FSWS Gozo

Which services are offered in Gozo?

The services offered in Gozo include:
Generic Social Work
Home-Based Therapeutic Services (HBTS)
Home-Start Gozo
Fostering
Looked After Children (LAC)
Emergency On-Call
Social Work Service provided at the Gozo General Hospital
Supervised Access Visits (SAV)

Who are you, and what do you offer?

The Family Community Centre is a unit within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) Gozo Branch Operations. We offer social support within the community of Marsalforn, Gozo.The Family Community Centre is a unit within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) Gozo Branch Operations. We offer social support within the community of Marsalforn, Gozo.

An appointment is always recommended, but the Centre receives unannounced walk-ins anytime between 8.00am and 4.00pm. We do not provide financial help, but we do ask a representative of the Social Benefits Department to come to the centre and assist you with your needs. This may save you plenty of time and travel in going to the Social Services offices in Victoria.

Can you help me find a job or do I have to go to Jobsplus in Victoria?

Every Monday, we receive all the jobs vacancies in Gozo, which we display on the noticeboard outside our premises. If you are interested in more information, you can contact us on 21563925/6, and we will fix a one-to-one meeting for you, at our Centre, with a representative from Jobsplus.

I am not Gozitan. Would this be a problem should I wish to call at the Centre?

We fully understand that some people may be a bit wary of approaching us and asking for help. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, colour, language, religion, political belief, nationality, or social origin. So there is absolutely no reason why you should hesitate to call us or pay a visit, on weekdays between 8:00am and 4:00pm.

I am always misunderstood, and if I seek help, I am advised to speak to a psychiatrist when all I want is to chat or be introduced to other people. How can you help?

Here are various ways to tackle this. As a starter, we would need some information about you to open a file (for statistics purposes). However, we are bound by confidentiality, and anything about you is only discussed with other professionals with your consent. While we chat, our social worker assesses the situation and discusses various options and services with you from which you may stand to benefit. If you think you may benefit from counselling service, then we can refer you to the Home-Based Therapeutic Services (HBTS). Our counsellors offer their services at the Centre by appointment. If all you want is to meet people or share an activity, then we can further explore your involvement within the Marsalforn Community. Sometimes new things happen without a reason or plan, so come and visit us, and together we will find a way.

How do I know when there is a new activity, a course, or an important notification that might interest me?

Whenever we know of something interesting, such as a course in Basic English, or a Government Notification that may affect you and your family, we put it up on our noticeboard. We also do translations in different languages for non-Maltese speaking nationals.

What are the opening hours, and where can I find you?

The centre is open from Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. It is located at the very end of Barda Street in Marsalforn. You may wish to follow the signs “FSWS Community Family Centre” found in Marsalforn. You may also find the address on Google Maps at the following link:
https://www.google.com.mt/maps/place/FSWS+Community+Family+Centre/@36.0715559,14.2552891,603m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x130fb511b6e881ed:0x4a9c5a0c5d68c8cc!8m2!3d36.0715516!4d14.2574778?hl=en

Who are you, and what do you offer?   

The Family Community Centre is a unit within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) Gozo Branch Operations. We offer social support within the community of Marsalforn, Gozo.

Can you help me find a job or do I have to go to Jobsplus in Victoria?

I am not Gozitan. Would this be a problem should I wish to call at the Centre?   

I am always misunderstood, and if I seek help, I am advised to speak to a psychiatrist when all I want is to chat or be introduced to other people. How can you help?

There are various ways to tackle this. As a starter, we would need some information about you to open a file (for statistics purposes). However, we are bound by confidentiality, and anything about you is only discussed with other professionals with your consent. While we chat, our social worker assesses the situation and discusses various options and services with you from which you may stand to benefit. If you think you may benefit from counselling service, then we can refer you to the Home-Based Therapeutic Services (HBTS). Our counsellors offer their services at the Centre by appointment. If all you want is to meet people or share an activity, then we can further explore your involvement within the Marsalforn Community. Sometimes new things happen without a reason or plan, so come and visit us, and together we will find a way.

How do I know when there is a new activity, a course, or an important notification that might interest me?   

What are the opening hours, and where can I find you?

Who can benefit from your services?

The generic social work service within FSWS provides professional social work services to individuals who are over 18 years of age, as well as to families.

How can you help?

We address various problems, such as homelessness, domestic violence, family problems, financial problems, unemployment, and housing. We also liaise with other professionals to deliver a holistic service.

What is a care plan, and how much say do I have?

Care plans are targets jointly set by the social worker and the service user. A care plan is a tool which social workers use to assess service users’ needs to monitor the situation. They are based on client self-determination, which places the service user at the centre of the care plan.

Are my identity and personal information protected?

The social workers are bound by confidentiality. Whatever is disclosed during the sessions is strictly confidential unless there is a risk to yourself or others. Service users are asked to sign a consent form whereby FSWS is permitted to retain specific data. Social Welfare Services strictly abide by the Data Protection Act in line with GDPR. Personal information is retained as stipulated by the Foundation’s Data Protection and Retention Policy. A service user may terminate service at any time.

Is the service free of charge?

Yes, all of our services are free of charge

Where are you located, and what are the opening hours?

Our offices are located in Triq il-Belliegħa, Victoria, Gozo. We are open from Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 4:00 pm.

Who can benefit from this service?   

This is a service offered to patients receiving care at the Gozo General Hospital and their relatives.