Training in care for 5,200 social services professionals in the Canary Islands

Key data

Up to 5,200 social services and long-term care professionals in the Canary Islands will have access to specialized virtual training thanks to the agreement formalized between the State Secretariat for Social Rights and the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, published in the BOE of June 22, 2026. The agreement, which entered into force on May 13, 2026, does not involve transfer of money: the State transfers the programs already developed and the Canary Islands is responsible for implementing them.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement regulates the transfer of three virtual training programs developed with NextGenerationEU funds. The Ministry retains intellectual property of the content, while the Canary Islands assumes responsibility for implementing them among its public social services system staff.

The three programs cover the following subjects:

This agreement is part of the Component 22 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which seeks to modernize the long-term care model in Spain. The Canary Islands, by adhering to it, contributes to meeting the milestones committed to the European Commission linked to that component.

Economic and operational impact

The direct economic impact for the Canary Islands is zero in terms of content acquisition: the programs are already developed and financed with NextGenerationEU European funds. The cost that the autonomous community does assume is the operational one: logistical management of training, coordination of participants and monitoring of compliance.

From the perspective of organizations in the sector:

• Public residential centers and home care services in the Canary Islands must facilitate the participation of their staff in the programs.
• No tuition or material costs are expected for participating professionals, as it is public training transferred by the State.
• The volume of 5,200 professionals to be trained represents a significant-scale training operation for the Canary Islands social services system.
• Compliance with Component 22 milestones may condition the receipt of European funds linked to the Recovery Plan, making this training a strategic element beyond its pedagogical value.

Who does it affect?

• Professionals from the public social services system in the Canary Islands (up to 5,200 people): social workers, assistants, geriatric care workers, direct care technicians and coordination staff in residential centers and home services.
• Public residential centers in the Canary Islands: must organize the participation of their staff in person-centered care and elimination of physical restrictions programs.
• Public home and community care services: affected by the specific program for home and community care.
• Canary Islands autonomous administration (Social Rights area): responsible for implementation, monitoring and reporting results to the Ministry.
• Ministry of Social Rights: retains ownership of the content and control over its use.

Practical example

A public residential center in the Canary Islands with 80 direct care workers (geriatric care workers, assistants and nursing staff) must incorporate its staff into the person-centered care and elimination of physical restrictions programs. Since it is training transferred by the State, the center does not pay tuition or content licenses. Its actual cost is limited to internal management: coordination of shifts to free up training time and monitoring of each worker's progress. This same scheme will be replicated in all public centers and services in the Canary Islands until reaching the goal of 5,200 trained professionals, a figure that the Canary Islands Government must demonstrate to the Ministry as part of meeting the milestones of Component 22 of the Recovery Plan.

What should organizations do now?

1. Identify eligible staff: HR managers of public residential centers and home care services in the Canary Islands must map which workers fit into each of the three training programs.
2. Contact the autonomous administration: The competent department for Social Rights of the Canary Islands Government is the contact point to learn about the implementation schedule, registration deadlines and participation requirements.
3. Plan operational availability: Since it is virtual training, the impact on shifts is minimal, but it is advisable to anticipate organization to not compromise care quality during the training period.
4. Record participation: Meeting the goal of 5,200 trained professionals is a milestone linked to Component 22. Centers must keep evidence of their staff's participation to facilitate regional reporting.
5. Review the complete agreement: Consult the full text in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-13565) to learn about the specific obligations assumed by the Canary Islands and the monitoring mechanisms provided.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-13565