The theme for the 2024 edition of the European Social Services Awards is ‘Promoting Inclusive Communities.’
Inclusive communities refer to those where people can be fully involved in their spaces, places, activities and events regardless of age, ability, income or background. To secure this meaningful involvement, these communities play particular importance on engaging residents in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Inclusive communities focus on ensuring their neighbourhoods welcome, accommodate and support a diverse range of people, including children, people with disabilities, migrants and older persons, engaging the local community, promoting and engaging a mix demographics, paying particular attention to the planning design of services, programmes and places.
Social services play a key role in inclusive community and neighbourhood approaches designed to address the needs of all people, families, and communities at a local level. These approaches recognise the importance of understanding and responding to the unique social, economic, and cultural dynamics and needs of specific neighbourhoods or communities. They aim to promote social well-being, improve quality of life, and address issues such as poverty, inequality, social exclusion, and access to services.
Under the banner of this year’s theme, the European Social Services Awards will provide recognition to people and organisations that centre the provision of social services around the community.
These Awards will honour practices and approaches that prioritise the participation of vulnerable populations, collaboration across professionals and services to make it happen, services planning and design, and the empowerment of people in their communities, to enable inclusive, resilient, and sustainable neighbourhoods and communities.