Social services underpin inclusive and resilient societies, offering essential support to vulnerable populations and fostering social inclusion. Yet, the accessibility and quality of these services vary widely across Europe. The European Social Network’s (ESN) recent event on the Social Services Index (SSI) sought to address these disparities.
Central to the event were two key outputs: 13 national factsheets, now available on the ESN website, and a cross-country analysis. Drawing from ESN members’ responses to the SSI questionnaire, which sought to assess the state of social services across Europe and identify areas for improvement, the SSI Cross-Country Analysis delves into critical themes, including national social services legislation, funding priorities, and service coverage, exploring pressing questions such as:
How do fragmented legal frameworks hinder access to services? What explains the stark contrasts in investment between countries? And how can innovative solutions transform care for Europe’s most vulnerable populations?
Legislation: unlocking the right to social services
Legal frameworks play a crucial role in ensuring that social services are accessible and equitable. The analysis examined whether there is national legislation that defines social services and guarantees individuals the right to access them.
The findings revealed a fragmented landscape, as while 9 out of the 13 countries have national legislation that explicitly acknowledges the right to social services, others rely on regional governance, creating disparities in access. The existence of national social services catalogues—important tools for transparency and access—is rare, with only Croatia, France, and Spain having comprehensive national catalogues in place. Moreover, despite shared goals of equity and inclusion, only 4 countries have a national strategic plan that ensures consistent access to services. These findings highlight the urgent need for clear, comprehensive legal frameworks that guarantee social services as a fundamental right.
Expenditure: measuring investment in people
Investment in social services reflects a country's commitment to social protection. However, many European countries struggle to track social services spending, leading to underinvestment and inefficiencies.
Countries such as Denmark and Sweden allocate a substantial percentage of their GDP to social services, reinforcing robust welfare systems. In contrast, Romania’s expenditure remains alarmingly low at just 0.01% of GDP, highlighting severe underfunding across the country. Furthermore, the study revealed inconsistencies in data collection regarding in-kind social services, and without reliable data, policymakers face challenges in targeting investments effectively, leaving vulnerable groups underserved and deepening inequalities across the EU.
Coverage: bridging the gaps across Europe
Ensuring comprehensive social services coverage is essential to meeting the unique needs of vulnerable populations. The analysis highlighted significant disparities in long-term care (LTC), child protection, support for women facing domestic violence, and homelessness.
In LTC, Denmark and Finland emphasise community-based models which prioritise inclusivity, whereas Romania and Poland rely heavily on informal care, leaving many without adequate support. This divide is equally as stark for people with disabilities. Spain demonstrates the potential of innovation through initiatives like telecare, which has rolled out services to over 500,000 individuals. On the contrary, countries like Romania and Poland report some of the lowest LTC coverage rates, with just 2% of people with disabilities receiving support. The ESN report, Promoting community-based social services across Europe, highlights the urgent need for countries to move from institutional care to community-based services to better support people with disabilities.
Child protection services face similar disparities. For example, residential care remains the dominant approach, underscoring the need to strengthen foster care systems. Similar challenges also persist for women facing domestic violence as well.
Despite international minimum standards in place under the Istanbul Convention, countries like Romania and Ireland still lack sufficient shelter spaces, falling well short of the recommended 1 shelter per 10,000 inhabitants.
Homelessness adds another layer of complexity. Many countries lack comprehensive data on shelter availability or waiting times for social housing. Where data does exist, as in Ireland and France, the mismatch between supply and demand further highlights a pressing need for increased capacity to provide adequate support based on demand.
Impact at European level
At the heart of the ESN Cross-country Analysis lies one key objective: to inform the European Parliament and the European Commission of the national social services situation in Europe, so they can use the data to formulate recommendations to national governments. In this context, when the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs released its Draft Report on the European Semester for Economic Policy Coordination: Employment and Social Priorities for 2025, ESN actively engaged in the process by submitting amendments that highlighted the Social Services Index. In early January, the amendments to the draft report were published and we were pleased to see our contributions were included.
As ESN’s CEO, Alfonso Lara Montero, explains: ‘The SSI not only sheds light on critical gaps in social services but also equips national governments with the data needed to prioritise meaningful reforms and enhance the resilience of their social systems.’
Discover the full 2024 Cross-Country Analysis, and national factsheets, on ESN’s website