In an effort to help people in need, the Portimão Social Radar team has been on the streets since mid-August, working to identify people living in vulnerable situations.
Launched under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), the council-led initiative will run until March 2026, aiming to detect and respond early to situations of poverty, exclusion and vulnerability across the municipality’s three parishes.
In its first month, the team received 38 reports of people in need. Around 66% involved people aged 41 to 60, most of them men. The majority were homeless, followed by people living in isolation without a support network.
Since then, the Social Radar team has visited every parish in the municipality, building close contact with local communities and working to provide suitable solutions in partnership with the local Social Network, the municipal council says in a statement to the press. The team addresses a wide range of issues, including poverty, social isolation, food insecurity, poor housing, lack of healthcare, domestic violence, abuse and substance dependency.
The multidisciplinary team includes four professionals in Social Education, Social Work, Sociology and Management, who identify cases on the ground, carry out social assessments and ensure quick, coordinated intervention, the council adds.
A key component of the project is community involvement. The team relies on the help of the entire community to help flag people living in worrisome conditions.
“With this new tool, Portimão is reinforcing its social support strategy, expanding responses for people, families and groups at risk of poverty, exclusion or discrimination. This is the continuation of essential work, especially important in times of economic, social or health crisis,” the local authority says.
Cases can be reported to the Radar Social team by phone at +351 963 114 211, by email at radar.social@cm-portimao.pt, or by filling out the form available online.
