On 13 October 2026, Spain’s National Observatory on Personal and Household Services (PHS) took place in Madrid, focusing on strengthening cooperation to shape the future of the sector. Organised by UGT-FeSMC in collaboration with EFFAT, as part of the European SCALE-UP project co-funded by the European Commission, the event brought together trade unions, public authorities, academics and employer representatives to assess the current situation and share proposals to improve the sector’s recognition, formalisation and professionalisation.
EFFE, the European Federation of Family Employment & Homecare, was represented by its Vice-President, Karmele Acedo, CEO of Grupo Servicios Sociales Integrados (Grupo SSI), accompanied by Susana Moreno Barrio, Head of Knowledge Management at Grupo SSI. They brought the perspective of households as employers of domestic workers, which account for the vast majority of employers in Spain’s PHS sector.
Discussions focused on several key issues:
Karmele Acedo emphasised the importance of fostering a genuine employer awareness among families as a prerequisite for any meaningful negotiation process.
Grupo SSI shared its experience through ZainLab, an initiative promoted by the Basque Government’s Department of Economy, Labour and Employment and managed by Grupo SSI, which provides employment and training support in the PHS sector.
As part of this initiative, ZainSare spaces serve as local hubs for employment and training in the care sector. Developed in collaboration with municipalities, they provide workers and people seeking employment in the sector with socio-professional support, training opportunities and guidance towards employment.
They also offer employers information and advice on recruitment, as well as on the rights and responsibilities involved in employing a domestic worker. In addition, they help strengthen coordination between public authorities and local stakeholders.
This experience was discussed alongside other initiatives in Spain and across Europe. Participants also addressed the launch of a working group on good practices in the Basque Country, marking a first step towards more structured social dialogue.
EFFE’s participation forms part of its wider work at European level. Together with EFFAT, EFSI and UNI Europa, the federation is a partner in the European SCALE-UP project (2025–2027), which aims to strengthen European sectoral social dialogue and support the development of collective bargaining structures in the PHS sector.
EFFE is committed to helping strengthen social dialogue in Spain, working alongside trade unions and public authorities to promote direct employment in private households that is both accessible to families and respectful of workers’ rights.