The Research Laboratory of Social Administration at the University of West Attica recently participated in the ESN Working Group on Quality in Social Services. This experience served as the starting point for a new collaborative initiative with the Regional Centre for Social Welfare of Attica (K.K.P.P.A.), Greece’s largest public provider of institutional social care. 

This collaboration aims to promote a culture of quality in the country’s social care system, focusing on continuous improvement. Supervised by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, the K.K.P.P.A. provides services in child protection, disability care, and support for vulnerable populations.

The initiative was implemented in two stages, engaging professionals from across the Centre’s facilities.

• The first stage involved an in-person, participatory seminar introducing the core concepts and principles of quality in social care, as developed within the ESN framework. Professor George Pierrakos presented the importance of establishing a national quality system based on participation, accountability, and human rights. He emphasised the transition from an administrative model to a person-centred, learning-oriented system of quality governance.
• The second stage involved a virtual focus group discussion using a structured guide. Professionals from various Centre units shared their experiences and perspectives. The discussion revealed significant gaps in standardised procedures and quality assurance mechanisms, as well as the need for systematic documentation of experiential knowledge. Participants stressed the importance of developing practice guidelines, staff training, and partnerships with certified organisations to ensure consistent application of quality standards.

This practice has shown that quality in social care goes beyond technical requirements, as it represents a social value linked to transparency, trust, and continuous improvement. It also underscored the importance of international cooperation and knowledge exchange through the ESN, which provides a platform for mutual learning and policy alignment across Europe.

As a result, this initiative marks the first concrete step toward developing a national quality framework for social care in Greece, inspired by European principles and adapted to national realities.