Newsletter November/December 2018

The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, a UN-affiliated intergovernmental organization in Vienna, has a vacancy for a researcher to work on a broad range of issues on long-term care and/or health focusing both on Austria and on international comparative perspectives in the UNECE region. These include inequalities (including gender) in use of care, quality of care, policy analysis and consultancy.

The European Centre offers the possibility for researchers to develop and grow in a working environment that emphasises excellence, interdisciplinary co-operation between colleagues inside and outside the European Centre, independence and autonomy at work.

We offer flexible working hours and a remuneration package compatible with expertise and demonstrated experience.

We would welcome candidates to send their CV and letter of motivation by 31 December 2018 at the latest.

Further details concerning the position are available in the vacancy note.

More than 25 countries participated in a workshop organised by the WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care in collaboration with the WHO Healthy Ageing, Disability and Long-term Care Programme and the Health Services Delivery Programme in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 11 to 13 December 2018. Kai Leichsenring contributed a key-note to present results from the project ‘A new framework for integrating health services delivery and long-term care’. Delegates shared the diverse approaches, highlights and experiences in integrating health and long-term care in their countries.

The European Centre has joined the LTC Alliance Ageing in Place that is organising its launch-event from 28 February to 2 March 2019 in Florence, Italy. Plenary discussions, dedicated lectures, and roundtables will bring together professionals from the realms of medicine, finance, care-giving, social work,  rehabilitation, technology, and other service providers who want to learn about the many facets of digital aging in place. If you are interested to participate, please register soon at the conference website as there is only a restricted number of places available. 

The Basque country is one of the leading regions in Europe when it comes to address issues of active ageing and integrated care. The launch event of the regional strategy for healthy ageing in San Sebastian on 22 and 23 November 2018 was yet another opportunity to underpin local approaches by European experiences and perspectives that were presented by well-known experts in this field. Kai Leichsenring was invited to present and discuss European perspectives on ‘Healthy ageing and the need for an integrated system of long-term care’.

The final publication of the FP7 project ‘Mobilising the Potential of Active Ageing in Europe’ has now been published under the title ‘The Future of Ageing in Europe - Making an Asset of Longevity’. Edited by Alan Walker, University of Sheffield, the publication includes a chapter on ‘Social Support and Long-Term Care for Older People: The Potential for Social Innovation and Active Ageing’ written by Katharine Schulmann, Monika Reichert (University of Dortmund) and Kai Leichsenring.

Michael Fuchs was interviewed on the planned reform of minimum income benefit in Austria by the newspaper Der Standard, and by the TV channel W24:

Media coverage

• Der Standard
• W24: 24 Stunden Wien (04:25-11:35)

The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (European Centre) is taking part in the multiannual Alpine Space Transnational Governance of Active and Healthy Ageing project (ASTAHG) which aims to develop and implement policies to improve Active and Healthy Ageing in the Alpine region. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Alpine Space programme and the European Centre will lead a work package on developing tools and methods to foster cooperation amongst key stakeholders across sectors and regions. 

Katarina Hollan and Sonila Danaj provides first insights on the occupational safety and health (OSH) vulnerabilities of temporary migrant workers in Slovakia. Particularly, posted workers and third country national workers face multiple vulnerabilities in the country. Althought Slovakia is fast becoming a host country, there is a low awareness of issues related to temporary migrant workers, in particular their OSH situation.

First insights on the occupational safety and health (OSH) vulnerabilities of posted workers in Austria outlined in a newly published country report. The authors explain the multiple vulnerabilities posted workers face in the country, spanning from employment and contractual conditions, wages and working conditions, social and health insurance, to accommodation, language barriers and social isolation.

The COST Action on Ageism came to a closing at a final conference in Brussels on 26 October 2018, during which Kai Leichsenring contributed with reflections on combating ageism in employment. Ricardo Rodrigues and Stefania Ilinca had contributed to several activities of this COST Action, e.g. the Handbook on Contemporary Perspectives on Ageism. 

The European Centre will also be involved in the follow-up project titled EuroAgeism - a multi-disciplinary international network of researchers, policy makers and social and health care professionals dedicated to the training of a new generation of Early Stage Researchers in the field of ageism.

The fourth country workshop happened in Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on November 6, 2018. The workshop organized by the local partner, the organization PUBLIC with the support of the European Centre, brought together representatives from the Macedonian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the various ministerial directorates, the Labour Inspectorate, the social partners, employment agencies and researchers to discuss the transposition of the Posting of Workers Directive in FYROM and the institutional capacities for implementing the Directive once the country becomes a member state.