The keynote presentation was delivered by Martin Lichte, the senior policy officer at the European Social Network (ESN), who provided an overview of workforce trends and structural challenges affecting social services across Europe.

The presentation highlighted that social services workers represent approximately 5% of the total EU workforce, while the sector remains significantly undervalued, underfunded, and characterised by difficult working conditions. It was also emphasised that 80-90% of the workforce is women, the average age of workers is above 45 in many countries (somewhere 55+), and the demand for long-term care services continues to rise across Europe.

Several innovative European good practices were presented during the keynote session, including community-based preventive care models, respite care programmes supporting family carers, and examples of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in social services. The presentation stressed that technological developments in care services must remain accessible, ethical, inclusive, and human-centred, while reducing administrative burdens and supporting independent living.

The second part of the event featured a presentation by the lead partner of the CARES project, Claudia Petrescu (Center for Not-for-profit Law), who introduced the main findings of the project’s transnational benchmark research examining social and health care systems in the project’s partner countries – Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, and Romania. The research highlighted that population ageing, increasing care needs, and workforce shortages are placing growing pressure on care systems across all four countries.

One of the main findings of the research was that social care workers remain highly dedicated to their profession, while burnout, emotional exhaustion, and secondary traumatic stress are reaching alarming levels in several countries, including Hungary. Survey participants identified excessive workload, low salaries, staff shortages, administrative burdens, and insufficient organisational support as the main sources of stress.

The moderated breakout discussions also provided an opportunity for participants to share national experiences and formulate recommendations. In the Hungarian discussion group, participants highlighted the lack of social recognition for social work, the need for stronger cooperation between organisations within the sector, and concerns regarding the weakening of professional qualification requirements in social services. Hungarian participants also stressed the importance of strengthening university-level social work education and improving coordination between the social, health, and education sectors.

Among the recommendations formulated during the discussions were improving salaries and working conditions, strengthening institutional support for workers’ mental well-being, expanding mentoring and training opportunities, and increasing the social recognition of care professions.

The outcomes of the event will contribute to the CARES project’s further professional development and the preparation of future policy recommendations.

The project will continue in the coming months with additional professional events and a second Online Policy Lab to strengthen international exchange and share good practice through individual presentations by professionals working in the social care sector.

Regarding the upcoming events, more information will be shared with you soon.

You can find the CARES project’s Benchmark Report on Social Care Sectors at the National and EU Level here: CARES_Benchmark_report_on_social_care_sectors_Transnational.

The goal of the DECONSTRUCT project was to raise public awareness and promote critical thinking about Holocaust distortion. The project conducted comprehensive research on the manifestations of Holocaust distortion and its presence in education in Greece, Hungary, Italy, and Portugal. Based on the research findings, we developed innovative educational materials and online campaigns to raise social awareness and foster critical thinking, with particular attention to Holocaust distortion.

During the Budapest meeting, partners reviewed the achieved results, including key outputs of each work package, and evaluated project management, implemented activities, and their impact. Interactive World Café sessions, led by Zachor and HÉTFA, provided a space for participants to discuss project content, results, as well as key challenges and experiences.

HÉTFA Research Institute participates in the project as a partner and actively contributes to content development, project evaluation, and the preparation of the final report and sustainability plan. On the second day of the meeting, HÉTFA provided guidance to partners on preparing the final report and, together with Zachor Foundation, led the development of the sustainability plan and the final coordination discussions.

The project is funded by the European Union under the CERV programme. We would like to thank all partners for their dedicated work and cooperation, which made the successful implementation of the project possible.

The aim of the event is to create a space for dialogue among experts, policymakers, and practitioners, and to foster joint reflection on the sector’s future.

The programme will begin with a keynote presentation by an expert from the European Social Network (ESN), who will share insights on current workforce trends in social services. The presentation will also introduce ESN’s new initiative on a quality framework for social services, which promotes co-production approaches involving both service users and workers. This will be followed by a presentation from the project’s lead partner, Center for Not-for-profit Law (CLNR), introducing the key findings of the project’s benchmark transnational report and setting the framework for the project’s objectives.

The interactive part of the event will consist of moderated breakout sessions in which participants will work in smaller groups. These discussions will allow participants to share national experiences, identify key challenges, and formulate policy recommendations.

The session will conclude with a plenary wrap-up, where the project’s moderators will summarise the main insights from the group discussions. These outcomes will contribute to the further development of the project’s activities.

The Online Policy Lab is particularly relevant for professionals working in the care sector, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future development of care services.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Llb1SYWrSeGkw2RUFYaaEA

The meeting brought together participants from research, business development, policy, community-building and hands-on support backgrounds. The conversation showed that a great deal of valuable knowledge, experience and initiative is already present in the field — what is often missing is the space to connect these efforts and turn them into real collaboration.

The meeting focused on linking research with practice, shaping policy-relevant lessons, and creating opportunities for peer learning. For us, this was an important first step towards creating a more connected professional space and fostering stronger, more lasting professional collaborations among those working to support women entrepreneurs.

We invite anyone interested in joining the IMPACTA stakeholder group to register via the form below:  https://forms.gle/CNSWbnbEBH3FQ93x8 

How can this mindset be translated into everyday urban practice in Central Europe? This is the question at the heart of the PATH-CE (Pedestrian Access and Tactical Hubs for Central Europe) project, which officially kicked off on 23–24 March 2026 in Budapest, hosted by HÉTFA Research Institute with the participation of experts from four countries.

Why is this needed?

As Gábor Balás, Managing Director of HÉTFA Research Institute, highlighted during the opening:

“A city is successful when people choose to walk.”

Over the past decades, cities across Central Europe have increasingly been shaped by car use. While this has improved mobility in many cases, it has also led to growing challenges: congestion, air pollution, safety risks, and the gradual loss of public space.

This issue is particularly critical in smaller cities, where walking is often not a viable option even for short distances due to fragmented and poorly connected pedestrian networks.

2 days shaping the direction of the project

The two-day kick-off meeting marked not only the launch of the project, but also the beginning of a shared reflection among partners — including Szarvas Város Önkormányzata (Szarvas City Municipality), Grad Metković (City of Metković), Město Žďár nad Sázavou (Municipality of Žďár nad Sázavou), and Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego Spółka Akcyjna (Rzeszów Regional Development Agency) –  on how to bring walking and active mobility back to the centre of urban life.

On the first day, partners met in person and worked in a World Café format on tactical urbanism tools – focusing on pedestrian experience, greening, and small-scale interventions.

The second day focused on strategic planning: participants jointly shaped the directions of active mobility, explored the Urban Living Lab methodology, and defined the first milestones, complemented by a professional study walk through relevant sites in Budapest.

What does the PATH-CE project do?

Running from February 2026 to January 2028 and co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Central Europe programme, the project aims to reduce car dependency and make walking and active mobility more attractive in cities across the region.

The project will test small-scale, tactical, pedestrian-friendly interventions across several pilot locations, including Szarvas, Metković, Žďár nad Sázavou, and the suburban area of Rzeszów.

The pilot actions focus on three main areas:

• improving the walking experience and wayfinding
• introducing green and climate-adaptive public space solutions
• implementing small-scale infrastructure improvements to make urban spaces safer and more accessible

As the lead partner, HÉTFA Research Institute is responsible not only for coordinating the consortium but also for guiding the project’s professional direction. Through its research, analytical, and policy work, HÉTFA ensures that project results are translated into practical, adaptable solutions for cities across the region.

The session will take place on 31 March 2026 (14:00–15:30 CET) and will explore how gender equality can be strengthened across these domains, with a particular focus on women entrepreneurship. Participants will discuss how women can be more effectively supported in entering and succeeding in STEAM and digital sectors, and how these aspects can be better integrated into education systems.

As part of its broader objectives, the STREAM IT project seeks to improve gender equality in STEAM fields by supporting women entrepreneurs and innovators. The Policy Webinar series creates a space for women entrepreneurs and start-ups in STEAM and digital sectors, aspiring innovators, as well as representatives of education institutions and business support organisations to engage in dialogue and share their perspectives.

The event goes beyond a traditional webinar format: it is designed as an interactive session where participants actively contribute to shaping future policy recommendations. Insights gathered during the discussion will directly feed into the project’s policy outputs, ensuring that recommendations are grounded in real experiences and needs.

Through this initiative, HÉTFA Research Institute aims to contribute to a more inclusive and innovative STEAM ecosystem, where women have greater opportunities to participate, lead and succeed.

Date: 31 March 2026
Time: 14:00–15:30 CET
Location: Online (Zoom)

On 12 February 2026, the partners of the Equal Energy project held their kick-off meeting in Lenti. The project aims to explore the links between energy poverty and climate change in the cross-border region, implement pilot interventions, and raise awareness among local decision-makers. The project brings together Zala County Self-Government, HÉTFA, which contributes to the research and analytical activities of the project, as well as the Austrian W.E.I.Z. – Weizer Energie-Innovations-Zentrum and EnergyFuture WEIZplus eGen. The project is implemented within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Austria–Hungary Programme with co-financing from the European Union.

In recent years, the concept of “resilience” has become embedded in the policy discourse of the European Union, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war, and climate change. Nevertheless, there is still no shared understanding of the term’s precise meaning or its application in territorial governance practice. The aim of the ESPON TERRES project was to fill this research gap and develop a conceptual framework for “territorial resilience,” outlining a measurement methodology that could potentially help guide EU cohesion and other sectoral policies, particularly at the subnational level.

As a result, the project team defined a comprehensive concept of territorial resilience, reviewed its current policy applications and possibilities, compiled a set of indicators suitable for measuring territorial resilience, and developed recommendations for future data collection. Analysed and mapped territorial inequalities in resilience; formulated recommendations for future research and methodology; and prepared an online dashboard to support the interpretation and measurement of territorial resilience.

Six case studies were also prepared within the framework of the project: HÉTFA staff addressed the challenges of the Budapest functional urban area, such as intensive suburbanization and urban sprawl, overburdened infrastructure, public services and natural environment, and fragmented governance. To address these challenges, a framework was proposed that strengthens cooperation and commitment among governance actors. The Budapest case identified valuable new initiatives, some promising forms of cooperation, and the high added value of informal relationships, highlighting the role of proactive actors in resilience.

The results of the research (including the Final Report) are publicly available on the ESPON website.

]]> https://hetfa.eu/2026/01/cares-training-curriculum-is-coming-soon-building-skills-for-a-sustainable-and-human-centred-care-sector/ Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:16:17 +0000 https://hetfa.eu/?p=11874 The CARES project (Caregivers Advancing Regulatory Environment and Skills) will introduce its Training Curriculum in February 2026 — a comprehensive, 30-hour learning framework designed to strengthen the competences, well-being, and adaptability of caregivers across Europe. HÉTFA is a partner in the Erasmus+ project coordinated by the Center for Non-Profit Law.

Developed collaboratively by the consortium partners — Center for Non-Profit Law (Romania), Cooperativa Sociale Labor (Italy), HÉTFA Research Institute (Hungary), Welfare Society Institute (Lithuania), and DGASPC Sector 6 (Romania) — this curriculum responds to the growing challenges faced by care professionals, including digital transformation, emotional burnout, and the transition to sustainable practices in health and social care. You can learn more about the upcoming Curriculum in this article.

🌍What the CARES Curriculum Offers

The curriculum is structured into 15 short, targeted modules (each around two hours), offering a balanced mix of digital skills, soft skills, green competences, and well-being strategies for care professionals. Each module was designed to be practical, flexible, and accessible through both in-person and online learning formats. Together, they form a holistic pathway toward empowering caregivers to thrive in a rapidly evolving sector.

Main Training Categories and Highlights:

💻Digital Skills (Modules 1–3)

Practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital communication tools in social services, online well-being apps, and assistive smart technologies.

🧠Soft Skills (Modules 4–5)

Emotional intelligence, boundary setting, and intersectionality awareness — essential for maintaining empathy and professionalism.

💼Social Entrepreneurship (Module 6)

Understanding social enterprise standards, ethical procurement, and networking in the care economy.

🌿Green & Sustainable Skills (Module 7)

Linking climate change, eco-procurement, and nature-based therapies to care work.

💚Burnout Prevention & Well-being (Modules 8–15)

A set of eight modules addressing stress, anger, trauma, fear, self-esteem, and psychological first aid — promoting emotional resilience and peer support in care environments.

🧩A Modular, Flexible Approach

Each module combines interactive methodologies — from hands-on exercises and real-life case studies to reflective journaling and online simulations — ensuring that participants engage actively in their learning journey.

Training sessions are supported by:

 – Digital resources on the CARES online platform,

 – Practical toolkits and guides,

 – Certificates of attendance for each completed module.

The CARES Curriculum not only develops technical and emotional skills — it supports a broader vision of “care for the caregivers.” By investing in those who provide care, we strengthen the entire system that underpins social inclusion, dignity, and well-being in Europe.

As the consortium finalises this deliverable, the next step will be to integrate the modules into the CARES e-learning platform, opening access for caregivers and trainers in 2026. We will publish the news on launching the CARES Training Curriculum on our website. You can find recent news on the CARES project on this link.

As part of WP2, the consortium conducted a comprehensive mapping of over 80 social innovation initiatives across Europe. The selection included projects supported by EU programmes – such as EaSI, Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), Erasmus+, and Interreg – as well as national and regional initiatives from partner countries. This mapping aimed to identify both inspiring practices and systemic challenges in the fields of integration, employment, and inclusion.

The complete repository of mapped initiatives is accessible here:
https://simpleinnovation.eu/repository.php?lang=EN

From this broader repository, the consortium extracted 13 best practices that were particularly well-documented, impactful, and aligned with the SIMPLE project’s objectives. These are analysed in depth in another key project deliverable: The Social Innovation Compendium, available at: https://simpleinnovation.eu/assessment.php?lang=EN

Among the 13, three model initiatives were selected as the primary inspiration for the development of SIMPLE’s Theory of Change:

• BSI_4Women (Interreg Baltic Sea Region) – focused on entrepreneurship and economic integration for Ukrainian refugee women.
• SIREE (Interreg 2Seas) – based on a co-creation model engaging schools, families, and communities to support refugee integration.
• MiFriendlyCities (Urban Innovative Actions) – emphasising employer engagement and the creation of inclusive employment ecosystems.

The Theory of Change, available on the project website, outlines how the SIMPLE model is expected to generate meaningful and sustainable impact. Drawing on selected elements of the three model initiatives, it proposes an adaptable, modular approach that can be tailored to diverse national and local contexts.  This Theory of Change will serve as the foundation for the stakeholders’ engagement activities to be performed in all partner countries under WP3 and pilot actions to be carried out in Poland and Italy under WP4. In these two countries, partners will:

• Design and deliver targeted interventions for Ukrainian refugees, inspired by the selected model initiatives
• Engage relevant stakeholders (e.g. employers, training providers, community organisations, public authorities) to test co-designed solutions and build supportive local ecosystems
• Apply the SIMPLE model in real contexts, testing its feasibility, relevance, and adaptability
• Collect feedback and monitor outcomes, to evaluate the model’s effectiveness and inform future refinement and scaling.

In Poland, the focus will be on employment activation, while in Italy, activities will revolve around empowerment and entrepreneurship pathways. Both pilots will be closely monitored to assess short-term and longer-term changes in participants’ inclusion and integration trajectories.

SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme. The project brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary to co-design, pilot, and promote sustainable models for inclusion, employment, and community empowerment.

Stay updated at: https://simpleinnovation.eu
Contact: simple.euproject@gmail.com

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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