Canary Islands Department of Social Welfare Staff Restructuring

Background

The Canary Islands government has announced a targeted overhaul of the staff structure within the Department of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood, and Families. This move follows recent court decisions that invalidated certain aspects of a previous restructuring decree from May 2021.

Judicial Rulings and Court Mandates

Two key rulings from the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands mandated changes:

• The court nullified the original methods used to appoint the heads of the 'Equality' and 'Diversity' services, requiring these positions to be filled through merit-based competitions instead of the previous procedures.
• The court annulled the entire restructuring decree, forcing the government to redo the official staff listings.

Government Response

The government responded swiftly by adopting a new decree on September 5, 2025, to align its staffing plan with judicial instructions. The updates include:

• Removing certain positions
• Creating new positions

This ensures the department operates within legal bounds.

Goals and Implications

The update aims to:

• Reinforce fairness and transparency in public appointments
• Impact how social services are managed and delivered.

The move underscores ongoing legal and political efforts to refine public administration amid judicial scrutiny, which matters to residents relying on social programs. It also highlights the government's commitment to adapting its personnel policies to uphold legality, transparency, and efficiency.

Residents should watch for further updates as these structural adjustments take effect.