Aġenzija Sapport - the role of a national agency
P utting disability on top of the national agenda is not only necessary for Malta to comply with the ratified Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability but also in the nation’s best interest. A national agency fulfils the role of encompassing all the necessary support both to the person with disability and also to the network of professionals and family members surrounding that person with disability. This is done through securing funds and constantly developing services to their benefit, while emphasising the importance of the sector and ensuring a place on the authorities’ agenda, at times challenging the status quo seizing opportunities to develop beyond our own thresholds.
Aġenzija Sapport is the national agency providing a myriad of services and programmes that goes beyond service provision. With a history of over 17 years working directly with persons with disability, their families and other professionals and entities within the sector, Aġenzija Sapport today works towards enhancing the abilities and inclusion of its client group. To be able to do that, it had to undergo and experience various changes: changes in its organisation and programme structures, aims and direction, while keeping its promise of providing services that improve the quality of life of persons with disability through innovative personalised support, expertise and also advocacy.
The Agency has indeed moved towards more inclusion within its programmes, enhancing independent living skills particularly by adopting the Active Support Model, and also works constantly towards addressing the demand for more community and residential support amongst others. Operating with a budget of over €20 million, the Agency is committed to always develop new services. Going from addressing only adults with disability, the Agency now offers services also to children with disability and in the near future, will also be involved in the operation of new initiatives such as a new centre to address the needs of persons with profound multiple learning disabilities, a lifelong inclusion unit, and also being involved in the drawing up and implementation plan on autism, including an autism diagnosis unit.
Disability and voluntary work
Seeing to the needs of persons with disabilities in a holistic manner, in the past months, the Agency has also invested in regulating voluntary contributions through an innovative service – Sharing Lives – that sees to the social needs of persons with disability who can now benefit from a service provided by volunteers and professionals, aimed at improving their social life and opportunity to build meaningful friendships and relationships.
The brand
Aġenzija Sapport has evolved into a central, modern, ambitious, national agency. Gone are the days where the service is planned within the office and dictated to the service user in a one-size-fits all manner. Today the agency embraces three important pillars, being the service user, the family and the professional. All care plans are based on meticulous assessments involving a multi-disciplinary team, taking in consideration the wishes of the client and the needs of the whole family. Embracing this approach has proved to be an effective and efficient way of providing services also keeping in line with set national standards. Yet, it does not mean that there is no room for improvement. The Agency constantly invests in training, research and sharing of best practices both locally and on the international platform in order to keep up the pace of its evolution and ensuring that emerging needs of clients are met.
Fact:
• Aġenzija Sapport serves over 1,000 clients through its services.
• Services include:
• Social Work Services
• Community Services
• Residential Services
• Day Services
• Sign Language Interpretation
• A number of schemes offering subsidies
The Agency does all this within a context, whereby it values the strong networking with other stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and other government entities, amongst others. Such networking allows for the efficient use of resources. Current collaborations include agreements and joint efforts with the Ministry for Education, educational bodies such as MCAST and the University of Malta, Ministry of Health, social welfare agencies, and parents’ associations and support groups, amongst others.
Upcoming events:
A number of workshops will be held in Gozo on 16 and 17 November. These workshops are aimed towards parents of children and young people with disability residing in Gozo. This initiative complements the monthly workshops held in Malta by the Agency’s Social Work Team, whereby parents engage in informative discussions about selected topics of interest. These workshops are facilitated by professionals, and parents attending also have the opportunity to share experiences and tips about dealing with challenges in their children’s upbringing. Deadline for applications for Gozo workshops: 7 November 2018. Contact us on 2256 8000 or marketing.sapport@gov.mt.