EQUAL CARE

The Invisible Workforce: The Role of Informal Carers in the EU

Speaker: Claire Champeix, Eurocarers

Claire has extensive experience in policy work, lobbying, research, and project coordination in the social field at local and European levels.

Before joining Eurocarers in 2016, Claire worked with various Brussels-based NGOs and collaborated with different EU institutions, notably in the social and human rights sectors. More specifically, she has focused on the fight against poverty and social exclusion, effective participation in policy-making, and the rights of persons with disabilities. She also worked for the social department of different local authorities in France for 7 years. Claire is a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Paris) and Université Paris Sorbonne (Sociology).

At Eurocarers, Claire is involved in various projects and policy initiatives, particularly in integrated Long-term Care, Cancer Care, training and skills, implementation of the EU Pillar of Social Rights, and the European Semester.

Estimating the Economic Value of Informal Care

Speaker: Dr. Valentina Hlebec, Univerza v Ljubljani

Valentina Hlebec is a professor of sociology and has (co)authored 127 scientific articles, nine scientific monographs, and 40 chapters in the monographs of distinguished international (Springer, Hersey, Ashgate, Praeger, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung) and national publishers. She has been involved as a principal investigator several national (6) and EU projects (Wp leader 4), national P.I. (9). She has been active in national and international professional associations, and organizational work at the Faculty of Social Sciences and University of Ljubljana (Head of the Sociology Department, Vice-dean for Research, Head of the Habilitation Committee, vice-head of the Ethics Committee on Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences (ECRFSS) and head of Commission of the University of Ljubljana for Ethics in Research that Includes Work with People). She was (co)supervisor to nine doctoral students and young researchers. She has obtained a number of citations of her work (Wos – 915 citations, Scopus – 1285 citations within last ten years).

In 2025 she received award from Slovenian Research Agency – Excellence in research for co-authorship of the monograph (Long term care for people with dementia in Slovenia in theory and practice in social work).

Gendered Dimensions of Care Work

Speaker: Mr. Evangelos (Angelo) Koutoumanos, Founder of NOESI.gr

Evangelos (Angelo) Koutoumanos is a Social Worker born in Athens in 1974. He holds a BA in Social Work and advanced degrees, including an MSc and MPhil/PhD, in Psychology and Social Policy. He has extensive experience in the disability sector, focusing on program coordination and evaluation in facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and mobility impairments. He is the Founder of NOESI.gr (established in 2004), a major resource hub for individuals with disabilities. He coordinated the nation-wide Mapping of the Disability Sector in 2015 in Greece. He has held directorship posts, including CEO of the Social Work Foundation and Managing Director of the Association for People with Disabilities “ERMIS”. He was also recognized as a “Hero of 2020” by readers of “Kathimerini”, the largest newspaper in Greece, for his work during the pandemic of COVID-19.

Best Practices in Raising the Visibility and Supporting Carers – A National Case Study

Speaker: Ms. Emma Colao, ACUFADE

Emma Colao Corujo (born 1995, Agüimes, Canary Islands) is a legal expert and prominent social-rights advocate from the Canary Islands. She serves as Director of the Observatorio de Derechos Sociales de Canarias (ODESOCAN), where she leads research and monitoring on the fulfilment of social rights, with a focus on dependency care, housing, employment, and health. Emma also operates as manager at ACUFADE, one of the region’s leading organisations supporting people in situations of dependency and their families. With extensive experience advising more than 180 social-justice and community organisations, she is recognised for her commitment to equity, administrative efficiency, and the protection of vulnerable groups. Emma actively promotes policy innovation and works to strengthen public systems so that all individuals can access the rights and services they need.