European Parliament Round Table
Democratic Governance and Responsive Social Services Date
3 February 2026
Time: 09.00 – 11.00
Room: European Parliament 1G369
The event is hosted by MEP Hannes Heide and organised in cooperation with the European Social Network (ESN) and the Responsive Consortium.
MEP Dan Barna is expected to join the round table.
Hannah Buchinger (Policy Officer responsible for EMPL in MEP Evelyn Regner’s office) will also join the event.
AGENDA
09:00 – 09:20 |
Opening Session
Martin Lichte (European Social Network)
09:20 – 09:30
Speaker: Michael Rasell (Universität Innsbruck, Austria)
Findings from the Responsive Project
09:30 – 09:40
Speaker: Martin Lichte (European Social Network)
Input from the European Social Network (ESN) – responsiveness in the European Framework for Quality in social Services
09:40 – 09:46
Speakers:
Alexandra Julia Weiss (Care Leaver Verein Austria)
How does integrating the concept of responsiveness help social services better respond to the real needs of young people living in the care system?
Lars Uggerhøj (Aalborg Universitet Denmark)
What hinder or support responsiveness in social services seen from a citizen/service user perspective
09:47 – 09:53
Lyse-Maëlle GUILLARD (Conseil departemental des Yvelines, France)
What can increase the ability of children in care to make their voices heard? One factor identified in responsivnes research
Pierre Klein (All Together in Dignity – ATD Fourth World Belgium and partners, France)
What can increase the ability of adults involved in
Child Protection intervention
to make their voices heard? One factor identified in responsivnes research
09:54 – 10:00
Ana Rădulescu (Centre for Training and Assessment in Social Work -CFCECAS – Romania)
European Framework Social Services Transformation and Resilience
Fernando Serra (Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas Portugal)
What is one factor that increases the need for social services to adapt when facing social crises or disasters?
10:00 – 10:10
Ruth Allen (International Federation of Social Workers Europe)
Why is it important that policies and action plans explicitly support the development of professional reflection spaces for social workers?
Omar Mohamed (International Federation of Social Workers Europe)
Challenges faced by new professionals; importance of collaboration with people with lived experience
10:10 – 10:15
Herbert Paulischin (Centre for Training and Assessment in Social Work -CFCECAS – Romania)
Democracy within social services
10:15 – 10:25
Speaker: Irma Borde
DG EMPL, Unit D1 — Social Policies, Child Guarantee, and SPC
10:35 – 10:40
Speaker:
Closing Remarks, Coffee & Networking
Martin Lichte (ESN)
