EASI - EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL C O U N T RY

Austria, North Macedonia, Spain

INNOVATION PROGRAMME
SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE POLICY AREAS
DEVELOPMENT OF Fight against poverty and social exclusion;
Guarantee adequate and decent social pro-
COMMUNITY-BASED LONG- tection; Combat discrimination;Transnational
TERM CARE SERVICES dimension
THROUGH MULTISTAKEHOLDER
TA R G E T G R O U P S
PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES Older people; Local Communities; Service
(INCARE) Provider Organizations; National, regional
and local authorities; NGOs; Higher
education and research institutions;
I N N OVAT I V E H I G H L I G H T S
• Multistakeholder participatory processes for co-designed
C O O R D I N AT O R
and integrated context-specific approaches to long-term
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy
care tested and delivered in partnerships
and Research
S C A L E A N D T Y P E O F S O C I A L I N N O VAT I O N
CO-BENEFICIARIES
• Incremental and Service and Process Innovation
Republic of North Macedonia - Ministry
of Labour and Social Policy; Instituto de
CALL NAME
Mayores Y Servicios Sociales; Red Cross of
Call for proposals on social innovation and national
The Republic of North Macedonia; Funda-
reforms - Long-term care
cion Instituto Gerontologico Matia Ingema;
Stichting Vilans; Chance B Holding Gmbh
London School of Economics & Political
Science Lbg; Eurocarers-Association Europ-
eenne Travaillant avec et pour les Aidants
Nonprofessionnels

EU CONTRIBUTION
€1,273,946.71

T OTA L C O S T S
€1,592,433.40

D U R AT I O N
November 2020 - October 2023

WEBSITE
https://incare.euro.centre.org/

Social Europe
OF THE ACTION The InCARE project aims to contribute to the design of a coherent and coordinated approach to
the development of national long-term care policy and care services at the local and regional
levels by establishing socially innovative and participatory decision-making processes. The project
SUMMARY

activities are built around the structure of a theory of change process including formative research
tasks in support of policy processes (by generating a shared knowledge base, a policy toolkit
and participatory decision-making activities) and the design, implementation and evaluation
of socially innovative long-term care service pilots in three European countries (Austria, North
Macedonia and Spain). InCARE will provide proof of concept for a roadmap to inclusive long-term
care system development, promote multistakeholder national and international partnerships and
support long-term care policy processes and reforms.

Keywords: participatory decision-making processes, formative research,

national pilots, multistakeholder approach

CONTEXT AND NEEDS

The population is ageing in Europe, increasing the demand for long-term care support, especially for older
people who are facing disabilities or functional limitations. Traditionally carried out by families alone,
care sand support to older people living with functional limitations are increasingly delivered by health
and care professionals. However, in most EU Member States, the supply for long-term care remains
severely undersized with respect to needs. With InCARE, the project team intends to investigate the gaps
in care services and define action plans that build on local strengths and overcome the challenges faced
in each local context in order to promote a person-centered, community grounded the long-term care
services model.

Demographic and societal changes contribute to

create the challenge of responding to growing
care needs of an ageing population.”

OBJECTIVES
01
• Implement innovative long-
term care services that are co-
designed with end-users and their
communities, by using inclusive
and participatory decision-making
processes, and are delivered in
partnerships
02
• Facilitate the development
and adoption of comprehensive
national long-term strategies and
reforms
03
• Strengthen the capacity of local
service providers and stakeholders
to inform policy and long-term
care service design by using a
strong evidence base
 MULTI-
STAKEHOLDER
COOPERATION

1
PARTICIPATORY DECISION-MAKING
PROCESSES (“THEORY OF CHANGE
WORKSHOPS”)
CAPACITY
BUILDING INCARE COMMUNITY
MUTUAL KEY ASPECTS ENGAGEMENT STRONG EVIDENCE-BASE FOR
LEARNING
2 POLICYMAKING (IN-DEPTH
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE
LONG-TERM CARE LANDSCAPE)

METHODOLOGY
EVIDENCE-BASED
DECISION-MAKING
3 TOOLS IN SUPPORT OF
POLICYMAKING AND SYSTEM REFORM

InCARE emphasizes four key aspects: multi-stakeholder cooperation, community engagement, evidence-
based decision-making, and capacity building through mutual learning. These aspects are reflected in
the project’s two-pronged approach: carrying out formative research and developing national pilots.
Each of the three national pilots will reflect the needs of the local communities, ensuring user-centred,
integrated and innovative long-term care services. In Spain, support services will be developed for
informal caregivers of people with dementia. In North Macedonia, older people living alone will have
access to an emergency button service within a home care service package. In Austria, integration
between different service providers will be fostered, and cooperation with non-traditional actors such
as the police and ambulance will be encouraged.

The project is expected to 1) develop participatory decision-making processes by organising three

national multistakeholder “theory of change workshops”, and facilitating joint work between
RESULTS

policymakers and service providers; 2) develop a strong evidence-base for policymaking in the three
project countries by producing in-depth situational analyses of the long-term care landscape and
social innovation in Europe; 3) develop tools in support of policymaking and system reform, including
detailed SWOT analyses at the national and regional levels, projections of demand, needed supply and
costs of care provision and recommendations for policy reform. Pilots are being designed and will be
implemented and evaluated by local actors, with the support of technical partners.

InCare partners have already developed theory of change processes at project and pilot level, which
has led to the development of a cohesive vision for long-term care provision, a shared understanding
of the pathways towards achieving common goals and a blueprint for tracking progress.

InCARE focuses on local level

implementation, while encouraging Innovativeness is context
throughout the participation of national dependent. Each piloted service
stakeholders to facilitate up-scaling and is new and innovative in the
sustainability” context it is implemented
in, although it may already
constitute standard practice in a
different part of Europe”
At the core of our social innovation
approach stand the principles of
meaningful user and community
engagement and of multi-
stakeholder dialogue” © [European Centre for Social Welfare
Policy and Research], 2019
 INNOVATIVE
Each service, designed to respond to the main context-specific challenges, is innovative and
new in the local context. Another innovative aspect is the process through which each pilot has

CONTENT
been selected and designed. The project team has been implementing a participatory approach
to decision-making in long-term care, according to which care users, their families, informal
carers, care service providers and policymakers at different levels are all involved in identifying
the most pressing local challenges and work together towards, co-designing innovative services
solutions. The innovation stems from the attempt of the project team to structure the process
and systemise it at all levels, from the basis of the pyramid (the care users and their families) all
the way to the policymakers (the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs in the project’s countries).

TRANSFERABILITY
AND UPSCALING
Since its onset, the project has carried out a series of consultation procedures and exchange workshops where
actors from the local to the national level, including policymakers, have been involved. The project is focused on
local level implementation but it will also keep national stakeholders involved and informed of the progress of
local pilots, in view of ensuring support for implementation and developing strategic plans for scalling up. The
project has already triggered interest from stakeholders outside of the pilot regions or countries. The project team
has established informal collaborations for data collection, mutual learning and exchange with organizations
active in the field of long-term care in Italy, Romania, Republic of Moldova, Albania and Malta.

PROJECT CANVA
© Luis Silva / https://cargocollective.com/luissilva

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