The closing off of educational institutions until the next scholastic year has also meant a suspension of educational and therapeutic services offered by Inspire Foundation to persons with developmental disorders and those with physical and intellectual disabilities.
“The foundation needed to act fast to establish how we could continue to provide a service that would ensure continuity of care, prevent regression and still remain connected to our service users remotely. As a result, our team of dedicated tutors and therapists shifted to provide this alternative form of intervention which has been extremely well received,” Paula Doumanov, chief services officer said, referring to online support.
The services offered at Inspire Foundation are personalised according to the abilities of each service user and this continues to be the case online.
Tutors and therapists are preparing personalised work programmes that are sent out on a weekly basis. These programmes, which reflect the services usually offered in the best way possible, comprise educational, therapeutic and physical activities, using resources easily found at home.
Our mission is to walk alongside these families
Staff members are available to answer any questions and advise relatives on these home programmes as well as any other concerns or fears they might have.
In order for Inspire to ensure the success of this intervention, it was essential to identify the most convenient and meaningful means of communication for all concerned and to provide ideal time slots to parents/ guardians for consultation and guidance by tutors, therapists and programme leaders.
Furthermore, parent support is being provided online. These include therapeutic conversations that support parents/ guardians to reflect, discuss and decide on a way forward that will help the family handle the uncertainty and isolation experienced during this time and/or other issues family members might be facing.
The foundation has also set up a public online page, where it provides resources that can be useful for parents/guardians of disabled people in the current circumstances.
“Our families are experiencing different challenges during this time. These are various, such as trying to settle their children in a new routine; finding different ways to motivate their children, do work they usually do at Inspire/ school; sensory difficulties that may have come about in the middle of COVID-19, while at the same time handling personal challenges that we all face in this life,” Charlene Borg, parent relations manager, said.
“Our mission is to walk alongside these families, letting them know they are not alone; providing a safe space (although virtually) for shelter, rest and dialogue, so they can keep moving forward in their journey as parents/caregivers of disabled people.”
The foundation’s income channels, such as the fitness centre, charity shops and fundraising streams have inevitably been impacted negatively by the pandemic. If you would like to support the foundation during this sensitive time, log on to www.inspire.org.mt/donate.