Hosted by MEP Max Orville, Renew Europe, France
Social services organisations across Europe share a common challenge – recruiting and retaining their workforce to meet a rising demand. Societal, structural, and technological developments impact on the social services workforce and will continue to do so in the coming years. A rising demand for care, support and protection services is being driven, among others, by growing inequality, the social consequences of crises such as Covid-19 and the invasion of Ukraine, as well as demographic changes. At the same time, technological innovations carry huge potential to enable social services practitioners to use their time more effectively and open opportunities for people using services to self-manage their own support.
At this event, we discussed the evidence we have gathered on labour shortages challenges, and how developing, retaining, and attracting the right workforce are key success factors for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and its related initiatives like the European Care Strategy.
PROGRAMME
Welcome and introduction
Max Orville MEP, RE, France
Alfonso Lara Montero, CEO, European Social Network
Common challenges, common solutions for our social services workforce?
While demand for social services is increasing, recruitment and retention of qualified staff remains a challenge. This session will look at different ways in which social services respond to workforce challenges.
Moderator: Elona Bokshi, Policy Manager, European Social Network
Massimiliano Mascherini, Head, Social Policies Unit, Eurofound
Kathleen Wabrowetz, Head of Department for International Affairs, German Association for Public and Private Welfare
Ger Brophy, Chief Social Worker Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Ireland
Maria Euwema, Deputy Director, Digitalization on - Digibank U-Connect, City of Gent
Empowering the social services workforce
The European Care Strategy highlights some of these aspects. Recently, through European Skills Agenda, the European Commission set up a new partnership to drive up skills for long-term care. However, social services cover other areas, whether child protection and welfare, family support, disability or homelessness.
Moderator: Alfonso Lara Montero, CEO, European Social Network
Dana Bachmann, Head of Unit “Social Protection”, in DG for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Barbara Rosina, Vice President, The Italian National Council of Social Workers
Graham Owen, Association of Directors of Social Welfare Services (FSS), Sweden
Questions & Answers
Closing remarks
Alfonso Lara Montero, CEO, European Social Network