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6. Proġetti ġodda
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Salvagwardja (Safeguarding)
15. SALVAGWARDJA (SAFEGUARDING)
Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza tieħu bis‑serjetà r‑responsabiltajiet li jissalvagwardjaw il‑ persuni u hi kommessa li ma tħallix li jsir abbuż fuq ir‑residenti li jużaw is‑servizzi tagħha. Biex tagħmel dan, id‑Dar issegwi l‑Politika elenkata fid‑Dokument tal‑Knisja Maltija “Policy and Procedures in Cases of Sexual Abuse of the Maltese Ecclesiastical Province. (2014)” u l‑liġijiet Maltin. Abbażi ta’ dawn, id‑Dar għandha s‑Safeguarding Policy tagħha. 15.1 Konformità mal‑Liġi tal‑Protezzjoni tal‑Minuri
Kif titlob il‑Liġi qabel ma tingaġġa ħaddiema jew volontiera d‑Dar tal‑Providenza timplimenta proċedura serja ta’ reklutaġġ billi fost oħrajn isir rikors il‑Qorti biex ikun assigurat li dawn il‑persuni mhumiex fuq ir‑ Reġistru ta’ persuni li kkommettew reati gravi kontra minuri u l‑Qorti wieġbet li ma kienx hemm problemi.
15.2 Designated Safeguarding Officer
Ms Remona Cuschieri hija d‑Designated Safeguarding Officer għad‑Dar tal‑ Providenza.
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Premju Soċjetà Ġusta
16. PREMJU SOĊJETÀ ĠUSTA
Kumpanija u ħames persuni kienu r‑rebbieħa tal‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta 2020 organizzat mill‑Ministeru għall‑Inklużjoni fl‑okkażjoni tal‑Ġimgħa tal‑Persuni b’Diżabilità. Fr Martin Micallef, id‑Direttur tad‑Dar tal‑Providenza rebaħ il‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta 2020 għall‑impenn tul il‑ ħajja fis‑settur tal‑Persuni b’Diżabilità. Dan il‑Premju kien ippreżentat b’mod virtwali mill‑Ministru għall‑Integrazzjoni l‑Onor. Julia Farrugia Portelli waqt serata qasira mingħajr il‑partiċipazzjoni tal‑ pubbliku minħabba l‑Pandemija. Angela Agius li għal xi żmien kienet tgħix fid‑Dar tal‑Providenza imma llum tgħix b’mod
indipendenti f’darha, rebħet il‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta 2020 li kien ippreżentat lilha wkoll b’mod virtwali mill‑E.T. Dott George Vella, President ta’ Malta. Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza kienet ukoll nominata għal‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta bħala entità li toffri opportunitajiet indaqs.
Iż‑żagħżugħ Jake Vella rebaħ il‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta għall‑partiċipazzjoni attiva fl‑iSport, l‑Arti u l‑Kultura. Il‑kumpanija Ecabs rebħet il‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta 2020 għall‑aktar post tax‑xogħol li jopera b’mod inklussiv, filwaqt li s‑Sinjura Marchita Magiafico , rebħet il‑Premju Soċjetà Ġusta 2020 Premju għal ħidma fit‑tisħiħ tad‑ drittijiet tal‑persuni b’diżabilità.
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Premju Mons. Mikiel Azzopardi
17. PREMJU MONS. MIKIEL
AZZOPARDI
Il‑Premju Mons. Mikiel Azzopardi, li tnieda 25 sena ilu fl‑okkażjoni ta’ għeluq it‑ 30 sena mit‑twaqqif tad‑Dar tal‑Providenza jirrikonoxxi x‑xogħol li jsir minn individwi u gruppi biex jiġu megħjuna persuni b’diżabilità, kif ukoll juri apprezzament lejn dawk li jagħtu appoġġ volontarju għax‑ xogħol li jsir fid‑Dar tal‑Providenza.
Din is‑sena l‑Bord tad‑Dar għażel li jagħti dan il‑Premju lill‑ħaddiema kollha tad‑Dar tal‑Providenza b’ħajr u rikonoxximent għall‑ħidma ddedikata u straordinarja tagħhom matul ix‑xhur iebsin tal‑ pandemija tal‑COVID‑19, biex iżommu
lir‑residenti u lill‑kollegi tagħhom ħielsa minn dan il‑virus.
Il‑Premju ngħata wkoll lis‑Sur Gordon Philip Hewitt għall‑ħidma tiegħu volontarja mar‑residenti għal ħafna snin sakemm saħħtu ppermettitlu.
Għall‑ħaddiema tad‑Dar tal‑Providenza, is‑sena 2020 ma kinitx waħda normali u lanqas faċli, anzi kienet sena mimlija sfidi kbar. Madankollu l‑ħaddiema tad‑ Dar għamlu l‑almu tagħhom kollu biex jimxu mal‑miżuri anke jekk ħafna drabi dan kien ifisser sagrifiċċju personali iktar minn normal.
Il‑Premju Mons. Mikiel Azzopardi kien ippreżentat lil tliet rapprezentanti tal‑ ħaddiema Nadine Camilleri Cassano, Marianne Abdilla u Rebecca Thuema mill‑Arċisqof ta’ Malta Mons. Charles J. Scicluna fil‑Kurja tal‑Arċisqof, il‑ Furjana nhar il‑Ġimgħa 18 ta’ Diċembru 2020. Dakinhar stess il‑kappillan tar‑Residenza San Vinċens De Paule ppreżenta dan il‑Premju lis‑Sur Gordon Philip Hewitt billi ma setax jattendi għall‑preżentazzjoni mill‑Arċisqof minħabba r‑restrizzjonijiet mill‑ Awtoritajiet tas‑Saħħa.
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Konklużjoni
18. KONKLUŻJONI
Kif juri dan ir‑rapport minkejja r‑ restrizzjonijiet u d‑diffikultajiet li ġabet magħha l‑pandemija il‑ħidma tad‑Dar baqgħet għaddejja biex tkompli toffri sa fejn hu possibli l‑aħjar ambjent, appoġġ u opportunitajiet lir‑residenti kif inhu dritt tagħhom. Għaldaqstant inħarsu ’l quddiem għal aktar ħidma fis‑sena 2021.
Fr Martin Micallef
Direttur
Ms Elvia George
Segretarja tal-Bord tad-Dar tal-Providenza
The Director of Dar tal‑Providenza, Fr Martin Micallef, describes 2020 as a particular year for everyone no less for the Siġġiewi Home. The COVID‑19 pandemic has brought the world to its knees and created unnecessary suffering in people from various sectors of society including persons with disability. From the early days of March, Dar tal‑Providenza had to face challenges in implementing a contingency plan in order to safeguard the health and safety of its residents, employees and volunteers. This basically meant that the Home had to fork out additional expenses to the tune of more than €150,000 to implement those measures introduced by the Health Authorities and the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA).
One of the first difficult measures that had to be adopted was that residents could no longer meet their relatives and friends. In order to mitigate this, smart phones were provided in every flat and residential home so that residents could stay in contact, at least virtually, with families and friends. Eventually, residents, relatives and friends were able to see each other from behind a perspex. The Home organised more activities than usual in order to make up for those activities that residents used to enjoy having in the community.
Fr Martin said that despite the pandemic, God’s Providence has not failed us. We had a record sum raised during the ‘Festa ta’ Ġenerożità’ on new year’s day. Although a lot of fund‑raising initiatives like the Volleyball Marathon had to be shelved and during the first months of the pandemic finances took a nosedive, from July onwards donations started pouring in again. Thanks also to a number of wills donated to the Home by benefactors who passed away as well as a million euro donation from government we could satisfactorily close our financial year.
Despite the financial limitations we had during this year under review we still went ahead with certain projects some of which were: · Completion of works on the fifth home in Balluta; · A full refurbishment including installation of a new lift in Dar Żerniq; · Maintenance work wherever needed; · Installation of new kitchen in Dar Pirotta in Birkirkara; · Investment in human resources especially in professionists; · Completion of a new infrastructure in IT with MITA support; · New tarmac laid near Villa Papa Luciani.
A new Collective Agreement for all employees was concluded and signed for the 3‑year period 2020 to 2023.
This year, the Home lost the invaluable service provided by the Sisters of Charity. The Congregation felt that due to the nuns’ age factor it was time to end their stay at Dar tal‑Providenza. We also lost around 11 residents that unfortunately died with different conditions as well as another two volunteers amongst them Fr Lino Cardona SJ who had been providing pastoral services since the early years of the founding of the Home.
Fr Martin concluded his introductory remarks by thanking the members of the Board and Management because despite his being indisposed for a few months due to health reasons, the Home moved ahead for the benefit of the residents. Special thanks also go to the workers that faced the challenge of safeguarding the health and safety of the residents and their own colleagues. It was therefore very appropriate that the Home’s Board this year unanimously agreed to recognise this and award the Premju Mons. Mikiel Azzopardi to all the workers. Another thank you goes to all the volunteers and benefactors.
Fr Martin declared that the Home remains committed to make true the dream started by Dun Mikiel Azzopardi fifty‑five years ago.
Residences and users of residental services
The main residence situated in the limits of Siġġiewi is made up of three villas that between them contain nine flats. The Home also has four small homes in the community: ‘Żerniq’ in Siġġiewi, ‘Akkwarell’ in Qawra, ‘Dar Pirotta’ in Birkirkara and ‘Shalom’ in Żurrieq. By the end of 2020, the homes of Dar tal‑ Providenza hosted 110 residents, 89 of them at the principal Siġġiewi residence and 21 in the community homes (5 in Shalom, 4 in Żerniq, 3 in Akkwarell and 9 in Dar Pirotta).
This is a detailed and informative breakdown of the residences and disabilities of residents:
Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza, Triq Lapsi, Siġġiewi
Villa Monsinjur Gonzi (Opened on 11th February 1968). Persons with intellectual disabilities in: • San Ġużepp • Jasmine • San Nikola
Villa Papa Giovanni (Opened on 19th March 1974). Persons with intellectual disabilities in: • Anġlu Kustodju • Livia • Sant’Antnin • Warda
Villa Papa Luciani (Opened on 8th September 1987). Persons with intellectual disabilities in: • San Ġorġ Preca • San Martin Homes in the Community
‘Żerniq’ – in Siġġiewi (Opened on February 11th, 1997): for Persons with intellectual disabilities; ‘Akkwarell’ – in Qawra (Opened on 21st November 2012 ): for Persons with physical disabilities; ‘Dar Pirotta’ – in Birkirkara (Opened by the Archdiocese of Malta in 2007 and from January 1st, 2014 handed over to Dar tal‑Providenza): Persons with intellectual disabilities; ‘Shalom’ – in Żurrieq (Opened on April 8th, 2016): Persons with intellectual disabilities:
The COVID‑19 pandemic
The COVID‑19 pandemic literally sequestered the whole year under review. In Malta, the first cases were reported on March 7th, 2020 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) only 4 days later.
Discussions by the Board of Directors of the Home started on March 3rd and a week later a contingency plan was drawn up and sent to the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA) for its consideration and was implemented immediately.
Amongst the most difficult decisions that had to be taken was the one that did not allow relatives and friends to visit or take out residents. To mitigate this, in May a perspex door was set up in the parking lot where family and friends could see their loved ones by appointment. To lessen further the effect caused by very limited contact between residents and their relatives or friends, Dar tal‑Providenza invested in smartphones for every home in the community and every flat in the Siġġiewi residences so that residents could maintain contact during the pandemic.These measures, taken to safeguard the residents’ wellbeing, meant an investment of more than €150,000.
A substantial investment was made in Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for the workers in continuous contact with residents, as well as masks, thermometers and disinfectants. During this year there was an increased frequency in the cleaning and disinfection of areas more regularly used by the residents and staff.
Another substantial investment was made in surgical masks. The Home’s seamstresses started sewing three‑layered cloth masks for use by staff. These could be reused after washing and all employees were each given four of these. We received various amounts of mask donations from Government Agencies and other entities. We even had masks ordered with the Dar tal‑ Providenza logo.
In order to avoid use of public transport by workers who did not have their own vehicle, the Home provided safe transport for them This was made possible by using the Home’s full‑time drivers as well as leasing private transport paid for by the Home. The Home’s nurses were trained to be able to take swab tests and this resulted in regularly scheduled swab tests for residents and staff.
