S.L. 595.18 ст. 4Functions and duties of the Agency.

The Agency shall have the following functions and duties:

(a) to actively promote the needs of people with disability through the principles of normalisation, social integration, empowerment and social role valorisation;

(b) to actively support, through direct intervention (accommodation, recreation, guidance and education), people with disability in a community;

(c) to enhance the quality of life of persons with disability through innovative personalised support, expertise, and advocacy;

(d) to work with persons with disability and their families to secure the means, opportunities and services whereby they can execute their right to fully participate in community life;

(e) to manage the services related to persons with disability;

(f) to ensure that the services are run, managed and provided in terms of the existing and approved standards from time to time;

(g) to monitor and administer pensions of clients living in residential homes;

(h) to monitor service agreements concluded through the Ministry responsible for matters relating to persons disability;

(i) to engage the service users in meaningful activities that enhance their ability for independent living;

(j) to actively involve the service users within the community;

(k) to act as support for the service users and parents / guardians;

(l) to enhance service users quality of life through further training and development independent living training;

(m) to encourage service users to explore and work towards employability;

(n) to provide core skilled programmes such as basic skills towards independent living supported by other skills that augment quality of life;

(o) to develop programmes to engage service users in as many activities as possible within the community. Activities are to be both occupational and leisurely in nature;

(p) to carry out programmes of physical and psychological well-being and activities that improve their educational, social communications, cultural, leisure, and employability skills;

(q) to participate in disability-related projects and to explore initiatives which can be used as outwork, sheltered and supported employment;

(r) to ensure that programmes are undertaken on levels according to the service users’ individual abilities and needs;

(s) to enhance and maintain skills and foster socialisation within different peer groups;

(t) to provide space and structure for service users; and to develop and improve upon their social skills in terms of adapting to various social situations;

(u) to support, teach and motivate such persons with disability within their homes and the community utilising a holistic approach targeting as many skills as possible;

(v) to give all available support and consultancy to the family as a whole in a bid to ensure that the person with disability has the optimum quality of life possible;

(w) to ensure that persons with disability who are service users are given a voice through support and empowerment;

(x) to ensure that persons with disability are given the opportunity to fully reach their potential, whatever their ability, whilst making them aware that they have the right to make choices that effect their life;

(y) by adopting a holistic approach, to empower persons with disability and their families and care-givers through personal assistance, socialisation and intervention to improve their quality of life, and thus promote their right to learn, choose and develop their skills - elements which are often taken for granted by persons without disabilities;

(z) to increase social awareness by integrating persons with disabilities - whether intellectual, physical or both - within the community and introducing them to everyday situations;

(aa) to provide community services both in Malta and Gozo and to target a variety of needs as experienced by the individual with disability and, or their family/care-givers. The intervention strategies or personal assistance needs shall be reviewed according to necessity to determine whether the identified outcomes are being achieved;

(bb) to provide direct personalised support to help persons with disability with activities of daily living within their home, workplace or in the community, where and when needed;

(cc) to provide an opportunity for persons with disability to continue developing their skills or receive training to learn new skills within the community environment so as to focus on daily living skills, communication and social interaction to prepare persons with disabilities for school, work, day centres, or general socialisation within the community;

(dd) to ensure the highest standards in care and social work exercised; and

(ee) to keep under review the workings of this Order, and where deemed required, at the request of the Minister or otherwise, submit proposals for the Order’s review.