The European Social Network’s (ESN) response to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy:

The European Social Network (ESN) welcomes the European Commission's commitment and progress towards preparing the first-ever European Anti-Poverty Strategy.

This position paper presents ESN's proposals for the strategy and highlights a set of priority recommendations that it considers particularly important for the successful implementation of the strategy. ESN’s proposed recommendations for the strategy cover two main areas: 

Cross-cutting policy proposals from an organisational perspective:

1. Adopt a multidimensional approach to poverty.
2. Introduce a social services quality framework.
3. Ensure a person-centred approach and involvement of people with lived experience.
4. Propose specific investments in the social services workforce.

Thematic policy proposals from a person-centred perspective:

1. Child-centred support.
2. Integrated person-centred support for persons in homelessness situations.
3. Person-centred integrated support for people furthest from the labour market.
4. A care guarantee for all, particularly for people with disabilities and older people with long-term needs.