Agenzija SAPPORT within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, formerly known as Supported Living Division, was initiated by the Ministry for Social Policy in August 2001 with the purpose of providing community and residential services to persons with a disability, and their families.
Check out our "Dealing with Disability" page here.
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Mission
Agenzija SAPPORT is committed to enhance the quality of life of persons with a disability through innovative personalised support, expertise, and advocacy.
Vision
SAPPORT shall work with persons with a disability and their families to secure the means, opportunities and services whereby they can execute their right to fully participate in community life.
Values
SAPPORT values:
- Equality, choices and opportunities;
- Inclusion of persons with a disability in all aspects of society;
- Holistic, Person Centred Approach rooted in the principles of shared power and self-determination;
- Mutual support and interdependence - giving and receiving based on the understanding that both the person with a disability and society stand to gain through the advancement of persons with a disability as contributing members of society.
History
Foremost among the concerns of parents and carers of persons with a disability, is the uncertainty surrounding the future of their children/siblings once they are no longer there for them.
Back in August 2001, the Supported Living Division was set up within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services of the Ministry for Social Policy with the aim of establishing principles, values and strategies to be adopted in providing services to persons with a disability and their families mainly by addressing this major concern. The Division was assigned with the responsibility to specifically address persons with a disability having severe challenging behaviour, people with a disability at risk of institutionalisation, young people with a disability already living in institutions due to lack of alternative accommodation, and people with a disability in high need.
The main strategy adopted was to provide people having a disability with support rather than care, so that they would be able to achieve independence to the best of their ability, continue living within the community and receive support as and when required.
Therefore when the Division became an Agency in February 2003, it was only natural to call it SAPPORT.
In the words of the Agency's Chief Operations Officer, Marcel Pisani, the first 18 months were very dynamic, exciting and stressful for all concerned.
"Not only did we have to visualise and set up a structure for the Agency, draft service strategies, embark on a recruitment exercise, draft policies and procedures, we also had to implement all that was put on paper into action."
At its best, independent living, a concept which SAPPORT embarked to put into practice, calls for the development of personalised support in the form of personal assistance services, based on need and provided in settings of one's choice.