Time to reassess what it is like to live in Europe

By James Higgins (Eurofound).

Eurofound is currently running the latest round of its Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey to document how life has changed during the pandemic and gauge opinion on how to meet challenges, old and new.

Delivering AI Programmes in Social Services

By Ryan van Leent & Ian Ryan, SAP.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is underpinning the next technology revolution. This is a revolution that offers huge potential benefits for Social Services.

Children and young people as actors between network partners in social spaces

By Dr. Lars Schulhoff, Head of Department, Authority for Work, Social Affairs, Family and Integration, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

Improving care means addressing the situation of women

This article is based on Eurofound’s note for the European Parliament, prepared in March 2022 by Hans Dubois, Agnès Parent-Thirion and Eleonora Peruffo, Eurofound.

Recovering from this pandemic means rebuilding hope for the future

By Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound.

Taking a data led approach to help Vulnerable People

It’s a fact that’s impossible to ignore: public services are under constant pressure to do more with less. The global pandemic that we experienced in the past 18 months has further exacerbated the situation,

Community care needs investment and reform to become a key pillar of social welfare

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a grim toll on community social care across Europe. Previous lack of adequate investment had already left the sector without the necessary equipment to manage the crisis, which also raises questions about future funding.

Going digital – new challenges and opportunities for social services

Technology has been instrumental in improving services, including remote counselling, individual support, case management and the collection, analysis and use of data to maximise the effectiveness of social interventions.

Exploring person-centred approaches to community care

A central component of community care is ensuring that services are tailored to the needs of the individual in terms of accessibility and practical implementation.

The ethics of care – addressing moral dilemmas in social services

For social services working with vulnerable populations, ethical issues are often present in practice. The Covid-19 pandemic has only added to these uncertainties.

The economic argument for community care

Is it possible to get value for money when investing in community care? That was the question discussed at the “Economics of Community Care’ plenary session of the European Social Services Conference organised by the European Social Network (ESN) on 30 June and 1 July 2021.

Opportunities and challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic for the social services workforce

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stress test of enormous proportions for the social services workforce. With the national spotlight on them, the challenges of coping with an increased workload coupled with a shrinking budget, were brought to light.

Efficiency of social vouchers to deliver quick and person-centred support to fragile population confirmed during the COVID-19 pandemic

With millions of people worldwide thrust into poverty due to the coronavirus pandemic, public authorities have needed to act fast to implement solutions that quickly target regions or groups of people among the worst-hit.

It’s time to choose your ESSC panel discussion

Safeguarding, Self-help and Community Support, and the integration of benefits and social services are crucial elements in making community care work for people in need.

Responsive Social Services: What does it mean to be “responsive” in the new normal?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has explained the need for governments to become responsive: “Governments need to find innovative solutions to respond to fast-changing needs with limited resources in order to preserve responsiveness and a client focus.”

“Leave no child behind”: European examples of integrated services

For a successful approach to the wellbeing of all children, and especially for those in need, it is crucial to look at the challenges in their life from the perspective of the child and his or her family.

Presenting our Partners: Using social vouchers for inclusion programmes

With experience in the implementation of social support programmes in more than 20 countries, ESN partner, Edenred, tells us about the use of social vouchers for the implementation of welfare support programmes notably through the support of targeted spending.

Meet our speakers: Christiaan van Veen

Christiaan van Veen is the Director of the Digital Welfare States and Human Rights Project at the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, which is based at New York University School of Law.