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Quality of Life & Support Services: From Words to Action

The 2022 International Conference “Quality of Life & Support Services” took place on 13th and 14th October in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta.

The 2022 International Conference “Quality of Life & Support Services” took place on 13th and 14th October in St. Paul’s Bay, Malta. The conference was co-hosted by Agenzija Sapport and Malta’s National Agency.

The theme of the Conference was the quality of services for people with disabilities: such an engaging topic that more than 300 people took part to this event. Quality assessment is a central issue for service providers, given the lack of a mutually agreed definition of quality, as well as of common methodologies and indicators to measure it efficiently. These points are essential for the improvement and further development of service providers, as it is a deeply felt theme all over Europe.

Fifteen workshops and three panels explored quality measurement and quality of services under many points of view: funding, person-centred planning, safeguarding policies, employee’s wellbeing, service quality and more. You can find all the PowerPoint presentations from the workshops here:

Panels

Quality of Life & Support Services: From Words to Action 

  •  Jan Šiška, University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, the USA and Charles University, Faculty of Education, Czechia - PPT

Panel 1: Quality: A fundamental part of support services

  • Maya Doneva, EASPD
  • Elisabeth Lammers, UNAPEI - PPT
  • Petra Rantamaki, KVPS - PPT
  • Nadia Hadad, ENIL
  • Kristin Baldacchino, Agenzija Sapport

Panel 2: Promising models of quality measurement processes from Scotland and Malta - PPT

  • Thomas Bignal, EASPD
  • Leigh-Anne Macdonald, ENABLE Group
  • Denise Fernie, ENABLE Group 
  • Theresa Shearer, CEO, ENABLE Group 
  • Andy Kerr, Former Scottish Minister of Health and Social Care
  • Jean Fred Agius, Agenzija Sapport 
  • Riva Scicluna, Agenzija Sapport
  • Glenda CurmiAgenzija Sapport
  • Cynthia Deguara, Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA)

Panel 3: Moving forward in EU and local level - PPT

  • Karin Astegger, Lebenshilfe, Austria
  • Jyrki Pinomaa, Inclusion Europe, Belgium
  • Dr Alistair De Gaetano, Directorate for Disability Issues
  • Konstantina Leventi, EASPD
Workshops

Workshop 1: Quality of social services in Malta

  • Professor Andrew Azzopardi, University of Malta 
  • Letizia Marmara, Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA), Malta
  • Samantha Pace Gasan, Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability
  • Melanie Magri, Agenzija Sapport - PPT

Workshop 2: The correlation between employee’s wellbeing and service quality - PPT

  • James Churchill, Social Care Training, UK
  • Shereen Hussein, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Marita Galea, People & Standards Division, Malta

Workshop 3: Funding Quality: Identifying promising models

  • Petra Rantamaki, KVPS Finland
  • Mathias Maucher, Social Services Europe - PPT
  • Kurt Asselman, Flemish Ministry of Welfare, Belgium - PPT

Workshop 4: Accessibility: A step forward in the quality of online services

  • Miguel Buitrago, EASPD - PPT
  • Enrique García Cortés, Fundación ONCE , Spain - PPT
  • Antonio Ingelmo, Fundación ONCE, Spain
  • Dr Matthew Zarb, Agenzija Sapport - PPT

Workshop 5: Focus group on the work of the taskforce on the EU Framework for Social Services of Excellence for Persons with Disabilities PPT

  • Maya Doneva, EASPD
  • Konstantina Leventi, EASPD

Workshop 6: UNICEF’s safeguarding policies and procedures to redefine organisations - PPT

  • Lucy Marie Richardson, Child Protection Specialist, Disability Inclusion, UNICEF

Workshop 7: Mentoring as a tool in achieving a change in attitudes in the workplace - PPT

  • James Crowe, EASPD 
  • Michelle Borg, Agenzija Sapport
  • Dr. Litsa Charalambous, LC Educational, Cyprus

Workshop 8: Person-centred planning: What is it and how to get there?

  • Maria Cynthia Debono, Agenzija Sapport
  • Maarit-Alto, M.A. Education & Survey - PPT
  • Ferran Blanco, Support Girona, Spain - PPT
  • Ludmila Malcoci, KeyStone Moldova

Workshop 9: Innovative approaches in quality frameworks for social services

  • Renaud Scheuer, EASPD - PPT
  • Johannes Schädler, University of Siegen/EURECO - PPT
  • Jan Šiška, University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, the USA and Charles University, Faculty of Education, Czechia - PPT
  • Dr AlistairDe Gaetano, Office of Disability Issues, Malta- PPT

Workshop 10: EU funds for quality? Building capacity and identifying needs - PPT

  • Fabiana Scarano, EASPD - PPT
  • Lilith Alink, EASPD
  • Mathias Maucher, Social Services Europe 
  • Javier Guëmes, Fundacion ONCE 

Workshop 11: European Care Certificate: Setting the foundations right

  • Akos Pordan, Hand in Hand Foundation, Hungary - PPT
  • James Churchill, Social Care Training, United Kingdom - PPT
  • Dr. Litsa Charalambous, LC Educational - PPT

Workshop 12: Modernising human resources & organisational management

  • Gertrude  Spiteri, Agenzija Sapport - PPT           
  • Professor Mac MacLachlan, Irish Health Services, Ireland - PPT

Workshop 13: Inclusive socialisation models for persons with disabilities

  • Anna Calleja, Special Olympics, Malta 
  • Vanessa Schembri, Sharing Lives, Agenzija Sapport model - PPT
  • Enrica Chiara Cappadonna, Hi-Ability Project - PPT
  • Anna Grazia Laura, ENAT 

Workshop 14: Self-advocacy in service development and improvement - PPT

  • Rhoda Garland, Director of CRPD, Malta - PPT
  • Marthese Mugliette, Maltese Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities
  • Nadia Hadad, ENIL 
  • Justin Spiteri, Self-advocate, Malta 

Workshop 15: Family-centred methodologies in ECI and their impact on quality  - PPT

  • Agapi Papadaki, Amimoni, Greece
  • Darija Udovičić Mahmuljin, Malin Dom, Croatia - PPT
  • Borislava Cherkezova, Karin Dom, Bulgaria 
  • Mark Fitzgerald, Family member, Malta 
Key documents

Here you can find all the essential documents and taskforce papers concerning the main themes discussed during the conference:

Hi-Ability Piloting Report

Hi-Ability Toolkit

EUROPEA ROADMAP FOR USER-CENTRED FUNDING FOR LONG-TERM CARE AND SUPPORT

Input of the Taskforce on Quality of Services

Lighthouse Network: Training on Digital accessibility & Assistive Technology

The availability, accessibility, and quality of support services for older persons with disabilities in Greece

EURECO Forum 2022: Report - New perspectives on quality and outcome measurement of services for persons with disabilities

GOING ONLINE: SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND BEYOND

Models on innovative practices focusing on supported decision-making mechanisms

The future is now: Person Centred Technology to empower persons and disability services - Conference Report

STUDY ON INNOVATIVE FRAMEWORKS FOR MEASURING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Impact of Social Services on Local Development

Supporting economically inactive persons with disabilities on to the labour market

Training of service providers staff based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities principles

Social Services Workforce Recovery after COVID-19 Pandemic-readiness: Good Practice Examples from Finland, Romania, Spain, Ireland and Germany

Innovation Awards 2022

EASPD’s Innovation Awards aim to highlight the work of our members to deliver innovative support to persons with disabilities. This years’ awards focused on quality measurement, in line with the topic of our conference. Find out the winners of the 2022 Edition here.

Malta Conference Highlights

Get a glimpse of what happened in Malta clicking on the video below and enjoy the best moments of our conference: