Testimonials
Regularly attracting over 400 delegates from more than 30 countries, the annual European Social Services Conference is our flagship event intended for all those concerned with planning and delivering European social care and health. Through top-quality plenary presentations and a highly topical workshop programme, the conference offers strategic and practical learning and networking opportunities to all those responsible for planning and implementing services in different European regions: planners, politicians, managers and professionals.
Read what previous delegates have said about the conference and about ESN:
About the ESN conference
Dublin 2013
I thought the organisation, content and accommodation for the 2013 event were exceptional. It was a very professional exercise in logistics. I know the amount of hard work that goes into the event’s planning and organisation and I think the whole team is to be congratulated.
Philip Cotterill, International Policy Lead, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), United Kingdom
May I congratulate you and the whole ESN Team on behalf of VVOS and the Belgian delegation, for what was the best conference in years. We appreciated the great efforts from each member of your team.
Christian FILLET, Director of Social Services, Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW) Willebroek (VVOS), Belgium / Vice President, European Social Network
Thank you very much for the excellent conference (always excellent!) and the really enjoyable gala evening.
Terry Madden, Assessor, Private Practice/HSE/CORU/Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Local Authority, Ireland
It was a wonderful event for IBM and it was great working with you. I already look forward to next year.
Monika Moerking, Advisory Demand Program Professional, IBM Worldwide International Events Project Lead
I would like to thank you once again for the brilliant conference you hosted in Dublin. We had many interesting discussions and we gathered quite a few fruitful ideas for our work at home.
Dr. Markus Schmitz, Head of Social Security Department, Federal Employment Agency, Germany
Previous conferences
“In my eyes - was "one of the best" conferences ever. The spirit was fine, very good speakers and the reception and dinner was fantastic.”
Christian FILLET, Director of Social Services, Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW) Willebroek (VVOS), Belgium / Vice President, European Social Network
“The conference is an opportunity to meet the representatives of the social sector from different countries, to get very important contacts, to learn and to use gained knowledge in homeland - Latvia.”
Svetlana Gavrilova, Head of Social Affairs Department, Daugavpils City Council, Latvia
“I would like to thank you for welcoming me at the conference and for the hospitality of all ESN Secretariat. The conference was a good chance to meet delegates from other countries and learn about experiences in the field of social services in other European countries. “
Mireia Llorens Poch, Head of International Relations, Generalitat of Catalonia, Spain
“I think that the conference was a success. I really enjoyed the conference and I am very happy that my presentation was well received by the audience.”
Massimiliano Mascherini, Research Manager, Employment and Change (EMPC), Eurofound (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), speaker at the European Social Services Conference, Copenhagen 2012
“The conference was really well organized and was very useful for me - this was the first of your conferences that I attend and I'm satisfied with the new knowledge and contacts I get.”
Pravda Ignatova, Director for International Cooperation, Programmes, and European Integration, Agency for Social Assistance, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Bulgaria
“I am delighted to have had this amazing opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with prominent personalities from all over Europe, responsible for planning and delivery of social services. I also appreciated the possibility to present my views and describe how people with disabilities can be (progressively) integrated into society. I am convinced that this conference helped us to make an important step towards desired and awaited systemic changes."
Piotr Pawłowski, President of the Friends of Integration Association in Poland, speaker at the European Social Services Conference, Warsaw 2011
“As a new member of ESN, participating at the European Social Services Conference was a most valuable experience! I met so many committed and competent professionals from all over Europe. I really appreciate the opportunity to share knowledge and learn from other countries, to see which problems are similar and which problems that are unique for us in Sweden. As a care provider I could learn about new practical methods to work with children as well as different ways of organizing the care system in the European countries."
Marianne Forslund, CEO of Gryning Vård, Sweden
"This event sends a signal that the social dimension of European unity is an important issue which must be given a high profile."
Vladimir Špidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities 2004 - 2009
"It’s the best conference on social work and welfare that I go to.."
"An excellent conference! The content is always to such a high standard - providing great opportunities for information, dialogue and networking. Meeting delegates from different countries was very useful, very interesting, and very social. That’s what it’s all about really - exchange of ideas, practices and policy."
Terry Madden, Chief Welfare Officer, Dublin City Council, Ireland
"Taking pleasure in working together and discussing together.. the opportunity also to doubt and to share our experiences."
Martial Milaret, Director of Social Services, L’Orne, France
"ESN annual conference is a great opportunity for 'learning from your neighbours'. "
Neelam Bhardwaja, Corporate Director, Cardiff Council, Wales, United Kingdom
"It is a very big inspiration for thinking about innovation in social services."
Radka Soukupova, Chairperson of the Social Committee, Czech Union of Towns and Municipalities, Czech Republic
"We share knowledge and discuss - we are dealing with the same problems everywhere."
Stella Vidisdottir, Director of Social Services, Reyjkavic, Iceland
"I found this conference very interesting especially the panel discussions. The workshops are authentic – and it is also interesting to get an impression of social systems and solutions in other countries."
Ernst Schedler, Director of Social Services, Swiss Cities and Towns Social Policy Group, Switzerland
"It was a very good learning experience and networking event. We learned a lot from the presentations and workshops of other delegates and made a lot of contacts for future cooperation."
Alketa Zalemi, Social Policy Advisor, Municipality of Korça, Albania
"It was the first time I attended the ESN event. Such a professional and efficient organisation of a very interesting event - very impressive."
Anna Ludwinek, Research Officer, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, (Eurofound)
"The group discussions were very interesting and gave us valuable ideas for us for future work and development."
Hans-Jörgen Wahlhed, Director, City of Halmstad, Sweden
"This was a highly organised, easy to access, informative and extremely delegate friendly conference."
Paul Smith, Contracting and Procurement Manager, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, UK
"Listening to different presentations from various countries I think we all have a common objective of improving social services in Europe."
Esther Rovira Campos, Deputy Director, ICASS, Catalonia, Spain
"A very important forum for the progress of public social services."
Ana Buñuel, Deputy Director, City of Madrid, Spain
About ESN
“ESN, with its established culture of collaboration and effective involvement of its members has been able to celebrate the differences but also recognise the similarity of issues that are impacting on the people of Europe. In highlighting evidence-based outcomes, collating and sharing research, demonstrating sustainable practices among member organisations, ESN has already begun to build a consensus within Europe of good practice...To continue the journey that ESN has inspired will benefit us all as we consider valued systems of care; this collective mind and effort will in turn constitute a further step to meeting the needs of the people and countries of Europe."
Catherine Holland, Skills for Care and Development, United Kingdom
"It is our responsibility to promote social innovation to develop services that empower people and allow them to play as active a role in society as possible." (European Social Services Conference, Barcelona 2010)
László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
"The OECD and the European Social Network have long-standing excellent relations and we have always valued the Network’s contributions to our work." (European Social Services Conference, Barcelona 2010)
Aart de Geus, Deputy Secretary-General, OECD
"ESN for us is a meeting point, a place for sharing knowledge that continues throughout the year in working groups on specific issues."
Michele Maglio, Director of Social Services, Veneto Region, Italy
"ESN is an excellent organisation at the forefront of developments in social care in Europe."
Neelam Bhardwaja, Corporate Director, Cardiff Council, Wales, United Kingdom
"ESN has created a network for directors of Social Services around Europe which functions very well and has become indispensible."
Dr. Hermann Kues, Parliamentary Secretary of State, German Ministry for Family, Youth, Women and Older People
"You have a big resource there of people policy-makers should be listening to."
Hugh Frazer, European policy expert
