Context: The need for socially innovative care models is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by ageing populations. Social innovations developed in other settings often require adaptation to ensure they are the best fit for a new setting.

Perspective: We propose that participatory Theory of Change workshops can strengthen the development and adaptation of best-fit social innovations in long-term care by engaging multiple stakeholders to develop a program theory which describes how a complex programme or policy is hypothesised to work in a given context. We use an example from InCARE, a European Union funded project from 2020 to 2023, which aimed to develop and use participatory processes to design and implement social innovations for long-term care in Spain, Austria and North Macedonia.

Implications: Theory of Change can work to develop a common vision with stakeholders, identify and adapt innovative ideas, engage early and meaningfully with stakeholders and partner with stakeholders who can support sustainability as well as outline the challenges and limitations inherent in the Theory of Change approach.

This discussion paper presents an overview of key challenges and trends in the UNECE region in four policy areas relevant to the Social Protection and Inclusion Research team at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research: 1) Social assistance and minimum income policies, 2) Child and family policies, 3) Disability policies and social support services, and 4) Housing policies. 

Kai Leichsenring contributed to the AGAC Issue Focus Fall/Winter Edition 2024 with an overview of live-in migrant care in Europe focusing on the Austrian case. From a human rights perspective, he argues for regulating care work as a profession, monitoring brokering agencies, promoting cooperation between the home and host countries, and providing live-in care workers with access to the judicial system.

Increasing demand for long-term care (LTC) in Europe amid population ageing has challenged how states will evolve to respond to changing needs and questions the younger generations' willingness to support future care for older people. Using novel data from the InCARE survey (September 2021–March 2022), we investigate age-related attitudes towards the family's and state's role in financing and organising LTC, and whether caregiving experience or care regime type mediates these differences. Ordered logistic regressions indicate upward intergenerational solidarity of younger adults towards public responsibility relative to middle-aged individuals across countries, but also a stronger perceived obligation to provide care, despite potential negative career impacts. Caregiving experience mediates attitudes to informal care among mid-aged individuals, driven by intensity in care. Differences in attitudes across care regimes associate with differing levels of state generosity, where individuals in states with less responsibility for LTC are more supportive of the family's role in financing and providing care. Intergenerational differences in attitudes emerge predominantly where state support is less generous and greater responsibility is placed on the family. Our findings suggest the younger generation is generally likely to be supportive of a sustained role of the state in protecting against risks associated with LTC. Support for the state relative to familial obligations is strong among all age groups and across care regimes, suggesting LTC is recognised as a social risk deserving of coverage under social protection schemes and points to the substantial envisioned role of the state in protecting against finance and well-being risks associated with care in future.