Edition: March 1999

A Guide to the European Social Fund

The ESF Information Office, an office established by the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment and the European Commission to provide information on the ESF in Ireland, published the brochure under the title mentioned above. The document gives some valuable insight in regard of the general work of the funds as well as about the work of single projects.

Contact: European Social Fund Information Office. Roinn Fiontar, Trádála agus Fostaiochta, 65A Bothar Adelaide, Baile Átha Cliath 2, Éire. Ph.: +353.(0)1.6614444, FAX +353.(0)1.6764801. Lo-Call 1890220222, Ext. 3334

Structural Funds – a double edged sword

No doubt, the Structural Funds are the most important means of social policy by the EU – institutionalised in legal terms, backed at least by some noticeable resources and covering a wide field of actions they provide the opportunity to tackle problems of various kinds of social exclusion, the other way round: they make it possible to foster social integration.

However, it has been stressed rightfully for many times that they have to be seen as means of employment policy rather than social policy in a wider sense. This becomes even more true when we see the ESF in connection with the framework of the current focus, as set by the special summit in Luxembourg (November 1997) and the current yearly employment guidelines. Moreover, in this context they are in danger to turn into an instrument of repression. As long as stress is laid on employability and adaptability, this means that the victims are blamed and changes remain little more than cosmetic changes. The supposed turn from "passive" to "active measures", the aim to provide "work incentives" for unemployed people, the proposed "activation of benefits", all outlined again in the recent 1999 Employment Guidelines, neglect the fact that there are not enough good, long-term, appropriately paid jobs available. And the Joint Employment Report 1998 show just this: Where it had been possible to set up schemes of workfare the impulses from the new European orientation had been taken up immediately. On the other hand, the impulses for a policy of social integration had been developed only hesitatingly.

Even if the ESF are supposed to be more than measures in this frame of employment policies they follow in one or another way these guidelines.© Peter Herrmann, ESOSC

Copenhagen-world-summit follow up: Social services for all

In March 1995 the world summit on social development took place in Copenhagen.. Since the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany holds the EU-Presidency, it will represent the EU on the next session of the Commission of Social Development of the United Nations (xyz lay link under United Nations = http://www.un.org/). In preparation an expert meeting was held in Frankfurt/Main from October 14^th to 16^th, 1998. The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth agreed on the thematic focal point "Social Services for All" for this follow-up of the world summit. In preparation the Ministry invited experts from the 15 EU-Member States (two per country) to discuss this issue in depth. The meeting, hosted by the German Association for Public and Private Welfare and chaired by Dirk Jareé, Head of the International Department, was also attended by a representative of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. All attendees prepared contributions, which gave some information about the current situation and challenges in their countries. On this basis an intense debate gad been held in three workshops, namely on

• structures and financing (key words: level of responsibilities; private versus public services; public finances; civil society; market economy);
• role of the users (key words: participation; empowerment; quality for the client; equal access; social rights);
• quality and management (key words: management; effectiveness; new forms of steering; organisation)

Participants agreed in stressing the importance to issue social services. In particular in the developed world the widening gap between the rich and the poor is heavily connected with this question. On the one hand, services reproduce or even widen this gap rather than avoid increasing poverty and exclusion. On the other hand, it is not only immediate material support, which is needed by the concerned people to overcome their exclusion. Furthermore, services can provide ways for improvement.

The debate clearly indicated that an answer on today’s challenges could only be found in the search for political solutions. Any discussion about changes in management strategies, structures of financing and more participative structures and accessibility cannot be reduced on aspects around administrative considerations. However, the debate showed as well that in many case governments choose such a reduced approach. In this regard, for example, the debate on the iso 2000 plays a role, which is much overemphasised and too much concerned with questions of service provision rather than with the needs of the claimants. One important conclusion was that non-governmental bodies have to play a more prominent role not only as implementers but as well in regard of evaluating needs and preparing and taking decisions on the political level. © Peter Herrmann, ESOSC

Social Services – Policies and Priorities to the year 2000

This is the title of a report from an expert meeting, arranged by the European Institute for Social Services, UK, the School of Social Work at the University of Barcelona, Spain and the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Finland. The meeting focussed on two current key challenges of the welfare states, namely financial constraints and social exclusion.

The contributions in this volume point – as discussed as well recently in Frankfurt (link to respective contribution in this newsletter xyz) – the political dimensions of seemingly administrative tasks. Moreover, it gets clear that developments like demography are by no means just ‘external’ and independent variables. Instead, there are different ways of dealing with them and even to define the respective facts.

Bibliographic information: Mikko Kautto (Ed.): European Social Services – Policies and Priorities to the year 2000. A report from a European expert meeting on social care services: policies and priorities to the year 2000; Helsinki: STAKES National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health; 1997

Contact: orders@stakes.fi

Social Services and NGOs

Of course, not only statutory bodies but also non-governmental organisations are important in the field of social services. For a closer look at this issue Marja Pijl edited a document, titled Improving access to benefits and services. What NGOs can do about it.

The background of the presented projects, which is described in a more theoretical introduction, is the fact of non-take up of benefits and services, even if people are entitled. It is important that the reasons for non-take-up are not only seen in the fact of individual fear or shame – even if the meaning of this factor cannot be underestimated. Furthermore,

• ‘structural aspects of benefit design have been identified as an important factor affecting (non-)take-up;
• practical aspects of benefit administration need to be considered as well.’ (30)

Some other, single aspects are important enough to be presented briefly here – they do not only concern the debate on the accessibility of benefits and services. Moreover, they should be recognises in the framework of the debate on social management strategies, which are on the current social policy agenda for so many times.

Taking the development in the UK as point of reference, the introduction briefly looks at strategies of marketisation and decentralisation. Pijl refers mainly on a study by Jane Lewis and others, which looked at the questions

• ‘are purchasers doing better than providers did in identifying needs;
• is there effective competition; and
• are services more responsive?’ (39)

She concludes: ‘The answer to these questions show that the new system is a mixed blessing. There is slight evidence that the purchasers may indeed do better in creating conditions for care arrangements that reflect users’ rather than providers’ needs. As it turns out, it is not so easy to create competition and purchasers may be inclined towards block purchasing, which has the effect of reducing the number of suppliers.’

The research results with respect to the issue of responsiveness are far from clear cut. In some authorities it has improved, but in others not, while the reasons for increased responsiveness vary.

A – probably unintended but not surprising – effect of the new legislation has been a huge increase in bureaucracy.’ (39 f.)

A second – even closely linked to the before mentioned – issue is that of contract culture, ‘whether in statutory or private agencies. Professionals working under these conditions, ‘find themselves confronted with the pressure of producing a maximum output under conditions that are not always conducive to the quality of their work. This can be a frustrating experience. … It is not unlikely that the contract culture will be more favourable to the market than to voluntary agencies. If these trends continue, they contribute to the erosion of the voluntary sector.’ (42) This erosion is, of course, especially meaningful for those aspects of the NGOs, which are not concerned with service delivery, namely advocacy, value guardianship and promoting innovation.

The document, which had been drawn up as follow-up contribution to the world social summit in Copenhagen, is worth to be recognised well beyond this event.

Contact: Netherlands Institute of Care and Welfare (NIZW) Press. PO Box 19152. NL - 3501 DD Utrecht. Ph: +31.(0)30.2306607. telecopy: +31.(0)30.2306491. e-mail: Bestel@nizw.nl © Peter Herrmann, ESOSC

Social Inclusion Strategy of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs in Ireland

A paper under the title mentioned gives a comprehensive overview of the system of social services in a wide sense. Namely, the benefits and the entitlements to avail them are presented in accordance with the current conditions.

Orders to made to:

Government Publications Sales Office. Sun Alliance House. Molesworth Street. Dublin 2 or mail order from Government Publications. Postal Trade Section. 4-5 Harcourt Road. Dublin 2. Ph: +353.(0)1.6613111, ext. 4040/4045. Telecopy: +353.(0)1.4752760

European Integration between Institution Building and Social Process

Starting from the experiences in the framework of the European Programmes to combat poverty the book assembles ‘contributions to a theory of modernisation and NGOs in the context of the development of the EU’. Written over the past years they grasp the social dimension of European integration in a wider context. Highlighting the analysis of the role and function of civil society and NGOs early ideas on structures of a multilevel process are raised – nowadays a common pattern in the analysis of EU-integration. Moreover, taking the EU as example general questions of a theory of modernisation and modernity respectively are discussed, focussing on its contradicting character.

The wide approach will make the publication interesting for scholars in the field of European integration studies, social policy, civil-society and NGO research and general sociological theory alike.