Every day, social services professionals step in where others cannot. They support families in crisis, help older people live with dignity, and give  children from all backgrounds a chance of a better future. Too often, this work goes unseen.

The European Social Services Awards (ESSA) is the first and only event at European and international levels that is there to change that.

Finalists revealed

This year's finalists have officially been announced. Chosen from an extremely strong pool of almost 200 applications from across Europe, they represent the very best of frontline innovation, leadership, and care. Each finalist embodies what the European Social Network (ESN) stands for: social services that are person-centred, forward-looking, and rooted in the community.

Behind every nomination is a story worth telling. A team that redesigned support for homeless young people; a leader who transformed a struggling service into a model for others to follow; a project that gave isolated older people a renewed sense of belonging. These are all achievements that changed people's lives.

Why recognition matters

Social services work is not praised as it should be. Budgets shrink, workloads grow, and the people delivering essential care can feel invisible. ESN has long argued that this must change. Investing in the workforce also means valuing the people who make services work.

Recognition inspires innovation, and it gives policymakers and the public a clearer picture of what excellent social services actually look like. When we celebrate the people doing this work well, we set a standard others can aspire to.

This is the thinking behind ESSA. Since its creation in 2019 at the initiative of ESN’s CEO Alfonso Lara-Montero, the awards have highlighted transformative practice across Europe, giving deserving teams in cities and regions across Europe a platform they rarely receive elsewhere. Each edition adds new stories to a growing body of evidence, demonstrating that excellent, person-centred social care is possible, and it is happening right now all over Europe.

The public now has its say

From, the public vote opens on the ESSA website. Anyone can take part by casting one vote for each category, and every vote counts towards deciding this year's winners. It is a chance for the wider public to say thank you to the people who so rarely hear it.

A moment worth celebrating

The finalists will be honoured at the ESSA ceremony in Rome on 19-20 November, hosted by the Lazio Region. But the celebration starts now, with every vote cast and every story shared.

Social services change lives quietly, every single day. ESSA gives that quiet work a moment in the spotlight. 

Discover the finalists and vote from 1 October on the event website.