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Investing in Social Services, Investing in People, May 2019, Bucharest, Romania

Do you have an opinion on how care and support services should be funded? Do you want to learn more about the different funding models around Europe? Do you want to meet and be inspired by funding experts from across Europe?
In short, if you agree that finding the right funding model for social care and support services is one of society’s number 1 priorities then …
 
Speakers include:

  • Ms Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic, Director for Social Affairs, European Commission
  • Mr Simon Duffy, Director of the Centre for Welfare Reform, United Kingdom
  • Mr Marnix Dijkman, Senior Jurist, Ministry of Health, Welfare & Sport, the Netherlands

 
Over 2 days, High-Level Speakers from over 20 European Countries will be sharing their funding models and perspectives in dynamic and interactive plenary sessions on:

  • Open Contract Models
  • Personal Budgets
  • Public Procurement
  • Private Investment
  • The role of the EU

Workshops will be the opportunity to learn from funding models from experts in the field of:

  • Employment and work-related services
  • Inclusive Education
  • Community-based support
  • Early child intervention
  • Social Infrastructure

Throughout the Conference, a Project Café will allow you to learn more about EU funding programmes, speak to experts, exchange project ideas and find partners.
And of course, there will be some fun and games, with a Conference Dinner; which will allow you to unwind, enjoy some delicious Romanian food and make new friends from across the continent.
 
On a day to day basis, quality social services provide the care and support which enables millions of people in Europe to be socially and economically active: the persons with support needs themselves, their families and close network, as well as the millions of dedicated professionals and volunteers who provide the services. This has a knock-on effect for Europe as a whole; allowing all people to participate, our communities to strengthen and our economies to develop. In short, investing in social services is about investing in people!


Guaranteeing the continuityanddevelopment of person-centred social services is a necessity for the continent: legally, politically, economically, socially and especially in terms of access to human rights. Adequately funding quality social services should thus be a priority for Europe. This can only be achieved if Public Authorities assume their role in developing and guaranteeing sustainable funding frameworks to support the development of quality person-centred social services.
Social services have significant and growing investment needs: to support and strengthen the transition to person-centred and community-based services, to recruit and retain qualified staff, to build the right infrastructure, to innovate, to digitalise and to reach out to other mainstream stakeholders.


The Conference will be the opportunity for participants to gain practical and theoreticalknowledge about the variety of effective funding models across Europe and exchange views on their suitability for the development of quality support services, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
 

You can find the Conference Powerpoint Presentations: