jena e. V. and Aktion Wandlungswelten Tageszentrum gGmbH are initially participating in the model project without switching to person-centered complex services.

2024 and 2025 were used to work out the details of a framework agreement for the pilot project - this included

• professional standards
• the development of a committee structure
• details of the social space-related cooperation
• and the development of a new financial structure.

The Advisory Board for People with Disabilities and the Community Psychiatric Network receive regular reports on the current status of work.

Orientation of services to a socio-geographically limited area

The term "social area orientation" refers to the orientation of services to a socially and geographically defined area. This can be a district, a neighborhood or a region.

However, the term also encompasses the focus on a socially constructed space, i.e. a specific living space or a social microcosm that places the residents in relation to their environment. In the field of integration assistance in Jena, we are therefore guided by the views of Wolfgang Hinte when developing the specialist concept of social space orientation.

According to this, the social space is not only to be seen narrowly as "the spatial", but with the active participation of the people concerned, it is important to shape living environments and create arrangements that help people to cope even in difficult life situations.

Five principles

Five principles are crucial here:

1. The focus is always on the interests and will of the people entitled to benefits.
2. We avoid support and focus on activation.
3. In a socio-spatial concept, we consistently look at the resources of both individuals and neighborhoods.
4. Socio-spatial work must be designed across target groups and areas.
5. Networking and coordination of the numerous social services are the basis for functioning individual assistance.

Systematic work with the potential of those entitled to benefits and consideration of the living environment

Systematic work with the potential of those entitled to benefits and consideration of the living environment means that the will and interests of the people are consistently taken into account. The person's natural, cultural, structural and social environment is included in the person-centered support in the sense of self-determined and equal participation in social and community processes.

Therefore, existing resources, such as self-help groups, open meeting places, etc., as well as spatial sources of help, such as clubs, flea markets, etc., must be developed and used.

Guiding principles

In summary, the following guiding principles were defined in the working group:

• There is a consistent focus on the interests and will of the people so that everyone can develop their personal potential.
• The aim is to experience the social space as a place of participation and make it tangible.
• Social space orientation takes precedence over target group orientation.
• Social spaces should be designed in a participatory way so that they are attractive to all citizens.
• Person-centeredness is a primary principle.
• Working in social spaces means opening up networks and using resources from the social environment.
• Social space orientation is to be understood as a joint learning, innovation and development process.
• All people shape the social space.
• Transparent services and cooperation and networking of services are important.
• The dynamic resources of the social space are the driving force for participation.
• One person can and should be able to use many social spaces.
• Social spaces are also conceived spatially.
• A living space is not automatically a social space.

In July 2026, the joint pilot project between the city of Jena and selected providers of integration assistance is due to start in Jena. The aim of the project is the conceptual and practical further development of social space-oriented work and the implementation of person-centered complex services (PKL) in accordance with the requirements of the Thuringian state framework agreement pursuant to Section 131 (1) SGB IX.

Implementation and procedures

The project partners assume joint responsibility for the professional and economic development of the social spaces in Jena.

Planned implementation modules are

• Establishment of binding cooperation structures between the city administration, service providers and other stakeholders,
• Creation of a socio-spatial inventory and needs analysis,
• Development and testing of integrated support settings within the framework of PKL,
• Establishment of regular project committees (steering group, specialist forums, evaluation circles),
• Ongoing reflection, documentation and adaptation of approaches.

The project sees itself as a learning system. Continuous development processes are initiated through the combination of practical testing, professional reflection and evaluation.

Process design and participation

The model project is implemented in accordance with the specifications of the Thuringian state framework agreement pursuant to Section 131 of Book IX of the Social Code - in particular with regard to person-centered complex services (PKL) and socio-spatial orientation.
All those involved assume joint responsibility for the professional and economic development of the social spaces.

A central element of the project is its participatory orientation: people with participation needs and their interest groups are actively involved in the design, implementation and evaluation.

Service providers and service providers provide transparent information on objectives, content and implementation processes and promote the participation of the beneficiaries.

The self-determination of those entitled to benefits remains guaranteed - the individual choice of service provider remains independent and voluntary.

Added value for everyone involved

The project is based on the conviction that social space-oriented work benefits everyone involved - especially people with support needs.

They benefit from a more diverse and better coordinated range of support services that focus on their individual needs. The close networking of service providers means that help is better coordinated and barriers that could arise from working in isolation are broken down.

This creates a comprehensive support network that not only provides immediate help, but also opens up long-term prospects.

Each and every individual is informed about structures, participants and possible effects and receives an information sheet.

Expected impact and sustainability

The pilot project aims to

• Increase the ability of regional integration assistance to cooperate and innovate,
• use resources more efficiently and strengthen professional synergies,
• gain systemic learning effects for the nationwide implementation of social space-oriented structures.

In the long term, the project contributes to strengthening the resilience and quality of the social infrastructure in Jena and promotes a cooperation-based culture of shared responsibility between providers, facilities and beneficiaries.

Insight into social space-oriented integration assistance - a model project introduces itself

As part of Mental Health Week 2025 and to mark the tenth anniversary of the community psychiatric network, the city of Jena took the opportunity to present its current project for the further development of social space-oriented integration assistance to the public.

On 29.10.2025, numerous representatives from politics, administration, independent providers, integration assistance facilities and people with their own experience came together in the Volkshaus. They learned about the current status of implementation and the future direction of social space-oriented integration assistance in Jena. A particular highlight of the event was the lecture by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hinte, the founder and long-time pioneer of social space orientation in Germany. In his lecture, Prof. Hinte impressively explained that social space orientation goes far beyond organizational changes: it means consistently focusing on people, strengthening their self-determination and actively involving local resources - in neighbourhoods, districts and networks.

Using concrete examples from practice, he showed how a change in attitude - away from care and towards personal responsibility and participation - can lead to new solutions. His impulses encouraged the participants to continue on the path they have taken in Jena and to further develop social space-oriented thinking as a joint task.

Following the lecture, Prof. Hinte's suggestions were taken up in thematic workshops. Specialists in integration assistance exchanged views on the topics of participation, new attitudes - new thinking and networking. In small groups, concrete ideas and approaches were developed on how social space-oriented action can be strengthened and further developed in daily practice. The lively exchange clearly showed how great the interest is in breaking new ground together and anchoring the principle of participation in all areas of work.

The very well-attended event made it clear that social space-related work meets with a high level of commitment and willingness to cooperate. The exchange between specialists, administration, politicians and people with their own experience was another important step towards actively promoting participation and networking in the city of Jena and sustainably improving the quality of life of people with support needs.

Detailed documentation of the event and further materials are available in the download area on the left.