This year, we are organising our 24th European Social Services Conference (ESSC) in cooperation with the Netherlands Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Co-hosted by the City of The Hague at the World Forum on 20-22 June, this year’s edition will explore how public services can collaborate more effectively with local communities and their citizens in combatting poverty and social exclusion.
To register for the conference and to keep up-to-date with the latest news, visit our new website available in 5 languages.
The future is local!
Promoting the economic and social development of local communities is at the heart of the mission of social services. In the Netherlands – as elsewhere in Europe and globally – despite the encouraging signs of renewed economic activity, the future remains challenging for all those who rely on and provide local public services. With continued pressure on public finances, inequality, persistent poverty and divided communities remain a common challenge across Europe.
With an increased focus on shared responsibility, social services recognise the need to engage and involve citizens in their communities. This means developing new ways for citizen participation in identifying their future needs and working with them as partners in the development and delivery of local services.
Hear and learn from high-profile speakers
As per previous years, we are inviting a wide range of keynote speakers to share their insights and experiences on how to empower communities to improve services. We are particularly excited by our first speaker announcement which includes:
- Ahmed Aboutaleb, the Mayor of Rotterdam, a leading voice not just in the Netherlands but worldwide on important issues such as cultural integration;
- Jetta Klijnsma, the Dutch Secretary of State who plays a key role at national level in the fight against poverty;
- Sascha Hasselmayer, a social entrepreneur and TED speaker who brings new ideas globally to local problems by connecting citizens to the solutions.
Find out more about confirmed speakers
Share knowledge and experience in interactive workshops
With over 24 knowledge-sharing sessions on a wide range of issues, the conference workshops provide a valuable opportunity for those facing common challenges in different regions to share their experience, learning and examples of best practice. This year’s workshop programme will cover a range of topics, from how to empower people with disabilities, vulnerable youngsters and older people through service-user participation, to how to respond to the latest challenges through better engagement with social enterprises, community groups and citizens.
Find out more about confirmed workshops
We look forward to welcoming you in The Hague to learn the latest trends in social affairs, share innovative practice and be inspired by new ideas.
Watch video highlights from last year to get a feel for the event and keep up-to-date with the latest conference announcements and news stories on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.