Research is key to improving social knowledge and the Foundation for Social Welfare Services uses this important tool to develop further services

The Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) is an institution in its own right. It is an equal-opportunity social welfare provider and an equal-opportunity employer, employing over 900 people from a wide range of humanities professions and a back-office adminis­trative staff that forms the backbone of the foundation.

One of the departments of the foundation is the International Relations, Service Audits, Quality Assurance and Research (IRSAQAR) with the mission to coordinate, implement and manage FSWS policies in international relations. It also promotes the FSWS interests and values while serving as a catalyst to create a better working environment for the foundation in the international context.

The IRSAQAR vision in the foundation is to bring together the different sectors within the FSWS that deal with foreign issues and to enhance the relationship with international organisations that plan, manage and implement social services in the context of social care, social work and social policy. It also serves as a bridge between the various stakeholders for opportunities to expand their role in the international arena.

Numbers are important because behind every number is a human being, a vulnerable person − a woman, a man, a child, an elderly person

IRSAQAR has its goals and objectives, but this article will focus on the key strategic priori­ties of the Research Department. FSWS is committed to maintaining high ethical and professional standards guided by principles, policies and procedures relevant to the research profession. The depart­ment strives to achieve the highest quality in all research projects and to ensure a collaborative process with all relevant stakeholders.

FSWS management, staff and service users are given a voice throughout the research pro­cess. The aim is to produce research outputs that are accessible and user-friendly to the public, that present a true and objective picture and that also recognise and celebrate the positive work that is being done. IRSAQAR is open to feedback that contributes to growth and continuous improvement.

Research is a tool to improve social knowledge, to develop further services; the IRSAQAR Department provides frameworks on how research is conducted within the FSWS and how data is made available to interested individuals in a way that protects service user and staff data.

The Research Office also produces various reports and studies throughout the year to keep FSWS management and service area managers, as well as the FSWS head office and marketing team, informed about the work of the FSWS and the performance of each service. The research team also conducts literature reviews and studies to inform services on various topics of interest. These include the ESPAD study (European School Survey on Alcohol and other Drugs), which is conducted every four years.

For the FSWS, numbers are important and indispensable. The Research Department is the number cruncher in FSWS and strives to analyse all data thoroughly. Numbers are important because behind every number is a human being, a vulnerable person − a woman, a man, a child, an elderly person − they are all human beings. The foundation does not discriminate; it cares for everyone.

In 2019, there were a total of 18,688 cases handled at the FSWS. Of these cases, 53 per cent were female and 42 per cent were male, 0.02 per cent were X. Matching gender to numbers gives a meaningful overview of who the service users are.

The 2020 statistics, which have not yet been published, show that the number of cases the agencies within the foundation worked with in 2020 has remained stable, as has the number of women who used its services. Further in-depth analysis into the lived experiences of female service users beyond the numbers is encouraged to further identify their specific service needs.

The Research Department is inviting students with a particular interest in humanities courses, including social work and social policy, to come forward and look deeper into statistics; if not, the Research Department will be missing the wood for the trees. Students need to realise that the foundation cannot improve its services if the statistics are not well kept.

Claudette Abela Baldacchino is director of international relations, service audits, quality assurance and research at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services.

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