An Urbanicity Conference Alert: Web version
Register Now: Shaping the Future of Local Services in Europe
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The annual European Social Services Conference is an important event for all those concerned with planning and delivering European social care and health to the highest standard. With over 30 plenary presentations and topical workshops, the conference provides a unique opportunity to understand the changes taking place and for the exchange of ideas, experience and ‘best practice’.
It offers strategic and practical learning and networking opportunities to all those responsible for planning and implementing services in different European regions: planners, politicians, managers and professionals.
The conference is held in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and attracts approximately 400 delegates from around 25 different countries.
Conference theme
This conference recognises the key role of local services in the rapidly changing, often problematic and sometimes divided communities in which they work and it will explore the experiences of a number of European countries in this regard.
The conference will look at a range of developments in service partnerships with other stakeholders, including users and local citizens, and will ask how local services can best respond to the social challenges of the 21st century.
Keynote Speakers
Vladimír ŠPIDLA became European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in November 2004, having previously been elected Prime Minister of the Czech Republic in July 2002. Commissioner Špidla will be announcing the new Social Agenda and outlining how it will support local services in order to enhance opportunities, access and solidarity.
Xavier BERTRAND has been French Minister for Labour, Social Affairs and Solidarity since June 2005. At the conference M. Bertrand discusses French policy for economic and social development at the local level – and the role of social services.
Jan ANDERSSON is a Swedish politician, MEP and Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
Agnieszka CHLON-DOMINCZAK is Vice-Minister at the Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and Vice-president of the EC's Social Protection Committee.
Andor ÜRMÖS has been Head of the Department for Roma Integration at the Hungarian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour since 2002 and is a leading European expert on Roma affairs.
Robert ANDERSON is Head of Unit at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, an EU agency charged with the provision of information for policy-making at EU level. At this conference Robert presents new results from the Foundation's major survey on Quality of Life across European countries.
Maria Teresa FERRANDO GARCÍA is Senior Researcher at the Poliwelfare Research Institute of the University of Valencia and leader of the EC project, 'Free movement and equal opportunities for all', aimed at increasing the free movement and equal opportunities of people with disabilities.
Joseph GERADA is Director of the Foundation for Social Welfare in Malta. Here he discusses Malta's experience of building 'one stop service centres', factors in their success and potential obstacles to cooperation at a local level.
Thomas HARTMANN is a senior advisor in the German Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Affairs. Since 1999 he has been responsible for the programme, 'Social City' and discusses the integration of investment in urban development with measures to promote social integration.
Alain VERRET is Director of Social Services at CCAS, Grenoble, France. He discussed the crisis in homelessness across Europe, describing how Grenoble has developed its responses to the challenge of providing a range of housing to meet the needs of vulnerable members of society.
Giovanni DE GIROLAMO is Head of the Mental Health Research Unit in Bologna and previously coordinated Italy's National Mental Health Project at the National Health Institute in Rome. At the conference he discusses developing models for community mental health policy and reviews examples of good practice for supporting the integration of service users at a local level.
Conference website: http://www.esn-eu.org/paris/eng/
