Los servicios sociales como política urbana en la gestión urbana. Un caso de estudio de la ciudad de Huelva

Abstract

This research entitled "Social Services as urban policy in urban management. A case study of the city of Huelva", is an approach to the role of social services as urban policy. Although social services have a presence in municipal budgets, their role as an urban policy in municipal urban agendas is unknown. This research is innovative precisely because it addresses these issues that have been neglected in the scientific literature. The starting points were the factors that influence urban policy and social services as public policies, the conceptualisation of urban management and the comparative normative analysis between urban management and social services, as well as a systematic review of the literature on both concepts. With these premises, six specific objectives were set out in order to understand the role of social services as urban policy. The first was to learn about the urban management model and urban policies in the city of Huelva. The second was to identify the role of social services within the current urban management model. Thirdly, to identify the main resources and methods used by the Local Administration to provide social services in the city of Huelva. Fourth, to identify those cities where social services are present in their urban management. Fifth, to find out the opinion of the different interest groups on the inclusion of social services in the urban management model of the city of Huelva. And sixth, to design and validate a series of indicators in a consensual manner for the future inclusion of social services in the urban management model. Two methods have been used to meet these objectives: Delphi or expert consultation and consultation with social services professionals. In order to find out whether or not it is feasible to incorporate social services into urban agendas, experts in social services and urban policies were consulted. This consultation method involved 10 people with the profile of tenured professors and/or professors with extensive experience. With regard to the consultation of social services professionals, the aim was to investigate the role of social services in the respective municipalities of Huelva with more than 20,000 inhabitants. The profile of the sample was diverse and consisted of 19 people belonging to the technical team (social services staff such as social workers, social educators, psychologists, coordinators and technicians, etc.) and the political team (councillors with responsibilities in the area of social services). The data and information collected through the Delphi were captured in a Likert-type questionnaire with scores from 1 to 5 and analysed manually in Excel. In contrast, the data derived from the consultation with social service professionals followed the Grounded Theory and the discourses were analysed with a manual categorisation and coding procedure in the ATLAS.ti software. 23.1.2. The findings show that there is a need for urban management models that develop quality and participatory urban policies that avoid the diluted nature of the division of competences of social services spending, the unequal financing of the concerted plan, combat the welfare vision of social services and their secondary/residual role. Therefore, the consideration of social services in the local urban dimension does not exist as such, it would be possible with the administrative restructuring of social services around town councils and county councils. Also with proposals aimed at the development of social innovations and the promotion of a collaborative culture between social services and urban policy, by means of territorial plans and strategies with a strong social commitment, where interdepartmental coordination is essential as a driving force behind urban agendas.