The Prometheus project addressed the need for a European approach on quality in the social services sector. The project's objectives revolved around the questions of definition, measurement, assessment and improvement of quality of social services. The project started in December 2008 and lasted for 24 months.
In order to meet the objectives, Prometheus carried out the following activities:
1. CEN Workshop meetings. CEN is the European Committee for Standardization, a business facilitator in Europe removing trade barriers for European industry and consumers. Its mission is to foster the European economy in global trading and promote the welfare of European citizens and the environment. Through its services it provides a platform for the development of European Standards and other technical specifications. The CEN workshop is the meeting place for stakeholders to discuss critical standards issues and agree how to resolve them. The result of this workshop is a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA), a Common Framework for Quality (CQF) in SSGI and core criteria for quality assurance based on which the core criteria of the EQUASS approach have been validated and the operational quality indicators redefined.
2. Tests of processes, procedures and instruments for self-evaluation, measuring quality and an implementation strategy on pilot sites in four European Member States in various social sectors: services for people with a disability, long term care for elderly people, child care services and services for homeless people.
3. National information and training seminars organised in order to promote the CWA among the social service providers and stakeholders and to build up capacity to operate the EQUASS approach in the pilots.
4. An implementation programme organised in the pilot sites on how to implement the Common Quality Framework in SSGI and the core criteria for Quality Assurance.
The Prometheus project was carried out with European and national partners:
European partners:
Mental Health Europe (MHE)
European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)
Veneto Region - Italy on behalf of European Network of Social Authorities (ENSA)
European Federation of Older Persons (EURAG)
European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
National partners:
Centro de Reabilitação Profissional de Gaia - CRPG (Portugal)
Centre of Accreditation and Quality Development - CAKU (Denmark)
Casa Ioana (Romania)
Municipality of Alimos in Athens (Greece)
Prometheus Final Conference
This European awareness information conference marked the end of the Prometheus project and the official launch of the Common Quality Framework for Social Services of General Interest (SSGI). The Conference took place in the central business district of Brussels, Belgium, on the 17th and 18th November 2010. More than 120 delegates gathered from all around Europe to assist to two days of discussions, keynote speeches and presentations from pilot sites and learn more about the Prometheus project development and results.
Prometheus Publications
Common Quality Framework for Social Services of General Interest (SSGI)
Newsletter: April 2009, Issue I - January 2010, Issue II - July 2010, Issue III - November 2010, Issue IV
This project was supported by the European Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (2007-2013) managed by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission. This programme was established to financially support the implementation of the objectives of the European Union in the employment and social affairs area, as set out in the Social Agenda, and thereby contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy goals in these fields.