With the aim of broadening the social base of iSocial, the partners-collaborators modality is born: organizations that become part of iSocial to participate in the internal spaces of project generation (Labs) and to collaborate in promoting the foundation and Its economic support.

The Alzheimer’s Federation and the Maresme Foundation have been the first organizations to take this step, and in this way they have joined the iSocial ecosystem, formed now by the founding entities (6), the allied institutions (3), the members of the social council (14) and the project partners (12). Yesterday the directors and managers of both entities met with the Board of Trustees to kick off their participation.

The Federation of associations of relatives of Alzheimer’s patients in Catalonia groups 20 entities that support relatives of older people affected by dementias. Alzheimer’s affects today about 10% of the population of Catalonia over 65 years and is the chronic disease that causes more dependence.

The El Maresme Foundation promotes the social inclusion and improvement of the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities in the Maresme region and their families for more than 50 years. It accompanies and supports more than 2,800 people every year through an extensive network of services and centers.

Montse Cervera, president of the iSocial Foundation, and Violeta Quiroga, director of the School of Social Work of the Barcelona University, have signed an agreement between both institutions to consolidate and expand the collaboration that already existed since the inn Ongoing by the iSocial Foundation. The agreement will promote and facilitate the participation of teachers of the School in the educational activities of iSocial, and the collaboration in research and innovation projects in the field of Social Services.

At the moment several professors and professors of the School of Social Work UB comprise of the Social Council of iSocial, and take part in the formative offer of iSocial for the teams of Social Services of city councils and regional advice. At the same time, the Social Work School is a partner of two iSocial innovation projects: one in the field of children and young people migrating alone; and the other in the field of homeless people.

With about 1,100 students, the School of Social Work of the University of Barcelona is the main center for training in Social Work and Social Services in Catalonia, and also the oldest center since its origins go back to 1953. In addition to the Degree in Social Work offers a wide range of specialization, postgraduate and master’s courses to deepen into professional practice in Social Services.

This Tuesday, June 11th, the rector of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya-UOC, Mr. Josep A. Planell, and the president of the iSocial Foundation, Ms. Montse Cervera, have signed a framework collaboration agreement between both institutions, to promote joint training and research activities and to join forces in the development of innovation projects for the social sector.

The agreement already includes a first list of three activities promoted by the iSocial Foundation in which the UOC will collaborate in the coming months. First, the UOC will sponsor the “Big data and Social Services” conferences organized by iSocial with Obra Social La Caixa, starting in September, taking over the invitation of international speakers. And secondly, it will collaborate on two digital innovation projects led by the iSocial Foundation, one aimed at children and young people eweed alone, and another aimed at homeless people, through teachers and students of their University Master’s in Development of Mobile Applications, and the Hubbick program for accelerating start-up technology.

This agreement adds to the agreement established with the Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation last February, and it becomes the second institution that establishes a stable collaboration agreement with iSocial to strengthen the activities and projects of the foundation.

On May 7th, the entire Social Services coordinator team of the Sabadell City Council, made up of 15 people, has begun the course of the iSocial Foundation “Leadership and Innovation in Social Services”, at the Casal Pere Quart in the city. The course consists of 15 sessions of three hours, and will take place during the months of May and June. This first day, Urgell Poch, a social worker and a political scientist, led a session on “Today’s basic Social Services Challenges of municipalities”.

This period of two months of training will then be complemented by a four-month individual and group accompaniment process, for the implementation of acquired learning, and a final evaluation. The teaching team is made up of 8 expert people with a long history of work in the Social Services sector.

The “Leadership and Innovation in Social Services” Program aims to provide tools for municipal and county Social Services professionals who carry out management and / or coordination functions, so that they face innovative and creative challenges with their teams, the challenges of improvement and transformation that the organization demands, in order to achieve a quality service provision that responds to the new needs and expectations of each territory.

Based on the analysis of the current challenges of Social Services and the new paradigms, ethical principles and professional debates within the sector, tools and solutions are being developed that allow professionals to manage their interventions that respond to a proactively, introducing an appropriate management of knowledge and continuous improvement, both with the professional teams themselves and with the group of internal and external stakeholders.

It is a flexible program that the iSocial Foundation adapts to the needs and characteristics of each City Council or the County Council.

Although there are already many technological solutions to improve the quality of life of the elderly, more must be done. That is why the Mobile World Capital Foundation, Barcelona City Council and 5G Barcelona have launched a call to find solutions that can have a positive impact on the daily lives of the elderly.

The deadline for submitting proposals is May 22 and the winners will have the opportunity to carry out their proposal in the city of Barcelona with the financial and operational support of MWCapital. Digital, truly disruptive and innovative technological solutions are sought that can have a positive impact on the daily life of the elderly to live independently at home as long as possible.