Starting from the experience of many Social Platform members, their national members and partners on the ground, we have been working to show that investing in high quality health, housing, social, employment and education services and social infrastructures for all is an investment in people and for the future, and not simply a cost.

Promoting investment in services is not only about the amount of resources needed – it is also about the approach taken in their design and delivery.

Services should be people-centred and tailored to meet each individual’s needs. They should promote users’ human rights and aim to empower people and make them more independent.

In addition to addressing present needs with immediate effect – such as improving people’s skills, health conditions and employability – investment in services can prevent or reduce future needs that would give rise to additional costs and reliance on services, including emergency health care, unemployment benefits, correctional facilities and income support.

This approach is known as “social investment”.

Find out more

Investing in services for the well-being of people: A collection of case studies

Investing in services: A Social Platform myth buster

Investing in services: Challenging myths – Policy recommendations to the European institutions