Health and Social Services, Social Services
Health and Social Services (HSS) is a large and diverse sector that encompasses a wide range of services.
The Social Services aspect includes activities which are mainly to do with Long Term Care (LTC), Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), community health services, care homes for older and disabled people and social work. In addition, we work in establishing and providing support for European Works Councils in private, not for profit and public care homes. EPSU Social Services Sector represents care workers across Europe, including health care assistants, workers in all types of care homes, child care workers and social workers . We organise in public, non-for-profit and private services.
EPSU is the recognised European social partner organisation for workers in the hospital and health care sector throughout the European Union.
Adam Rogalewski is the EPSU Policy Officer for the sector and Samantha Howe is the Policy Assistant for Social Services. The President of the EPSU Standing Committee for Health and Social Services is Kirsi Sillanpää of TEHY (Finland) and the Vice-Presidents are Yolanda Gil of CC.OO (Spain), Dietmar Erdmeier of Ver.di (Germany), and Razvan Gae of Sanitas (Romania). You can also get their contact details here. -
European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services: Social Partners come together for first Plenary Meeting
Today, the Social Employers and the CEMR, for the employers' side and EPSU, held their first meeting in the framework of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for social services.
How can European Works Councils help organise workers in multinational health and care companies?
The demand for care provision is growing due to population aging and, as such, the number of private multinational companies operating in the health and social care (HSS) sector has also grown.
Health and care workers need meaningful European policy - not words
Following the comments of Ursula Von den Leyen in her State of the Union address and the comments of other DG SANTE officials on the issue of the health and care workforce, EPSU wants to point out that political speeches need to be followed by concrete policies and concrete proposals.
EPSU Childcare network discussed monitoring and evaluation in early childhood education and care
On 20th September 2023 the EPSU Childcare network met to discuss monitoring and evaluation in early childhood education and care, and the results of a survey on working conditions and professionalisation.
EPSU expert group discusses Occupational Safety and Health in HSS
The group discussed recent developments on worker protection in the EU and beyond, an interactive risk assessment tool in healthcare, and the revisions of directives on Carcinogens and Mutagens and Reprotoxins (CMRD 5) and asbestos.
EPSU meets with Commissioner Kyriakides on staff shortages in the health and care sectors
EPSU recently held a productive discussion with European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, to tackle the critical staff shortages facing healthcare and care workers in Europe.