Providing high-quality care and support to people with disabilities requires knowledge, willingness and tolerance. It can be challenging but maintaining professionalism and not letting frustration get the better of caregivers is essential. Unfortunately, stories about governance failures in some NGOs partly financed by the government are not uncommon.
In 2021, Julia Farrugia Portelli, at the time minister for inclusion and social well-being, wrote in Times of Malta that Aġenzija Sapport, a government organisation, had signed a €3.7 million agreement with Fondazzjoni Wens as “part of an ongoing social project that is helping to change further what used to be a mere ‘bed count’ into a veracity of real, independent lives of real persons in an increasingly caring society”.
The Social Care Standards Authority now confirms that Fondazzjoni Wens is no longer coordinating the operations of the homes Dar il-Wens, Dar Abilità, and Dar Merħba. The administration of these care homes for persons with physical and mental disabilities has now been taken over by Care Malta, a private care home management company.
There is no shortage of public sector agencies and oversight authorities in the governance structures of NGOs.
The Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA) expressed concern about the shocking living conditions at the care homes run by Fondazzjoni Wens that they euphemistically described as “not up to standard”.
The Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations (OCVO) reacted to an article in Times of Malta about the poor conditions in the care homes by confirming that he had engaged with the superintendent of public health, Identity Malta, Jobsplus and the police as it sought to “establish the facts” concerning the foundations.
The parents of disabled people have every justification to feel “deeply shocked” and outraged by the living conditions of these homes. So should the public who partly finances the running of these homes.
The Fondazzjoni Wens website states: “The mission of Fondazzjoni Wens is committed to enhancing the quality of life of persons with disability who make us of its residential and respite services”.
There are disputed claims about the veracity of allegations of nepotism, abuse and neglect in the running of these homes. These allegations must be investigated. Stakeholders in the social care sector rightly expect explanations from the SCSA and the OCVO as to why the mismanagement of these homes was not identified much earlier.
They are also asking why the due diligence conducted before public money was used to support the foundation did not identify the risks of entrusting these homes to an NGO that may lacked the right governance structures.
The National Parents’ Society for Persons with Disabilities made reasonable demands to rectify this shocking reality. They want the SCSA to “provide full
disclosure regarding the inspection findings and the specific failures that led to the intervention”. They also expect “rigorous oversight of all residential homes for people with disabilities, with unannounced inspections and clear accountability measures”.
Sweeping dirt under the carpet will only perpetuate the public sector’s endemic governance and oversight failures.
Learning from past failures is a crucial experience that should lead to recognising the importance of the government’s duty of care in community services. Care home residents and their families have every right to demand that the authorities restore the safety, dignity and quality of life of persons who live in care homes.
The licensing and accreditation of care homes must be revamped.
The relevant authorities must ensure that the people running these homes have the integrity, professional experience, and human and financial resources necessary to care for people with disabilities with full respect for their dignity.