Integrated social services for more efficient service delivery

For the past four decades, and even more so since the crisis of 2008, integrated social services have been considered an efficient tool for helping all people, but particularly vulnerable ones, to participate successfully in society.

What are these services, what can they really achieve and what are their limitations? Due to their complex nature, resulting from combining several services from employment, through health, social protection and education, they have only partly been mapped systematically across Europe.

Several European policies provide support for social innovation and within this context also for integrated social services. The policy dilemmas surrounding the implementation of these services go to the heart of the concept shaping traditional welfare state models.

Integrated social services and the policies related to them can contribute to the realisation of 'Social Triple A' for the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), which is a major objective of the Juncker Commission.

European Social Network: Policy areas: Integrated Services http://www.esn-eu.org/integrated-services/index.html

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