The Association of Directors and Managers acknowledges a “significant advancement” but cautions about “inefficiencies and redundancies”
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 4 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canary Islands have made significant strides in their social welfare services, rising from a previously deemed “insignificant” position in 2012 to clinching the sixth spot in 2023, boasting an average score of 5.33 points, as per the DEC Index released by the Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services on Thursday.
The report acknowledges the “remarkable progress” in incorporating institutions into the dependency system and the endorsement of the Catalogue of Social Services. However, the Canary Islands still lack a comprehensive strategic plan to finalise the essential components of this system’s organization in the Canary Islands and do not possess a unified social history.
From an economic perspective, the report indicates that the Canary Islands are nearing excellence, with indicators surpassing the national average.
Indeed, the public administrations in the Canary Islands – including the Community, Cabildos, and Town Councils – escalated their Social Services budget by 11.7% in 2022 compared to the previous year, with spending per inhabitant amounting to 573.7 Euros in contrast to the national average of 512 Euros.
Furthermore, the ratio of the total budget of the public administrations in the Canary Islands allocated to social services heightened by 8 tenths in 2022 relative to the preceding year, reaching 12.53%, while the national average stood at 10.24%.
Nonetheless, the expenditure on social services by the public administrations in the Canary Islands as a percentage of GDP has been decreasing, from 2.71% in 2020 to 2.61% in 2021, and 2.55% in 2022, although it still exceeds the national average of 1.81% in 2022.
The allocations for the Public System of Social Services in the Canary Islands by the Community and Local Entities differ from the national average, with a more substantial emphasis on the local in the Canary Islands (51.8% compared to the national average of 27.3%), predominantly as a result of the pivotal role of the councils.
The archipelago surpasses the national average in day centres, services for individuals with disabilities, foster care for minors, and residential accommodations for homeless individuals.
However, there is a shortage of professionals in the fundamental structures of social services, with one worker for every 5,645 inhabitants in the Canary Islands, three times more than the national average of one worker for every 1,764 residents. Furthermore, in terms of dependency care, the Canary Islands score 33 points on the Observatory Scale versus the national average of 51 – despite an improvement from 16 points in 2021.
Additionally, in residential establishments for the elderly, the coverage stands at 2.5%, compared to the national average of 3.9%, and in telecare, the coverage is 2.5% in comparison to the national average of 14.1%.
Nevertheless, the association deems it “crucial” to initiate a territorial planning process where the councils, major municipalities, and the Government of the Canary Islands reach a comprehensive accord towards a structured model of social services extending beyond mere delegation of authorities.
“The persistent redundancies and inefficiencies continue to impede significantly on the population of the Canary Islands by considerably diminishing coverage,” it states.
Nationally, the entity has highlighted the territorial disparities in these services in terms of expenditure and the number of professionals per resident, accentuating the Basque Country, Navarre, and Castile and Leon as the communities with the highest ratings in terms of services.
For example, Andalusia provides 21 times more home aid than Extremadura, and the ratio of inhabitants per community social services professional in the Canary Islands (5,645) exceeds eight times that of Navarre (684).
While most indicators regarding the coverage of benefits and services show improvement compared to the previous year (9 out of 14), the association expresses “concern regarding the inadequate development of services meant to support deinstitutionalisation strategies.”
HOME AID
The coverage of the Home Help service has barely changed since 2010: only a marginal 8 tenths increase, from 4.7% to 5.5% for individuals over 65 years of age (7.6% if considering individuals over 70 years of age). Its intensity also remains very low, with an average of 20.2 hours per month, merely 3.3 hours more than in 2010, and nearly an hour less than in 2012.
In terms of day centres’ coverage, there has been limited to no progression since 2010, maintaining at 0.7% for individuals over 65 years of age (0.96% for those over 70 years of age), illustrating that it remains a service with severely restricted coverage, almost negligible.
Telecare is the sole service showing some advancement over the past 12 years, with a 2.1 point rise in coverage, reaching 10.2% for individuals over 65 years of age (14.1% for individuals over 70 years of age). However, the Dependency Shock Plan set out to establish telecare as an entitlement benefiting any individual with a recognised dependency level residing at home.
Despite this, in 2023, the number of telecare services increased by 37,825, leaving 760,000 individuals to achieve 100% coverage. The Social Services managers reveal that at this pace, it would require 23 years to reach the set goal. As per the latest data from May 2024, only 479,492 individuals have telecare out of the 1,169,777 receiving home benefits (40.6%); the target was 100% coverage by December 2022.
Regarding the financial support for care in the familial environment included in the Dependency Catalogue, notwithstanding being another goal of the Dependency Shock Plan, this aid has seen a reduction in value by 1.05%, dropping from an average of 239 Euros per month in 2022 to 236.49 Euros per month in 2023.
ENHANCED SPENDING ON SOCIAL SERVICES
Concerning the expenditure on Social Services, directors and managers have observed a rise while their proportion of GDP declined, falling for the second consecutive year to 1.81%. Public expenditure on this front in 2023 constituted 10.2% of the total budget.
The communal contribution to financing the System has escalated by 3.3 points over the last two years, yet the trend since 2012 indicates a “clear decline”: where it was 85.3% in that year, in 2022, it saw a decrease of 12.6 points (72.7%).
The organisation suggests that the recent upturn over the last two years may be attributed to the augmented funding from the Ministry of Social Rights within the Dependency sector (600 million additional each year), which influences the communal budgets.
Similarly, the communal involvement in financing the system has increased by 3.3 points in the last two years, although the trajectory since 2012 reflects a discernible decline: in that year, it was 85.3%, dropping by 12.6 points to 72.7% in 2022.
According to the directors, the recent upsurge in the past two years could be linked to the heightened funding from the Ministry of Social Rights within the Dependency sector (600 million more annually), impacting the communal budgets, as mentioned by the directors and managers.
Concerning territorial contrasts, the group posits that the scenario “signifies substantial inequality in actual opportunities to enforce the most fundamental rights of individuals based on their circumstances.”
Thus, the DEC Index reveals that the per capita Social Services expenditure in Extremadura, at 633 Euros, is 72.6% higher than in Murcia, at 366.8 Euros.
