The CAPABLE project addresses one of the most urgent challenges for the European Union: ensuring high-quality, innovative, and sustainable care services for older people, while at the same time creating dignified and attractive jobs in the care sector.

The project is based on two key and closely interconnected perspectives:

Work: attracting new professionals, strengthening skills, and promoting regular, protected forms of employment.

Care: improving service quality, introducing innovative solutions, and identifying economically sustainable models for elderly care.

During its first six months of activities, CAPABLE organised kick-off meetings in all partner countries, establishing Local Working Groups and fostering the exchange of good practices at the European level.

Italy – Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

The meetings, organised with the support of Informest, aimed to present the project, build a network of local stakeholders, and gather feedback on the EoE event held in Trieste. The central theme of the semester was “Promoting regular employment.”

Key topics discussed included:

• Promotion of legal contracts and worker protection
• Role of public services, such as SI.CON.TE, in matching supply and demand
• Regional strategies for home care: telecare, autonomy funds, and support for family caregivers

Among the good practices highlighted were SI.CON.TE and the Autonomy Fund, both effective tools for promoting regular employment and care quality.

Belgium – Wilrijk, Gouvernor Kinsbergencentrum

In Belgium, the working groups explored several key topics:

• Professional development: motivating training, on‑the‑job mentoring, and ethical leadership
• System sustainability: social innovation through pilot initiatives and social enterprise incubators
• Attracting new workers: inclusive workplaces, flexible linguistic requirements, and tailored pathways for vulnerable groups

Highlighted good practices included:

• IN-Z Proximity Services, offering local solutions for unemployment and care support
• Vleminckveld initiatives, featuring programmes for vulnerable workers, neighbourhood care practices, and life-coaching pathways

Germany – Offenbach District, Pro Arbeit

Meetings with stakeholders highlighted significant challenges in the regional care sector, particularly concerning regular employment, professional qualifications, and institutional cooperation.

At the same time, a strong awareness of the need for change emerged, along with a willingness to actively contribute to developing solutions. CAPABLE was recognised as a key project for supporting structured exchanges and initiating concrete and long‑lasting improvements.

Poland – Toruń, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

In Poland, the meetings focused on sharing international good practices from Italy, Germany, Romania, and Ukraine.

Main themes included:

• Adapting foreign solutions to the local context
• Strengthening cooperation networks among social policy institutions

Promising local initiatives were also identified for further exploration as potential good practices.

Romania – Vaslui, Vaslui County Council

The Vaslui County Council organised a series of meetings with social-sector actors under the theme “Developing quality social services for older people and creating attractive jobs in the care sector.”

Discussions centred on:

• Improving services to allow older people to remain in their homes
• Strengthening training for home‑care professionals

Spain – Region of Murcia, Federation of Municipalities

Stakeholder meetings aimed to present the project, build local partnerships, and identify good practices to address social isolation and promote the social economy.

Key topics:

• Project objectives and stakeholder engagement
• Local initiatives and peer‑care programmes for older people
• Exchange of experiences on European projects (URBACT – Breaking Isolation) and regional initiatives (RESEES)

Highlighted practices included:

• Neighbourhood socialisation campaigns
• Mutual support among older adults
• Social‑economy initiatives for inclusion and proximity services

Ukraine – Kamianets‑Podilskyi, Platform for Social Change

In Ukraine, discussions focused on the attractiveness of care professions and strategies to create motivating work environments for social‑sector professionals.

Key points included:

• Improving working conditions and staff motivation (logistics, workload, micro-breaks)
• Professional development pathways: training, internships, and mentoring
• Burnout prevention and psychological support

Highlighted good practices:

• Short‑term care at the Khmelnytskyi Municipal Centre, combining day-care services with temporary stays to prevent caregiver burnout
• Integrated home‑care services in Dunaivtsi, a model based on territorial pathways, formal employment, and additional social services

Looking ahead

These meetings mark the beginning of CAPABLE’s operational implementation across partner territories. In the coming months, Local Working Groups will continue co‑designing innovative strategies to make elderly care more sustainable and care jobs more attractive, dignified, and recognised.