Aġenzija Sapport rebranded, will focus on Active Support for all types of disabilities
Aġenzija Sapport has been through a rebranding exercise and has taken will now be focusing further on all types of disabilities, both physical and mental. As a national service provider in the field of disability with an array of services aimed at persons with disability and their families, the agency responded to this newsroom’s questions, following The Malta Independent’s publication of an interview with Jessica Camilleri, the sister of someone who has non-verbal autism.
In the interview, Camilleri described the monotonous routine and the missing institutions, activities and programmes for all those who have autism and other special needs.
The national agency said that Active Support will include skill-enhancing programmes, such as in the use of information technology and independent living, art workshops (including dance, drama and music), and the introduction of multi-sensory rooms to cater for persons with disability of varying degrees of challenging behaviour.
On the current support given to people with autism, Aġenzija Sapport said: “We offer residential services, day services and community services to adults with disabilities and their families. These are supported by social work interventions and various schemes which aim to provide a holistic service and an individualised care plan to its service users. Sapport services are also offered to children with disability and their families, including the provision of workshops and facilitation of support groups for parents and siblings of persons with disability, always conscious of the fact that the services provided are even more effective if the agency involves both the person with disability and the family in the care plan.”
Recently, the agency launched a programme called Sharing Lives. This will involve the recruitment, training and monitoring of volunteers who befriend Sapport service users, offering such users the opportunity to engage in social events and activities, including art, music and dance workshops, fitness sessions, cooking sessions, social gatherings and other events, such as trips to the theatre and local concerts, hikes, barbecues and so on.
This newsroom asked whether any of the ideas proposed in the 3 September interview would be discussed or even implemented.
The agency noted that the programmes it is conducting are geared towards promoting self advocacy and inclusion of persons with disability. It said that each programme is set according to one’s level of dependence and abilities, while also being classified and provided on whether service users need basic, intermediate or advanced care, by trained assistances. “Aġenzija Sapport also emphasises and constantly invests in strengthening its community services through which support workers offer personal assistance and interventions within a community setting and within the service user’s home aimed at improving the quality of life of the person with disability and his/her family.”
The agency also shared new schemes that it has implemented recently, including the Job Enhancing Skills Scheme – a scheme which gives people with disability the opportunity to train and receive job placements with the input of mentors who guide, offer supervision and support to beneficiaries, therefore ensuring that the work experience is positive; the Personal Assistance Fund targetting requests by persons with disability or their family members for financial support to cover the expenses of a carer required to assist the family/person with disability for 30 hours per week or more, assisting the service user in leading a more independent life through support at home, personal hygiene, money management, and the like; the opening of Skills Space, in Sliema, which focuses on Active Support programmes for persons with disability attending the centre, reaching family members through training and inclusion in programmes.
This newsroom lastly enquired as to whether any plans were in the pipeline to better the life of people with autism. “Aġenzija Sapport has been through a rebranding exercise which has also included a restructuring plan of its services to accommodate a number of new services and schemes, conscious of the need of constant development in services provided and to meet new demands,” a spokesperson said.
“Future plans include the refurbishment of the agency’s current day centres and the restructuring of programmes delivered in such centres; focusing on Active Support, including skill-enhancing programmes, and; the continued involvement of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals – made up of social workers and occupational therapists, among others – aiding to assess and monitor the needs and abilities of such users. Furthermore, services and funds are all allocated through the involvement of boards comprised of professionals and service users who ensure a non-discriminatory and non-preferential procedure in the allocation of services and funds, based on the merits of each case,” the agency said.
As a service provider, Aġenzija Sapport also maintains a strong network with other entities, including professionals and NGOs. The agency and its line ministry/parliamentary secretariat have a number of agreements with other NGOs focusing on autism services.