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Andalucía is putting €46 million into frontline social services across nearly 100 towns and cities
The funding will help maintain staffing levels at community social service centres and strengthen support for children and families at risk
For many people in Andalucía, community social services are the place they turn to when life gets difficult. Whether it is a family under financial pressure, a child at risk, or an elderly person who needs support, these centres are often the first door someone knocks on. Now the regional government is putting €46 million into making sure those doors stay open and properly staffed.The investment will be shared between 97 municipalities and provincial councils, all with populations of more than 20,000 inhabitants. The money, €45.5 million from the Andalucían budget and a further €1.1 million from surpluses carried over from previous years, is primarily aimed at maintaining the staff who work in these services day to day. For the provincial capital councils, the amounts are significant: Seville's Ayuntamiento, for example, will receive close to €3.5 million.
Community social services are the first port of call for people in difficulty, assessing needs and planning support before more specialist intervention is needed. Andalucía already has the largest network of such centres in Spain, with 253 facilities employing more than 50,000 professionals, 95% of whom are women, and collectively serving over one million people each year.
A specific strand of the funding is directed at teams working with children and families, within the framework of the Comprehensive Protection Programme for Children and Adolescents against Violence, known as Lopivi. The aim here is both the prevention and early detection of any risk of violence towards children, as well as supporting families in developing their parenting skills.
The professionals whose contracts will be funded or reinforced through this investment include social educators, psychologists, social workers and, where needed, lawyers specialising in cases of violence against children and adolescents. Funding will also cover training expenses and support materials to equip both professionals and families with practical skills.
The regional government, led by President Juanma Moreno, says the investment demonstrates "a clear commitment to strengthening the network of community social services" and to the "quality of the public social services system." Behind those words are real people, and a network of over a million of them who rely on these services every year.
Image: Jsme MILA/Pexels
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