Public Sector Collaboration in Social Services Award

This award recognises a multi-agency partnership between multiple departments within a public authority or between multiple public authorities in a locality, region, country or across countries that has demonstrated outstanding collaboration across the public sector to improve social services and deliver better outcomes for individuals and communities. The award highlights initiatives where local, regional, or national public administrations have successfully worked together; e.g. multiple authorities within one sector or across various sectors — to promote policy alignment and to provide integrated, person-centred services that address complex social challenges. 

Examples of key areas of public sector collaboration in social services:

• Integrated Health and Social Care Services – Bridging gaps between healthcare, social services, and long-term care to provide seamless and holistic support for older people, individuals with disabilities, and those with complex needs.
• Preventing Homelessness and Housing Instability – Aligning housing, employment, and social care strategies to provide long-term, sustainable solutions for at-risk populations.
• Justice, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration – Strengthening coordination between social services, justice systems, and rehabilitation programmes to reduce re-offending and support reintegration into society.
• Social Inclusion and Employment Pathways – Bringing together education, welfare, and employment agencies to improve access to training, jobs, and economic opportunities for vulnerable groups.
• Social Inclusion and Minimum Income - Bringing together social benefits and services to support people who are unemployed or in minimum income schemes.
• Knowledge Exchange and Standards Development – Bringing together partners to share best practice and develop harmonised policies, frameworks, and quality standards.

Special consideration is given to initiatives that:

• Bridge the gap between public administrations within the same level of government or between different levels of public administration, fostering cooperation between local, regional, and national authorities to enhance service accessibility and efficiency.
• Improve accessibility and efficiency, reducing bureaucracy and ensuring individuals receive the right support at the right time.
• Foster meaningful collaboration between countries, ensuring sustained engagement and mutual learning.
• Tackle cross-cutting social issues, like coordinating health and social care for people with chronic conditions; social benefits and social services within minimum income schemes; aligning education, skills, employment and social services; social services and justice in child protection or reintegration of former inmates. 
• Demonstrate measurable impact, showing how integrated approaches lead to better quality of life and better life outcomes, increased social inclusion, and improved public sector efficiency.
• Are scalable and transferable, offering a best practice example that can be adopted in other European regions or sectors.