Attention to dependency in the Canary Islands has gone from 16 to 29 points between 2021 and 2022 on the scale of 100 prepared by the Social Services Development Index (IDEC) for last year, although it is still "well below the state average, which stands at 51 points."
"In this aspect, the Canary Islands has shown a significant improvement in 2022", says the State Association of Managing Directors in Social Services, which insists on its "urgent" recommendation that for a territorial organization to occur in which the Island Councils, large municipalities and the Canary Islands Government reach "a global pact towards a structured model of social services that goes far beyond the mere delegation of powers."
In general terms, by autonomous communities, the Canary Islands is in the "tenth position in the development of its social services system compared to the 15th position it occupied in the previous report." For this association, the current overlaps and inefficiencies "continue to be a burden that has significant consequences for the population of the Canary Islands by significantly reducing coverage."
"The Canary Islands is in tenth place in the development of its social services system compared to the position it occupied in the previous report"
However, they point out that the Canary Islands is the "most outstanding case of recovery" of its social services system, since until recently it had been systematically occupying the "last place" in terms of its development, and a rating of "irrelevant."
They also highlight the "increase in the economic relevance of the System in the Canary Islands in 2021", which approaches "excellence" in this dimension of the index since, in fact, the three indicators of economic relevance of social services in the Canary Islands are "above the state average."
In absolute terms, the public administrations of the Canary Islands (Community, Island Councils and Municipalities) increased their budget in Social Services by "8.2% in 2021 compared to the previous year", in which, in turn, they had "grown by 16.8%". Thus, spending per inhabitant in the Canary Islands stands at "513.6 euros", compared to 462.7 euros of the state average.
Despite the decrease recorded in 2021 compared to 2020, the percentage of GDP represented by spending on social services by the Public Administrations of the Canary Islands is "2.62%", which is still above the state average, which is 1.82%. Finally, the percentage of the total budget of the public administrations that is allocated to social services has increased in 2021 "two points" compared to the previous year, and stands at "11.7%", with the state average being 9.3%.
The percentages of financing of the Public Social Services System in the Canary Islands by the Community and the Local Entities, "differ from the state average", with "a greater weight of the local" in the Canary Islands (51.91% compared to 28.16% of the state average), a circumstance that is attributed "to the prominence of the Island Councils" in matters of Social Services.
The Canary Islands is above the state average in several benefits or services such as those "aimed at people with disabilities, with a coverage of 1.9% of residential places", compared to the state average of 1.6%, and "3.4 of day and occupational center places", compared to the average of 3.2%
Also in home help, with a coverage of "5.2% of the elderly", compared to the state average of 5%; or in family foster care for minors, with "59.6% of total foster care", compared to the state average of 54.4% 51.91%. In addition, in shelter places for women victims of gender violence, the Canary Islands has 16.8 places for every 100 women with protection orders in that Community, compared to the state average of 13.1%.
Need to double professionals
Regarding the most deficient aspects that the Canary Islands presents in its offer of benefits and social services, there is the "coverage of its basic care network, with one professional for every 3,241 inhabitants", while the state average is one professional for every 1,651 inhabitants.
"The Canary Islands would have to double the number of professionals in its basic social services to match the state average"
"That is, the Canary Islands would have to double the number of professionals in its basic social services to match the state average", adds the report, which also points to "deficiencies in residential places for the elderly, with a coverage of 1.80%", with the state average being 2.69%.
Regarding minimum insertion incomes, in the Canary Islands only "4.2% of its population below the poverty line" receive them, while in Spain as a whole this percentage is 7.7%.
"However, it is necessary to recognize the improvement of the Canary Islands in this coverage, since it has gone from 1.5% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2020 and 4.2% in 2021, in an inverse trend to the state, which has "been decreasing". Thus, between 2019 and 2021 (period of implementation of the IMV), while in the state average the number of recipients decreased by 19%, in "the Canary Islands increased by 19%", the report concludes.
