European Social Network

🎄✨ To all our members, partners, supporters, and followers, the European Social Network wishes you the very best for the Festive Season! 🌟🎁 May this time bring you joy, peace, and prosperity as we look forward to an exciting year ahead!

🔎 Discover Aarhus Through Exclusive Study Visits 🔎 As part of the European Social Services Conference 2025 #ESSC2025 in Aarhus, Denmark, we invite you to explore groundbreaking social projects during our study visits on 22 June. Dive into real-world solutions that are transforming lives and communities: 1. Holmstrupgaard A supportive housing facility helping vulnerable youth (12–23) manage mental health challenges through environmental therapy. 2. DOK Program Secure and semi-secure institutions offering at-risk youth (12–17) a second chance with proven methods like CBT and ART. 3. Staircase to Staircase Experience Gellerup-Toveshøj’s transformation through relational welfare, fostering trust and opportunity in a revitalized community. 4. Kulturhus Bunkeren A creative hub celebrating inclusivity with workshops, social enterprises, and the ImperfectCity project. ✨ Why Attend? Gain insights, connect with experts, and bring innovative ideas to your community. 👉 Secure your spot now—spaces are limited! 👉 Learn more: https://buff.ly/4ijuYQ8

📢 Don’t miss the chance to shape the future of social services! Join us at the 33rd European Social Services Conference (#ESSC2025)! 📅 When: 22-25 June 2025 📍 Where: Aarhus, #Denmark The #ESSC2025 is Europe’s largest forum for social welfare policy and practice, bringing together global leaders in social services. This year’s theme, ‘Where Care Meets Tech’, will explore: 🔑 Relational welfare approaches 🔑 Welfare technology 🎟️ Register by 31 December to enjoy a 10% discount on your conference fee: https://buff.ly/3BNUFaV #SocialServices #Innovation #CareMeetsTech

Europe faces growing long-term care (LTC) challenges due to ageing populations, workforce shortages, and funding gaps. A proposed "European Care Deal" could enhance community-based #care, #digital solutions, workforce strategies, and regional actions to ensure quality LTC services. Read more: https://buff.ly/3VhxkFl

#Slovenia: Social Services: Key Highlights ✅ Key Recommendation: Simplify lengthy procedures for accessing long-term care. 📊 Expenditure (€13.1B): 🧓 Old age: €4.97B | 🏥 Health: €4.44B | 🦽 LTC: €741M 👵 Long-Term Care: Day care: 0.2% coverage Residential care: 4% coverage 👶 Child Protection: 60% in family-based care 👩🦰 Women’s Support: 15,212 supported | 516 shelter places 🏠 Homelessness: 322 places | 732 social housing units built 🔗 This analysis is part of the 2024 #SocialServicesIndex, a study on social services legislation, investment, and coverage across #European countries. Learn more about Slovenia’s social services here: https://buff.ly/4fqa1Ah

Investing in emergency #socialservices is crucial for long-term recovery. Social workers provide immediate support, emotional #care, and long-term aid to vulnerable populations after crises, helping prevent social exclusion and promoting resilience and recovery. Read more: https://buff.ly/4fDShCp

Poland’s Social Services: Key Insights Poland needs a stronger strategy to improve social services and shift long-term care (LTC) to community-based models. Key actions include: 🛠️ Defining a national catalogue of services. 💰 Creating sustainable funding and payment systems. 🤝 Integrating #health and social #care services. 👥 Engaging NGOs, professionals, and families in co-designing solutions. 📜 Current Challenges: ❌ #Socialservices are not explicitly a citizen’s right. 🏥 80% of LTC is provided informally, with public spending at just 0.5% of GDP (EU average: 1.7%). 🏠 Social housing falls short, with 126,425 families waiting and only 3,251 units built in 2023. Poland must act to meet growing needs in LTC, housing, and child protection. A community-based approach is essential for a fairer, more sustainable future. This analysis is part of the 2024 #SocialServicesIndex, a comparative study of social services legislation, investment, and coverage across #European countries. Learn more about Poland’s social services here: https://buff.ly/3ZYEnFK

Strengthening Family-Based Care in #Latvia: Key Recommendations Latvia can enhance its #socialservices by prioritizing family-based care for children. Here’s how: 👨👩👧 Set Standards & Innovate Develop quality benchmarks for family-based care. Introduce creative foster care solutions, like therapeutic care. 🤝 Support Foster Families Provide training, counseling, and financial aid to foster parents and guardians. 💰 Flexible Financing Adapt funding to meet children’s unique needs (e.g., subsidies for specialized care). 🏡 Expand Options Offer diverse care models (short-term, long-term, kinship care). 🔗 Better Coordination Improve collaboration between courts, social services, and care centers for seamless support. By investing in these areas, Latvia can ensure every child receives the care they deserve. 🌟 This analysis is part of the 2024 #SocialServices Index, a comparative study of social services legislation, investment, and coverage across European countries. Learn more about Latvia’s social services here: https://buff.ly/3ZORYPH

Data is revolutionising #socialservices, driving better planning, proactive #care, and collaboration. EY and ESN's webinar showed how #data transforms services, with examples from #Finland and #Ireland highlighting trust, efficiency, and person-centred approaches. Read more: https://buff.ly/4gubgiM

ESN CEO Alfonso L. moderated today a session on mental health and digitalisation at an event organised by our partner Edenred and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)  at the European Parliament with MEP Estelle Ceulemans. Digitalisation permeates eveything today so addressing the potential pitfalls is as important as seizing its opportunities.