Technical staff from public administrations and professionals from the third sector convened in La Palma for the Conference on Social Services in the Canary Islands: Current Situation and Future Perspectives. The initiative, promoted by the Regional Ministry of Social Welfare of the Canary Government, presented the Multisectoral Diagnosis and Analysis of Social Services on the islands.

The Minister of Social Welfare, Candelaria Delgado, explained that the objective of these conferences, held on all islands, is to address the modernization of management through data analysis, artificial intelligence, and robotics, driven by the Ministry and the Canary Observatory of Social Services to improve citizen care.

The first Multisectoral Diagnosis and Analysis was presented, described by Delgado as the most comprehensive study on the public social services system in the islands to date. This study is crucial for developing the future Strategic Plan for Social Services, as outlined in the Social Services Law, and will establish priorities and monitoring mechanisms for the coming years.

For her part, the island's Minister of Social Action, Ángeles Fernández, detailed the diagnosis carried out at the start of the term regarding residential centers in La Palma and the declaration of a socio-health emergency that has expedited works. She noted that, thanks to Next Generation funds, progress has been made in rehabilitating infrastructures such as the Residential Center of La Dehesa, the Residence of El Paso, and the new Hospital of Dolores, essential for serving the elderly and dependent population.

This first Diagnosis, developed between 2024 and 2025 by the Canary Observatory of Social Services (OCASS) in collaboration with the University of La Laguna, involved over a thousand users, professionals, and experts.

Among the proposals for improving the Social Services System in the Canary Islands are enhanced coordination with other social protection systems to reduce access barriers and the modernization of internal organization and management processes.

Following the presentation, working group sessions were held to discuss the challenges of the Public Social Services System in the Canary Islands and its integration into the Strategic Plan.