Increasing geopolitical instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and cyberattacks have meant recent years have been strongly characterised by multiple unexpected crises. Uncertainty and crisis are two terms that will continue to shape Europe’s future, and we need to be prepared. In this context, social services have and will have to continue adapting while continuing to support vulnerable populations.
However, a major gap still exists in understanding and determining the concrete role social services can play during emergencies and how they can be better prepared to address them.
The 2026 ESN Annual Seminar on Social Services Crisis Preparedness and Management, taking place in Helsinki, Finland on 24-25 September 2026, will explore how social services can better prepare for and respond to emergencies by strengthening skills, resources, coordination, and crisis management planning at local, regional, national, and European levels.
To delve into this complex yet crucial topic, participants of the Seminar will have the chance, through the exchange of good practices and presentations from experts in the field, to:
- Learn about the Finnish model of social services crisis preparedness and management
- How to address the needs of the most vulnerable effectively before, during and after a crisis hits
- Different approaches to risk assessment and management
- Learn how to include social services and vulnerable people in the development of national, regional and local crisis management plans and the benefits and challenges this can have
- How to bring into practice ESN’s Crisis Management Framework for Social Services to use it for better crisis preparedness and management
- Key features of emergency social services
- Youth and young social workers perspectives into crisis management
Through expert input and the exchange of good practices, the Seminar will also examine how future EU funding, including the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034), can support preparedness for crisis situations.
Registration for this event is now closed, but if you have any questions about the 2026 ESN Seminar please contact Ebubekir Isik (ebubekir.isik@esn-eu.org) or Inés Suñer Soler (ines.suner@esn-eu.org) for information.
PROGRAMME
Thursday, 24 September 2026
09:30 - 10:00 - Opening Session
Representatives from ESN and Partner Organisations for the Annual Seminar, together with a representative from the European Commission, will open the Seminar and welcome delegates.
- Marja Heikkilä, Chair of the Board of the Huoltaja Foundation, Finland
- Julia Stewart-David, Climate Change and Resilience Adviser, Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, European Commission
- Graham Owen, Vice-Chair of the Board, European Social Network
10:00 - 10:45 - A European Social Services Crisis Management Framework
In this session, we will learn about ESN’s proposal for a framework to support social services in Europe to better prepare and manage future crises. The framework is the outcome of the work undertaken over the past two years with ESN members within our Working Group on Transformation and Resilience, own research, and members experience. We will then illustrate our proposals through specific examples of crisis preparedness and management on the ground, particularly in Romania.
- Alfonso Lara-Montero, Chief Executive Officer, European Social Network
- Ana Radulescu, State Secretary, President, National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Romania
10:45 - 12:00 - Plenary 1: Social services’ crisis management and preparedness models in Europe
In this session, we will hear about how social services across Europe prepare for crises, with practices from Iceland, Sweden, and Spain, covering different models of crisis management and different types of crises, including climate and health crises.
Moderator: Alfonso Lara-Montero, Chief Executive Officer, European Social Network
- Ulla-Carin Moberg, Head of Department for Staff and Communications, Socialförvaltningen Centrum, Sweden
- Susana Ortiz, Head of Department for Social Policies, Family and Equality, Madrid City Council, Spain
- Sigrun Thorarinsdottir, Social Service Director, Municipality of Kópavogur and Chair of the Icelandic social Service Directors Association, Iceland
13:00 - 13:45 - Plenary 2: The place of social services in national crisis management: The Finnish Model
In this session, we will hear about how the Finnish model of crisis preparedness and management works. We will hear from experts at the national, regional and local levels, and about different projects, best practices and legal frameworks that have proven successful in creating crisis preparedness and management models that are inclusive and well coordinated.
Moderator: Graham Owen, Vice-Chair of the Board, European Social Network
- Mika Lehesto, Project Manager, Finnish Ministry of Interior, Finland
- Krista Lyyra, Senior Officer, Preparedness Unit, Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland
- Pia Mäkeläinen, Social and Crisis Emergency Manager, City of Helsinki, Finland
- Mira Mietinen, General Secretary for the Social and Health Care Pool, Finnish National Emergency Supply Organisation, Finland
13:45 - 15:00 - Plenary 3: Protecting vulnerable populations in crises
In a crisis, social services have a particular responsibility to protect vulnerable groups who are usually hit the hardest in such situations. In this session, we hear how social services in Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Greece ensured care and support for people with disabilities, children, refugees, and older people during a crisis.
Moderator: Ana Radulescu, State Secretary, President, National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Romania
- Enrique Mur Saura, Commander in Chief, Fire, Rescue and Civil Protection Service, Municipality of Zaragoza, Spain
- Merethe Løberg, Senior Advisor, Nordic Welfare Council, Sweden
- Fiona Lawrence, Operations Manager, Argyll and Bute, Carr Gomm, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Panagiotis Psathas, Head of Department, City of Athens, Greece
15:30 - 17:00 - Parallel Thematic Discussions
Discussion 1 : Preparing the social services workforce and managers for emergencies
In this session, Managers, directors and social workers will have the chance to learn from experts on the field how to be better prepared to address a crisis in social services.
Skills for managers leading crisis
- Ana Belén Dominguez, Manager, General Council of Social Work, Spain
Cross-country findings on crisis training needs for social workers
- Omar Mohamed, Principal Social Worker, New Social Workers Network – International Federation of Social Workers, United Kingdom
Discussion 2: Data management, risk and threat assessment, and interagency cooperation as key enablers for crisis management
In this session we will hear about several innovative models of data management, risk and threat assessment and interagency cooperation as key elements to address a crisis effectively.
The PERC Methodology for Risk and Threat Assessment
- Daniel Millor Vela, Coordinator of programmes in vulnerable neighbourhoods, Quatorze, France
The KEJO Project Finland for better data management and interagency cooperation
- Johanna Virtanen, Development Manager, THL, Finland
Friday, 25 September 2026
09:00 - 11:00 - Site Visits
11:30 - 11:50 - Reporting back from parallel discussions
Rapporteurs report back from discussions on emergency in social services, data management and effective cooperation.
11:50 - 12:50 - Final Roundtable: Towards a more resilient and prepared Europe
In this session, we will hear about the European perspective on Crisis Management, where we are, to what extent the views of social services and vulnerable people are taken into account at the EU level, what challenges still remain, and where we are headed. We will hear from both EU institutions but also civil society and local social services leaders about what are the key steps to foster more resilient and inclusive societies.
Moderator: Alfonso Lara-Montero, Chief Executive Officer, European Social Network
- Julia Stewart-David, Climate Change and Resilience Adviser, Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, European Commission.
- Piotr Sadowski, Secretary-General, Volonteurope
- Lora Vidovic, Head of Office for Social Protection, Health, War Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, City of Zagreb, Croatia
- Nadezhda Bacheva, Deputy Mayor for Social Services and Healthcare, Municipality of Sofia, Bulgaria
Further confirmed speakers to be announced shortly.
Speakers
Partners
