The Principal of Universitat de València, M.ª Vicenta Mestre, presided the opening of the 4th Regional Conference of Social Services of CV that had also the participation of the regional Secretary of Primary Care and Social Services of the Valencian Community, Elena Ferrando; the President of General Council for Social Work, Emiliana Vicente; the Councillor for Social Services of the City Council of València, Isabel Lozano; and the President of the Official School of Social Work (COTS) of València, Elena Puig. Likewise, also attended the Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Albert Moncusí.

The Principal M.ª Vicenta Mestre pointed out the fact that in these conferences are present the institutions with responsibility in the development of the role of the social worker: the Universitat, the Professional School and the public institutions. ‘Also, from Universitat we have a triple side of responsibility: the training of good professionals with the collaboration of professional schools and the practice, the importance of research for assuring that the future steps had the scientific security, and the transfer of knowledge to the society for improving it’, remarked Mestre.

The regional Secretary Elena Ferrando wanted to express the importance that has the primary attention ‘because is the main door, the first access and for that reason, the first reference of care, diagnosis and treatment’. Ferrando assured that these conferences ‘are important to debate, know and design projects that will mark our future work lines’.

On her part, the President Emiliana Vicente asserted ‘the necessity of the social worker’s role to become a public highlighted authority such as doctors, pharmacists...’. Also, Vicente remembered ‘the importance of the Policy as tool to move forward in a fairer and more equal society, and for that approvals as Regional Law of Inclusive Social Services of the CV are crucial’.

‘We have two priority challenges. One, to protect and provide the social services in order to define clearly its competences so that social work doesn’t turn into a Christmas tree. And the second challenge, to reduce the protocols, because, even though they are needed for acting, they can’t leave the intervention on a second place’, pointed out the Councillor Isabel Lozano.

Finally, the president of COTS València Elena Puig expressed that the social services must be considered as ‘essential services, one of the basis of the rule of law of 21st Century’. She also remarked the importance of the social worker to reduce the social and economic inequalities and to guarantee the essential rights of the human being in a society that has suffered a lot, due to the last economic crisis and that hasn’t recovered yet.