Translation of "services sociaux à domicile " (French → English) :

Social services cover both short-term and long-term care services, for instance services provided by home care services or provided in assisted living facilities and residential homes or housing (‘nursing homes’).

Social services cover both short-term and long-term care services, for instance services provided by home care services or provided in assisted living facilities and residential homes or housing (‘nursing homes’).

Emphasises that the family is a cornerstone of our society and is inherently associated with the transmission of values and with cooperation in a spirit of solidarity; underlines that introducing flexible working hours and providing teleworking opportunities, as well as extending child care and professionalising home help for the elderly, represent an important step towards making it possible to combine work and family life and to enhance equal participation of women and men in the labour market and in education and training; regrets the fact that the lack of adequate leave schemes, parental leave schemes and flexible working arrangeme ...[+++]nts for both parents often prevents women from participating actively in the labour market or from working full time; considers that this also requires a change in corporate cultures with regard to the appointment and employment of women; calls therefore on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to prevent cuts in benefits or social services in the field of childcare, care of the elderly and vulnerable people as a result of the economic and financial crisis;

In the proposals for reform of the rules concerning Services of general economic interest (SGEI), made public in September 2011, the Commission aims to respond to this simplification objective for social and local services in particular by proposing a de minimis Regulation for local SGEIs and a new Decision exempting social services under certain conditions from the obligation to provide prior notification.

The response to the needs of this population group will include developing a wide range of services, including care at home, which will be chosen by ever more people, and specialised institutions, as well as closer coordination between care providers often working in isolation (intensive care, primary care and social services).

Progress has also been made in increasing the number of social services provided (day-care, child-care centres, help at home etc.) to dependant household members (elderly, disabled persons and children), expected, among other things, to reconcile family life and work.