In pursuit of modernisation, social services across Europe are actively embarking on a journey of digital transformation of their systems. This endeavour involves harnessing technology and digitalisation to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness.

In 2023, the European Social Services Conference (ESSC), organised by ESN, gathered representatives from public authorities with responsibility for social services, third sector and industry partners discussed compelling examples of how this transformation can be achieved, while also engaging in discussions on the remaining challenges that need to be addressed.

The implementation of a standardised data-sharing system across departments and institutions emerged as a crucial factor. Such a system would facilitate the establishment of transparent and secure processes, establishing trust and empowerment for citizens navigating social services.

So, this Podcast episode aims to focus on the integration case management in social services, in terms of enhancing efficiency, collaboration, and overall service delivery, and generally how technology advancements can facilitate decision-making, resource allocation, and personalised care plans, can enhance social services and people working in the care sector.

Speakers:

• Antero Lehmuskoski, Chief Specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland

• Alfred Grixti, CEO at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS), Malta

• Presented by Eleni Kefallinou, European Social Network

Publication: Partnerships for Social Inclusion - Integrated Minimum Income and Social Services Programmes | ESN

Article: https://www.esn-eu.org/news/digitalisation-and-tech-transform-social-services

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Last November, the 2023 edition of the European Social Services Awards was revolved around the theme of ‘Person-centred Care’ and brought together organisations and people that seek to provide care which is centred around the person, promoting coordination among services and professionals, fostering independence, and promoting full inclusion in communities.

Annually organised by ESN, these awards highlight successful new approaches and the continuous impactful work of public social services. Beyond recognition, the awards offer a platform for exchange and mutual learning, contributing to the enhancement of social work policies and practices.

Building on this theme, this episode we will discuss about the broader spectrum of person-centered care, extending its relevance to issues like social isolation in rural communities, focusing on innovative interventions.

Rural loneliness is a notable concern impacting numerous individuals in the countryside and can influence mental health, overall well-being, and quality of life, especially for the most vulnerable groups of people.

Join our discussion with Ann Osborn, C.E.O. Rural Coffee Caravan in United King-dom, and Igone Arrieta, Administrative Assistant for Social Services at City Council of Churriana de la Vega - Department of Social Services, Spain, as we explore innovative interventions and person-centred care initiatives against loneliness.

Further resources:

Articles: EU Ministers call for a transition towards person-centred and community-based care throughout life

Report: 2023 European Social Services Awards, Promoting Person-centred Care

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As we approach the European Parliament elections, this Podcast episode will focus on the key priorities for social services that we would like the next European Parliament and European Commission to take up.

We recently published a briefing with proposals for policy initiatives on social inclusion and social services to future Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and lead candidates for the European Commission Presidency. The briefing, which is based on an analysis of the answers to a questionnaire submitted to ESN member organisations, proposes European political parties three key actions they can include in their programmes to strengthen social inclusion related to:

• social services financing,

• quality, and;

• the workforce.

Join our discussion with Kathleen Wabrowetz, head of the International Affairs Department at the Association for Public and Private Welfare, in Germany, and Arnaud Lopez, member of the Board of ANDASS (National Association of Social and Health Director), in France, as we discuss these points in detail and explore how their national experiences can be relevant at European level too.

Further resources:

Articles:

• Will Europe’s political parties deliver for social services?

Briefing: Stronger Social Services - A Better Europe

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The Social Services Index, recently launched by the European Social Network, is a tool that aims to understand and compare the situation of social services across European countries. With the support of ESN’s members in the European Semester Reference Group and others, national info-sheets are created, structured upon 3 pillars: social rights and policy, economic investment in social services, and social services coverage. The idea is also to provide bottom-up recommendations, from the perspective of social services to the European Commission so that the Commission can include them in future reports to national governments.

Join our discussion with Graham Owen, European representative at the Swedish Association of Directors of Social Services (FSS), as we focus and explore in detail the social services landscape and policy-making in Sweden.

Further resources:

Articles: Harnessing the power of data - a European Social Services Index

Report: ESN Social Services Index 2023: Cross-country Analysis

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Many public social services organisations are on the journey to transition from providing institutionalised care to providing support in local communities. This shift places individuals overcoming or managing various conditions, disabilities, or life difficulties at the forefront.

Join our discussion with Tara Doheny, Service Reform Manager at Genio in Ireland and Spela Rezun, Director of VDC Zasavje, a public regional social centre in Slovenia. Discover their perspectives on community care, the motivations driving them, and their proactive efforts to champion a more person-centred care model within their roles and organizations. They share practical examples from their experiences on the ground that showcase how transformative efforts are being made in the field of social services.

Further resources:

Articles:

·         EU Ministers call for a transition towards person-centred and community-based care throughout life

·        Making community care a reality

Report: Transforming Community Care - European Social Services Awards 2020

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The right to access quality social services is enshrined in the European Pillar of Social Rights, and supporting public authorities to ensure the quality of their services as well as making recommendations to national and European policymakers is a key focus for the European Social Network.

Join our discussion with Joseba Zalakain, Director of SIIS Research and Documentation Centre, based in the Basque country, Spain and David James Head of Adult Social Care Policy at the Care Quality Commission in England, United Kingdom.  They outline what quality means to their organisations and where public authorities should focus their efforts to ensure quality in social services at local, regional and national level. 

Further resources: 

Article: Revamping the EU Framework on Quality in Social Services 

Briefing: Driving Up Quality 

Report: Putting Quality First: Contracting for Long-term Care 

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In this episode, Karin Schweinegger, Director of Human Resources, Consortium of Retirement Homes in Vienna, Austria and  Ana Radulescu, Director, Social Assistance Training and Evaluation Centre, Romania for a conversation on how organisations can develop their resilience capacities to build the workforce's capacities to respond to crisis, calling on national and European policy makers for support to promote and invest in social services as they are the backbone of our societies.

Resources 

Article – The changing complexity of social work – meeting our needs? 

Article – Organising social services to better manage demand 

Briefing – Resilient Social Services – Building for the Future 

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In this episode, Ana Millán Huerta, Head of Digital Transformation at the Social Services Institute, Barcelona City Council, Spain, and Sir Geoff Mulgan, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation,  University College London, United Kingdom share their thoughts on the transformation of social services through digitalisation- a key area of development. This is the theme of ESN’s annual conference this year. Read the programme and register for the European Social Services Conference here: https://essc-eu.org/  .

- Shortlisted projects in the 2022 European Social Services Awards focus on technology tools: 

https://essa-eu.org/technology-tool/">https://essa-eu.org/technology-tool/ 

- Article: Harnessing person-centered digital services in the public social sector: 

https://www.esn-eu.org/news/harnessing-person-centred-digital-services-public-social-sector">https://www.esn-eu.org/news/harnessing-person-centred-digital-services-public-social-sector

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In this episode, we have invited Gabriela Schmutzer, Director General of Social Services in Bucharest, Romania, and Thomasz Pactwa, Director of Welfare and Social Projects Departments in Warsaw, Poland , to share their reflections and personal experiences in initiating and developing local social services programmes to support people fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

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For our first episode, Georgia Chimbani, Director of Adult and Community Services in Suffolk County Council in England, and Harro Hoogerwerf, Head of the Poverty Reduction Department in the Municipality of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, talk about the current Cost of Living Crisis and the impact on Social Services from their perspectives.

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