Fuerteventura Hosts Conference to Redefine Social Services in the Canary Islands

Overview

The Canary Islands’ Department of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families held a conference in Fuerteventura titled “Social Services in the Canary Islands: Current Situation and Future Perspectives.” Around fifty professionals and stakeholders from the island’s social services sector attended the event.

Multisectoral Diagnosis

The conference also presented the Multisectoral Diagnosis and Analysis of the Situation and State of Social Services in the Canary Islands, a prerequisite for the upcoming Strategic Plan for Social Services. The study, carried out in collaboration with the University of La Laguna, gathered the opinions of nearly 1,000 individuals—including service users, professionals and experts.

“This is the first time the Canary Islands have a tool like this, a milestone that will allow us to get closer to the reality of the Public Social Services System across the entire autonomous territory. It provides us with data on the perception and rating of the system—averaging more than six and a half—on demand, user satisfaction, service coordination, technical management and work climate,” explained Candelaria Delgado, Councillor for Social Welfare.

Statements from Officials

“I thank the Councillor for Social Welfare of the Canary Islands for bringing this debate to Fuerteventura,” said Víctor Alonso, Island Councillor for Social Action. “We recognize the work of all the professionals, entities and collectives that operate year‑round in the social field.”

Councillor Delgado arrived accompanied by Juan Martínez Doreste, Vice‑Councillor for Equality and Diversity, who highlighted the challenges faced by social services:

“Our goal must be to improve care for citizens. To achieve that, we need to modernize the system and make it more integrated and holistic.”

Doreste added that the department has leveraged both regional and European funds to introduce artificial intelligence, robotics and other digital tools, resulting in reduced bureaucracy and faster response times.

Proposals for Improving the System

• Enhance coordination with other social protection systems to lower access barriers.
• Modernize internal organization and streamline management processes.
• Build a fully integrated service model that offers a 360‑degree view of each citizen, incorporating their past and recent history to enable more personalized and effective administrative decisions.

These initiatives aim to transform the Canary Islands’ social services into a more cohesive, technology‑driven network that better meets the needs of its population.