INSPIRE partner, the European Social Network (ESN), has published a new report titled “An assessment of social inclusion services, policies, and initiatives in rural Europe”, available here (D2.1). The report analyses social inclusion challenges across INSPIRE’s seven rural pilot regions in France, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Greece.

The report highlights the need to strengthen the rural care workforce, expand care services, and promote person-centred and community-based support. It also notes that inconsistent definitions of social inclusion across countries create gaps in policy coherence and hinder effective rural inclusion.

Key obstacles include shortages of qualified social workers, inadequate working conditions, limited transportation, and insufficient care capacity, all of which restrict access to person-centred and community-based services. Stakeholders emphasised that high staff turnover disrupts trust between service users and providers, while poor mobility isolates communities and places additional burdens on care professionals.

At the same time, the report identifies more than 450 promising practices, including 122 from rural areas. Successful initiatives adopt holistic, person-centred approaches, involve local communities in service design, and leverage multi-stakeholder cooperation.

Stakeholders across the INSPIRE pilot regions call for community-based service hubs, improved rural transport options, better access to funding, and stronger outreach to residents.

To learn more, explore the full report here (D2.1) and ESN’s news item here.

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