TOM: How long have you been leading Inspire’s Gozo centre in Għajnsielem?
AC: I have been Gozo services manager with Inspire Foundation since September 2013. Throughout my career, I worked in the business sector abroad and once I moved to Malta, I decided it would be great to mesh my penchant for business with the knowledge I acquired from my studies in psychology. Working in the social care sector, helping to improve the lives of others, was always a goal of mine. The job ticked all the boxes for me. In fact, it is a very rewarding experience to be able to use my skill set to enhance the lives of children with special needs.
TOM: What does your job entail?
AC: There aren’t any typical days for me because I wear so many hats within my own department. But basically, my priority is to ensure that the clients receive a quality service and that staff members have the tools to be able to deliver this service.
I oversee the maintenance and cleaning of the premises to ensure that we have a safe and healthy environment for both staff and clients alike. A lot can go wrong in trying to achieve a consistent service when a staff member is unwell, particularly during this pandemic. So as you can imagine, there is a lot of planning and problem-solving to do.
On-boarding volunteers to assist us in every facet of our business in Gozo, from supporting our tutors, assisting in fundraising efforts and working at our charity shop in Victoria, all fall under my umbrella as well.
In 2021, I headed the development and implementation of a new CRM system for all disability programmes across the organisation. I continue to train and support the staff in this process today. Through the new processes, we have ushered in a more efficient way of working and extracting reports. The reduction of administrative inefficiencies enables staff to further focus on the clients, where it matters most.
TOM: What are the greatest challenges you meet on a daily basis?
AC: The greatest challenges I meet on a daily basis are the juggling of different roles to ensure that in Gozo, our clients continue to receive an excellent service. The number of staff members, outsourced personnel and volunteers makes it logistically challenging at times. And because of the physical distance between our premises in Gozo and in Malta, there are some circumstances, particularly in emergency situations, when you must make quick decisions and act upon them.
TOM: What do you consider your greatest wins on the job?
AC: The greatest wins on the job are seen in our clients’ progress from when they first enter our premises as STEP IEI clients to when they complete the STEP Forward programme. The changes in some of our clients is awe-inspiring. Some children start the programme very upset and you see that gradually they become accustomed to the tutor and the structured programme. Parents tell us how their children look forward to their sessions at Inspire. Sometimes there are slow and gradual improvements, sometime you see regressions and sometimes it’s almost like a magical transformation. You can imagine how delightful it is to hear a “hello” from a child who was once non-verbal. It’s just simply amazing to me.
TOM: What inspires you and motivates you to make a difference in the lives of your clients and their families?
AC: At heart, I am a people person and connecting and helping others gives me great satisfaction. It is not only the child that we are helping directly through our intervention. Parents of young children who may have just been diagnosed find it very difficult to accept their child’s condition. Parents require our support to understand the diagnosis and how they can work with their child’s condition. I think that everyone deserves to live their best life and at Inspire, we provide the parents, their children and even their LSEs with the tools to enhance the lives and experiences of the children that attend our programmes.
There is always room for awareness and change to promote better inclusion of persons with special needs
TOM: Do you feel there is enough awareness about Inspire’s work in Gozo?
AC: In the eight years I have been with Inspire, I have seen an increased awareness about our foundation and what we do in Gozo. A lot of it happens by word of mouth. Working with school professionals, different families, fundraising efforts and the recent autism seminar held in Gozo have helped to bring more awareness about autism and about our presence and the work we do on the island.
I think the public may need a better understanding of what autism is, and that there needs to be a shift to an attitude that promotes a more understanding and supportive community. There is always room for awareness and change to promote better inclusion of persons with special needs. I think, as a community, we are getting there but, of course, there is always work to be done.
TOM: Where do you see Inspire Gozo going in the next five years?
AC: In the next five years, I see Inspire Gozo expanding its services to meet the demands of the special needs community in the autism sector. There are some gaps in therapeutic intervention on the island that I am confident we can help fill with the right financial support.
TOM: How can the public help Inspire?
AC: Inspire has been working with persons with special needs in Gozo since 1997 and we haven’t stopped, thanks to the support of the government, private donors and volunteers. Programmes such as the STEP IEI and STEP
Forward programmes are available through government referral for children between three to six years of age.
Other privately paid services from therapeutic specialists and tutors are also available for those who may not fall in that age group or qualify for the government programmes.
For those who are not directly affected by autism in their family but who may be looking for a good cause to support, donations to the foundation will make an impact in the life of our clients and community. Donations help to support the expansion of services. And for all those who would like to help, we are always happy to welcome volunteers with us.
The adage “it takes a village to raise a child” has never been truer.