SESK – Social Services Helpdesk

The Project

Helpdesk is an ESF funded project with the aim to finance the building blocks for a Social Services Helpdesk that will have two main priorities: to support social services in accessing and using EU funds and to help Managing Authorities use EU funds to finance quality interventions in the field of social services.

Background

Nowadays, social services are facing significant difficulties, such as chronic underfunding, staff shortages and challenges in transitioning to community-based and person-centred forms of services. The COVID-19 pandemic only heightened these problems, making it harder and more expensive to meet the increased needs in delivering social services. Receiving adequate funds and making sure that these are easily accessible and used to fund quality interventions in the field is critical to overcome these obstacles.

The EU-funded HELPDESK project will make sure to reach these objectives by creating building blocks for a Social Services Helpdesk.

Objectives

The HELPDESK Project will work towards three main objectives:

  • Promoting capacity building and awareness raising about ESF+, ERDF & React EU (and other relevant EU funds) about how such funds can better support effective social services interventions.
  • Facilitating and simplifying the use of and access to EU funds for social services.
  • Facilitating exchange and cooperation between Managing Authorities, social services, and the European Commission (EC) to ensure that funding priorities are based on an assessment of social needs and target effective evidence-based social services interventions.

Partners

Contacts

Panita Ball, Projects and Events Officer at EPR, pball@epr.eu

Alicia Gómez Campos, Secretary Jones at EPR, agomezcampos@epr.eu