Curiosity is the yearning of the mind
Those familiar with the works of Jostein Gaarder can appreciate the beauty of writing from the perspective of a child, particularly exploring the sense of wonder about the world.
Such curiosity keeps the thirst going for the exploration of new paths and ventures. It is with the same standpoint that the Social Care Standards Authority tries to channel its initiatives particularly its regulation and research initiatives towards vulnerable children.
When mentioning children coming from vulnerable backgrounds, it is imperative to highlight the importance of the right to participate not only in terms of legal proceedings, but also with regards to other decisions that affect the child’s life. Such rights go hand in hand with the quality of care that should be provided in order to ensure that the child feels safe and is in a stable, caring and protective environment, particularly if there is a period when they are in care. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach towards the establishment of an individualised care plan is to be safeguarded.
In this respect, the establishment of social regulatory standards embedding such values, principles and rights was the necessary step required by the Social Care Standards Authority in order to continue its paradigm shift in the regulation of social welfare services in Malta. In ensuring an enhanced impact and efficacy of such standards, the Authority not only ensured that in-depth consultation was carried out with the children involved, but also issued an easy read version complete with child-friendly illustrations for them to better understand the obligations and expected outcomes from the services that they are receiving. Hence, such endeavours fit in the implementation of the Strategic Vision the Authority started implementing as of this year, in order to empower service users and encourage them to voice their opinion.
Furthermore, such standards were also sustained with the issuance of licences towards social welfare services resulting from inspection visits conducted. It is to be remarked that such licences and continuous monitoring are backed by a number of recommendations in order to safeguard the best interest of the children in question.
In its monitoring function, the Authority has conducted 54 visits in the first five months of 2020 towards social welfare services catering for minors in alternative care. It is also to be noted that apart from physical inspections, the Authority also conducted 44 phone calls during the COVID-19 period in order to continue supporting services catering for vulnerable children during such critical time.
Such endeavours are also sustained with exertions within international fora, such as the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child within the Council of Europe. In this respect, the Maltese delegation’s emphasis is being made on matters concerning violence against children as well children in the digital environment. Firstly, whether for a short or long-term period, violence can lead to devastating consequences on a child’s physical and psychological health. Such violence not only violates the rights of the child, but also compromises the child’s social development and affects the enjoyment of other rights. Furthermore, the digital world exposes children to a wealth of opportunities, and while access to the digital environment is progressively being considered as part of the dimensions of the right of the child, it also increases disposition to harmful content. Such content, its effects, privacy and data protection issues such as cyber bullying are also high on the agenda in the continuation of efforts being made with the advancement in imperative areas affecting children.
When it comes to matters concerning children, flying is just not enough. Honing the words of Walt Disney, the Social Care Standards Authority is soaring towards the evaluation and promotion of current practices in order to ensure the nurturing of children’s curiosity towards achieving their life goals, dreams and aspirations.