The Minister of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Children, and Family of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado, announced on Friday in a parliamentary committee that the new cooperation agreement with the island councils for the provision of services to people in situations of dependency is expected to come into effect in the first half of 2025, with retroactive economic effects from January 1st.
«We are finalizing negotiations with the island councils on the terms of the new cooperation agreement regarding dependency care,» stated the Minister of the department, Candelaria Delgado, who noted that follow-up committees were held with each Council between January 20th and 24th.
It is reported that during these meetings, proposals to be included in the new agreement were discussed, including the direct provision of specialized Home Help Service by the Ministry in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, and Tenerife, while the current system will be maintained in El Hierro, La Palma, and Gran Canaria.
The Minister also clarified that a contracting process has been initiated to directly manage this service in order to ensure that all users receive the service under equal conditions and to prevent price fluctuations from affecting service hours.
It has been announced that the Telecare Service will be managed directly by the Canary Islands Government from July 2025. The provision has already been put out to tender and will be financed with €22.6 million from the European New Generation funds.
«The forecast is that we will be able to assist more than 17,000 people through this channel, which represents a significant increase compared to the 4,746 currently receiving this service in the islands,» affirmed the Minister.
Regarding financing, it was explained that a price per spot adjusted to the conditions of each island will be established, and the new agreement will set new participation percentages, with a proposal to co-finance transport, Specialized Home Help Service, and the Promotion of Personal Autonomy Service by 50%.
Regarding waiting lists, Delgado informed that common criteria will be established in the seven councils to regulate access to reserve lists, a process that until now depended on each island administration, so that access to a waiting list is the same on all islands of the archipelago.
The new agreement will also include a clause that will require third sector entities providing agreed services to obtain the corresponding accreditation. A deadline until the end of 2025 will be granted for them to regularize their situation.
SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT
As for the decree project on the rights of people in situations of dependency, the Minister indicated that it is in the final stages of processing. «We hope that it can be approved by the Government of the Canary Islands within a month,» she stated.
According to the Ministry, the new decree will simplify administrative management and reduce the processing times for the recognition of the degree of dependency and the approval of the Individualized Care Plan (PIA) by establishing a configuration in a single phase of the procedure, that is, with a single visit and not two, as is currently established.
