RMHC Malta

RMHC Conference

Family and person-centred services for children and young people with disability

The conference will explore the impact family units have on the person-centred approach in care for children, adolescents and young people with disability. Academics, practitioners and families will share their experiences and insights of the holistic family-centred approach. The event will bring together professionals from the education, health, social and community sectors to represent the reality of service-user involvement in implementing family-centred care services within Malta’s disability sector.

Date
April 28, 2023

Location
Xara Lodge,
Sqaq Tac-Cawla,
Triq It-Tigrija,
Ir-Rabat
RBT 5320

Time
09:00 – 13:00 (Registration opens at 08:00)

Ronald McDonald House Charities Malta in collaboration with the University of Malta’s Department of Disability Studies and Aġenzija Sapport

Attendees are to note that photos and videos may be taken at the event and used for promotional and archival purposes. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let us know at [email protected] or speak to the event organizers. You can refer to our privacy policy at www.rmhc-malta.com for more information.  

Agenda

April 28, 2023
08:00
Registration / Welcome Coffee
09:00

Welcome addresses

Mr. Martin Xuereb, Chairman, RMHC Malta

Hon. David Agius MP, Deputy Speaker, Shadow Minister for Social Development

Ms. Nancy Caruana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights


Opening Address

Dr. Maria Victoria Gauci, Head – Department of Disability Studies, University of Malta

“Family and person-centred services for children and young people with disability”
09:30

Keynote Speaker

Ms. Elvira Psaila, Day Service Manager, Aġenzija Sapport

“It’s all about me: keeping the child and the family at the centre of service provision”
10:00

Panel 1 Discussion and Q&A

“Implementing inclusive services: Challenges and opportunities”

Ms. Georgette Bajada, Head of Department in Inclusive Education, Secretariat for Catholic Education in Malta

Dr. Nathalie Buhagiar, Lecturer, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta

Ms. Valentina Caruana, Leader Children’s Social Work Services, Aġenzija Sapport

Mr. Tonio Axisa, Executive Director, RMHC Malta

Moderator: Ms. Solange Bonello

11:00
Coffee Break
11:30

Panel 2 Discussion and Q&A

“Lived experiences: A holistic family-centred approach”

Ms. Marija Laura Mifsud, Parent

Mr. Essien Mifsud, Adolescent

Mr. Neville Cassar Bonavia, Parent

Ms. Nicole Marie Park, Sibling
12:30
Q&A Session
12:45

Close

Closing addresses

Mr. Oliver Scicluna, Chief Executive Officer, Aġenzija Sapport

Mr. Martin Xuereb, Chairman, RMHC Malta

Keynote Speaker

Elvira Psaila graduated as a Physiotherapist in 2008 and has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings within the Public Health Service. From 2011 to 2020, she practiced as a Physiotherapist at the Child Development and Assessment Unit (C.D.A.U.). In 2020, Elvira moved to Aġenzija Sapport, where she began working as a Physiotherapist. Her dedication and hard work quickly led her to take on the role of Services Manager at Aġenzija Sapport, where she is responsible for running the Day Services. In 2015, Elvira completed a Master of Arts in Disability Studies, focusing on the experience of disability as lived by a young, physically-impaired child. She has also published work in international, peer-reviewed journals within the disability studies arena. Elvira is currently pursuing a Ph.D. and focusing her research on the role of active agency and voice in the lives of disabled children.

Panel 1

Georgette Bajada is a Head of Department in Inclusive Education within the Secretariat for Catholic Education in Malta. She is also a visiting assistant lecturer in the Inclusion and Access to Learning Department of the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta. Georgette graduated with a Masters Degree in Disability Studies and is currently reading for a Ph.D. within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing at the University of Malta. Her research subject is based on a Foucauldian geneology of disability in Malta.
Dr Nathalie Buhagiar is a pioneering Occupational Therapist who qualified in 1989. She set up the main Paediatric Occupational Therapy service in Malta in 1991 and obtained a Masters Degree in Paediatric Occupational Therapy from the University of East London. Nathalie has worked in the Child Development Centre in Halifax, West Yorkshire, with Calderdale Trust. In 2001, she was awarded a scholarship by the University of Southern California to attend a specialised intensive training course in Sensory Integration and was the first Occupational Therapist to practice and promote Sensory Integration Therapy in Malta. In 2008, Nathalie received the Allied Health Professions Award for Excellence in Healthcare. After working in the health sector for 20 years, Nathalie took up a post in educational leadership as Coordinator for Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, she embedded her Occupational Therapy skills in the context of the school and provided supervision to local and foreign Occupational Therapy students on practice placements in the school. In April 2013, Nathalie was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, USA. Her project was titled “Occupational Therapy, special needs and inclusion: serving children in home, school and community.” Nathalie became a full-time resident academic member of staff within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Malta in September 2015, following 25 years of service as a visiting lecturer/senior lecturer. In 2022, she obtained a PhD in Occupational Science from University College Cork, Ireland, involving conceptualizing a collaborative model of school-based occupational therapy for Malta. Nathalie continues to support educators in the school system through university community partnerships, professional development, collaboration, and consultation.
Valentina Caruana has been a Social Worker for almost nine years, starting in Child Protection Services with the Foundation for Social Welfare Services where she practiced for four years. She then spent almost two years as Coordinator within the team of Court Services, where she executed Court Orders and facilitated Supervised Access visits between parents and their children. For the past four years, Valentina has been working in the disability sector with Aġenzija Sapport, where she is both a practicing Social Worker and Leader of the Children’s Social Work Team for the past two years. Through her experience in the social field, Valentina has grown both professionally and personally, learning about the hardships people face and the importance of working empathically and from the heart. As a Senior Social Worker within the disability sector, she is committed to continuing her journey by directly helping service users, guiding her team, and advocating for those who need it.
Tonio Axisa is the Executive Director of RMHC Malta. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Youth and Community Development from De Montfort University in the UK and holds a Diploma in Youth Studies from the University of Malta. Tonio is currently reading for a Ph.D. with a focus on Disability, Employment and Retention at De Montfort University, UK. He joined RMHC Malta in 2019, prior to the official opening of the 380sqm RMHC Learning Centre in Qawra, which provides a tailor-made programme to support young people with disabilities. Before joining RMHC Malta in 2019, Tonio managed a three-year pre-employment program for young job seekers with intellectual disabilities to enter the open labor market. He also formed part of the Equal Opportunities Compliance Unit within the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD).
Solange Bonello is a manager at the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) and leads the Research & UNCRPD Unit. She holds a first-class degree in Youth & Community studies and a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Malta. Currently, she is pursuing a doctoral degree and researching how news is conveyed to pregnant women when an impairment is detected. Solange has been an advocate for disability and gender equality for over a decade, with a keen interest in the rights of women and girls with disabilities, influenced by her own experience as a visually impaired woman.

Panel 2

Marija Laura is a wife and mother of three. Her eldest, Essien, who is just under 18 years of age, is a child with Down syndrome. Marija is a Learning Support Assistant by profession, with over 21 years’ experience working in the disability field. She has also worked as a support worker with people with disabilities. Marija is actively involved in the Malta Girl Guides, the Down Syndrome Association and her local parish community. She has also spent the last two years volunteering with the Down Syndrome Association.

 

Essien is an active young man who enjoys spending time with friends. He has been involved in scouting since the age of five, and he trains in swimming and waterpolo with the Special Olympics Malta. Additionally, Essien is dedicated to his fitness routine, attending the gym regularly. He also participates in a music group at Villa Bianca. Essien is a member of the Friendship Circle youth group within the Down Syndrome Association and attends weekly meetings. He also forms part of a youth group with Aġenzija Żgħażagħ. In his free time, Essien loves to watch his favourite football team and to spend time with his girlfriend Giulia.

Neville Cassar and his wife Olga are parents to two sons, aged seven and four, respectively. Their elder son, Alex, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of two and a half. As first-time parents, they initially overlooked symptoms of developmental delays in speech and sensitivity to stimuli. With the help of expert examination, they gained a deeper understanding of Alex’s differences and the support he needed to thrive. Alex’s communication and coping abilities have improved as a result of early intervention and exposure to public and private service providers. Neville believes that sharing experiences and opinions among parents and service providers could improve the options available to families facing similar situations.

26-year-old Nicole Marie is Assistant Manager of Communications at the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), where she has worked for over two years. Matthew James, her 25-year-old brother, was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder at a young age. Despite his weak social skills and tendency to become engaged in repetitive and obsessive behaviour, Matthew is a lovely, intelligent and curious young man. Although their relationship is unconventional, he is aware of his surroundings and people who care for him. Nicole regards her brother as a good teacher, having acquired key life values such as patience, acceptance, unconditional love and the fulfillment that comes with leading a simple life.

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