Transcript Diapositiva 1

Conference on Social Services:
A tool for mobilizing workforce and strengthening Social Cohesion
(Prague 22-23 April 2009)
Panel III - Social services: An effective tool for active inclusion
Social services in a balanced approach
to active inclusion strategies
Aurelio Fernández
SPC - Chairman
Social services: Two faces of a
productive factor
• Social Services, in developing its general
interest function aimed at social cohesion and
solidarity, are a productive factor.
• Social services today, in addition to their general
interest functions, are receiving increased
attention for the potential of contribution to
economic growth and recovery..
Economic recovery, EU internal market and Social
Services
• Achieving the full potential derived from the consolidation
of the EU internal market is mentioned as key among the
economic measures neccesary for economic recovery.
• SPC has been working in recent years and will continue to work in
2009 ( SPC working group) on two important topics related :
-Further clarification of the Community legal framework
applying to SSGI and its different actors, necessary to ensure that
this internal market potential is finally obtained.
- The development of a voluntary EU Quality framework for
social services. Something also necessary for consolidating the EU
internal market in a sustainable way.
Comprehensive and integrated active
inclusion strategies: European aim
• EPCSO Council (dic 2008) endorsed the aim of
designing and implementing comprehensive and integrated national
strategies to promote the active inclusion of people excluded from
the labour market on the basis of the common principles and
guidelines of the Commission Recommendation C(2008)5737.
•
The important approach of this Recommendation is
the fact that the three dimensions- access to sufficient
resources; access to labour market and access to quality
services are closely intertwined and only work in
coordination.
SPC role in supporting implementation of active
inclusion strategies through social OMC.(I)
• The EPSCO Council (dic 2008) invited the
Commission and Member States to:
- Implement appropriate monitoring of the
application of the common active inclusion
principles using the social OMC, in coordination
with the European Employment Strategy.
- To mobilise the resources of the Structural
Funds, an in particular the ESF, to support active
inclusion measures
SPC role in supporting implementation of active
inclusion strategies through social OMC.(II)
• SPC is focussing in 2009 on the implementation of the active
inclusion strategies on the basis of the Commission
Recommendation:
-
The monitoring and evaluation framework for the common
principles is being discussed.
-
SPC working group on active inclusion is operative.
-
Indicators Sub-group of the SPC is working on improving
indicators and information systems to upgrade capacity to
produce comparable information across all active inclusion
pillars.
Social Services have a major rol in
the policy responses to the crisis:
National recovery plans are orienting resources to investment
in social services infrastructures
• Health and social services appear as a field where demand and
jobs vacancies still have a potential to be exploited.
• Taylored-made reintegration strategies to the labour market for
those more excluded require a strong support from quality
social services.
• A number of essential services supports today main active
inclusion strategies for those more vulnerable affected by the
crisis (from social assistance to health and other social
services).
Social Services contribute to active
inclusion strategies
• Proximity of social services to those in most
vulnerable situations provide an added value to
integrated active inclusion strategies.
• Implementing active inclusion strategies for
those further away from the labour market imply
a participatory approach by different actors,
connecting civil society organisations, social
partners, public employment services, and local
authorities
Social Services are a necessary component of
Active Inclusion Strategies
Implementing comprehensive and integrated active
inclusion policies, based on the common principles on
active inclusion, in strategies and policy responses to
the crisis is urgent to avoid further levels of exclusion
and lost of human capital.
.