18/05/2022 - 13:19
Social Services. The Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre helped over 37,000 people in 2021, some 42.3% more than in 2020.
The Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre helped over 37,000 people in 2021, a 42.3% increase compared to 2020. The social and economic crisis caused by Covid-19, the improvement in collaboration with the rest of services and the broader scope of action by the centre are all factors which have contributed to the rise.
The CUESB operates around the clock, every day of the year, providing permanent services and offering support for nearly 2.7 million people living in Barcelona and 24 other municipalities. The centre provides its services within the framework of collaboration agreements with the rest of the municipalities in the metropolitan area. Its tasks mainly fall within the categories of urgent care and social emergencies.
Social emergencies
The CUESB took action in 254 social emergencies, averaging one every 34 hours and attending to 2,134 people in all. In 2020, the figures were significantly lower, with 224 emergencies and 1,353 people in all.
These are supervening situations which have had a big impact on people’s lives, altering daily routines through personal and/or material loss, and generating an emotional imbalance. Examples might include a death caused by a road accident, a sudden death at home, a suicide, a fire etc. In these cases, the CUESB offers psychological and social support in line with a protocol activated with the rest of the emergency teams, such as the Fire Service, the City Police, the SEM medical services and the Mossos d’Esquadra police corps. The centre provides psychological and social support to analyse the needs of the people in question and activate the corresponding resources.
Urgent social support
The number of urgent social cases in 2021 was 34,488, with the CUESB attending to 35,584 people, compared to the 27,817 urgent cases and 25,148 people in 2020.
Urgent social cases account for the most common tasks by the CUESB. These are unexpected situations requiring immediate action to minimise their impact on people. The service complements the range of basic social services, when the circumstances come about outside of their usual hours or call for specialised support. The centre handles situations such as the sudden loss of accommodation, the partial or total loss of autonomy, cases of abandoned elderly people, mistreatment or lack of diet etc.
More resources and more professionals
With an overall budget of 5.58 million euros for 2021, the funding available to the CUESB has risen by 51.2% compared to 2019, mainly translating into improved labour and material conditions and a larger workforce, the number of staff rising from 74 to 93 with the start of the new contract in 2020 and with the extension of municipalities participating in the service. Besides Barcelona, the 24 municipalities covered represent nearly a million inhabitants and contribute nearly half a million euros to the overall budget of the CUESB. They are: Badalona, Barberà del Vallès, Begues, Castellbisbal, Cervelló, Corbera de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, El Papiol, El Prat de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, La Palma de Cervelló, Molins de Rei, Montcada i Reixac, Montgat, Pallejà, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Sant Vicenç dels Horts, Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Torrelles de Llobregat and Viladecans.
New mobile office for rapid care
The municipal facility has added a vehicle which is ready to act as a mobile office to facilitate psychological and social support for people in any location where staff from the centre do not have a suitable space for their initial action.
