With reference to the article ‘New regulations on homes for elderly come into force’ (August 23), the Social Care Standards Authority would like to correct some inaccuracies.

The SCSA is a regulatory body corporate with a distinct legal personality set up by Act No. XV of 2018. Article 1 (2) of the said law establishes that the minister responsible for social welfare may set different dates and transitory agreements to be effective in respective of different provisions and purposes.

Legal Notice 167 of 2018, published in The Malta Government Gazette on May 25, 2018, set into force articles 1 to 13 and article 30 of the said law. On August 21, 2018, Legal Notice 285 of 2018 was published in The Malta Government Gazette setting in force articles 14 to 19 and 21 to 29. This leaves articles 20, 31 and 32 not yet in force.

The latter two articles, dealing specifically with homes for older people, are not yet in force as the transition period between the SCSA and the Health Care Standards Directorate within the Department for Health Regulations is still running, however, forecast to lapse by the end of this year.

It is also to be highlighted that the SCSA is the regulatory body for all the different areas of social welfare as defined in article 2 of the law and not only with regard to the elderly.

Through its operations, the SCSA seeks to positively shape social welfare practices and the qualitative development of service in the sector. It is committed to monitor, review and enforce all operations involving the provision of social welfare services provided by agencies, public or private entities or any other entity or person, in a fair and equal manner as stated in the law itself.