10 March 2025 | This Flash presents an evaluation of the first four years of implementation of the measures introduced at the beginning of the decade to increase the number of social workers employed in local social services. It confirms positive results and critical issues already outlined in a Focus published in 2023, of which this Flash represents an update.
In particular, the analysis shows a significant increase in the number of social workers during the 2020-23 period, which however has only partially reduced territorial disparities regarding the Essential Level of Benefits (Livelli essenziali delle prestazioni, LEP). Critical issues remain related to the fragmentation of funding between two funds, with very different resource allocation methods, monitoring, and reporting, as well as the absence of sanctions other than the loss of funding in case of failure to hire social workers. Additionally, local authorities, especially in the Center and South, continue to face difficulties in hiring stable staff, a fundamental characteristic for making operational social and educational structures that are being implemented under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). This has occurred despite the introduction in recent years of a derogation to the constraints on hiring permanent staff aimed at facilitating the recruitment of social workers.
