Yesterday, the Govern Balear staff specialists in charge of assessing degrees of discapacity visited the Formentera day centre. Vicent Verdera, an 84 year old Formentera-native, was the first patient the workers met with. According to Mr Verdera’s daughter, Pepita, though almost two years have gone by since doctors amputated her father’s leg, architectural barriers have meant Mr Verdera has been unable to make the trip to Eivissa to have his disability assessed. The Verderas were not alone. Two other patients at the day centre also benefitted from the visit by the employees of the Govern. Other specialists – a doctor, a psychologist and a social worker – are also available to come to Formentera upon request, thus sparing residents trips to Eivissa, explained Vanessa Parellada, head of Formentera’s office of social welfare.
Until now, Formentera residents who needed the degree of their disability assessed were required to schedule an appointment and travel to Eivissa, «with all the inconveniences that came along with it», added Councillor Parellada. «We proposed a possible solution to the regional minister of social services – Fina Santiago – and she accepted», said Parellada, pointing out that the Govern was itself eager to ensure social services were within the reach of Formentera residents.
The Council pays for the specialists’ travel costs to the Formentera day centre, where they have access to a work space. Interested individuals, Parellada concluded by saying, can contact the social services office of Formentera – or Eivissa – for more information or to request a local visit by one of the available specialists.
On Thursday, 26 November, a group of fifteen students and one professor held the final session of a course on social and cultural integration. The short course was organised by the immigration office of the CiF department of social welfare and held in Formentera's adult learning centre, l'Escola d'Adults. Department head Vanessa Parellada was on hand to personally hand out certificates attesting students had successfully completed the integration course, and, in some cases, a parallel language course as well. Both attestations are required to complete the application for a residency permit.
Vanessa Parellada, head of the department of social welfare and Azuzena Carrasco, staff specialist, met with Espai Dones president Vanessa Díaz to unveil the activities programme to back Formentera’s celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, tomorrow, 25 November. Councillor Parellada pointed to funding and logistical help the administration provides Espai Dones «to ensure such events take place». «However», she continued, «we must go even further in the fight against gender-based violence». She indicated the desire of CiF officials to «tackle the issue using education».
Earlier today in the plenary hall of the Formentera Council, before a crowd comprising representatives from different local associations, councillor of social welfare Vanessa Parellada joined Rosa Cursach, director of the Balearic institute for women (IB-DONA), in a press conference concerning a draft law on equality known in Catalan as la Llei d'Igualtat. 
Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer has received a visit from Patricia Gómez, the regional secretary of health, at the CiF's head office in Sant Francesc. Also present at the meeting were CiF councillor of social welfare Vanessa Parellada; Formentera's parliamentarian Sílvia Tur; chief of health services in Eivissa and Formentera Josep Balanzat; and vice director of primary care at Ib-Salut Rosa Duro.
