Reflecting on the challenges and successes of 2024, James Sciriha runs through CareMalta’s key achievements, including the completion of Dar San Ġużepp in Gozo, Dar Sant’Anna in Senglea and the Group’s ambitious digitalisation project. Dar San Ġużepp was completed within the planned timeframes and CareMalta is very proud of the final product.
“We can finally say this project was completed and is now ready to welcome the first service users who will benefit from this gem in the south of Malta,” James says with a smile. Now the focus is on the Group’s next challenging phase – the digitalisation process. “We are currently in the implementation phase and everything is proceeding well. This project will completely change the way we operate, document, assess and supervise our homes,” he explains. “And just like any other change, resistance is the biggest challenge. I can safely say we have overcome this resistance and as a result we are proceeding and catching up pretty quickly with our plans.”
In fact, this digitalisation process has already started in four homes – Casa Apap Bologna, Casa Arkati, Santa Rosa and Dar San Ġużepp – with the remaining homes eagerly waiting for this process to start. The shared leadership approach promoted by CareMalta Group has empowered staff to take ownership, collaborate on decision-making and contribute towards the company’s goals. “At CareMalta we have created two completely autonomous committees – the Social Activities Committee is responsible for the planning of the activities calendar, as well as the organisation and implementation of all the activities, from start to finish. Same as the Resident Safety Committee, which has the autonomy to propose changes to our homes’ operations to improve safety.”
For the first time, each manager has been asked to make a presentation of which changes and/or improvements they would like to see for 2025. Each manager meets their own team at facility level, so most of these suggestions come through employees. CareMalta also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Malta focusing on person-centred safety. “We firmly believe that together we can come up with new ways of doing things to improve the safety of our service users. This collaboration has been ongoing for a number of years, and CareMalta has been investing in this area for the past four years now, by sponsoring employees to study about this specific area,” James states.
“This MOU is a clear statement of what we believe in: the safety of our service users together with the development of our employees.” In the coming years, CareMalta is focused on consolidating its services and operations. “From an operational point of view, we are always on the lookout to improve our operations and introduce new models of care in all our facilities. To this effect, we are currently looking into a new model of care, which has been tested and proven overseas,” James explains. From a business point of view, the aim is to tap new areas in the social sphere. CareMalta also wants to increase its services in Gozo and offer more community care across the Maltese Islands. “Balancing the needs of delivering high-quality care with the evolving expectations of residents and their families requires a multifaceted approach that addresses various aspects, from the medical to the social aspect… Our mission is to leave a positive impact on all our service users, past, present and future.”
Creating a structured system is the first important step towards achieving a balance. Another important aspect is having an open and transparent communication with service users and their families. Regular assessments and continuous updating are critical. “We are presently undergoing the digitalisation process and this gives us huge insights into what is happening and what is going on,” he adds. Feedback is another critical aspect in creating this balance, James adds. Surveys are carried out yearly with both the service users and their relatives. A feedback form, which can be filled in at any point in time during the year, was also rolled out this year. James believes that staff training and development are also critical: “In the end, our focus should be on the holistic wellbeing of our service users. Our objective is to improve their quality of life, by keeping a person-centred approach and dignity at all times.