The FSWS Gozo Branch Operations

Fabienne Grech Manager at FSWS Gozo Operations Directorate

Gozo “the place where time stands still”! This phrase is often used to describe Gozo because of its relaxed pace of life and the sense of tranquility that visitors experience. The island still maintains its charm and character, however the everyday reality of the island and for its inhabitants can differ.

It is not entirely free from the hustle and bustle of modern life. In the past decade, Gozo had experienced a change in demography. According to the National Statistics Office, between 2011 and 2021, the population of Gozo increased by 7,912 individuals, of whom 6,305 are non-Maltese.

This increase in population has reflected upon the demand for the FSWS Gozo Services. In fact, the percentage of cases worked with nonMaltese residents in Gozo surpassed that of Malta in 2021, with Malta having a case-load of 15% non-Maltese and Gozo having 27%.

This year marks a significant milestone for the Gozo Directorate as it commemorates its fifth anniversary since its establishment in Gozo. Its main goal is to improve the quality of life of the Gozitan community through various initiatives and programs that provide essential services and support to the residents of Gozo.

The Directorate is committed in bridging the gap in social welfare services between Malta and Gozo while maintaining high ethical and professional standards. It works in tandem with the established FSWS services on the sister island to provide the best support possible.

As the Directorate celebrates this milestone, it acknowledges its progress and achievements made over the past five years. Despite the progress, there is still more work to be done, and the Directorate is committed to its efforts to improve the lives of the residents - a mix of Gozitans who have lived all their life in Gozo, Maltese people who, for various reasons, moved over to Gozo as well as foreigners who settled on the island - and make Gozo a better place to live, work, and visit.

Currently, the Directorate provides 14 different services which are:

 Homelessness

 Domestic Violence

 Home Start Gozo

 Generic Social Work Services

 Fostering

 Looked After Children (LAC)

 Supervised Access Visits Services (SAVs)

 Court Services

 Gozo General Hospital – Generic/ Psychiatric Social Work

 Marsalforn Community Service

 Psychological Services Gozo

 Sedqa Preventive Programs

 Food Distribution – SFFD, FEAD

 Emergency On-Call - 179 (After Office Hours/ Weekends/ Public Holidays)

As the COVID-19 pandemic receded, the world faced new challenges, particularly with the global financial crisis. One of the unfortunate consequences of the pandemic was the rise in homelessness cases, which has become a major concern for the Gozo Directorate.

To address this issue, the Directorate has been working tirelessly to strengthen the social infrastructure on the island. This infrastructure is essential to support vulnerable individuals and families in need.

In 2020, the Directorate acquired a block of shell-form apartments, which due to the financial crisis caused some difficulty for the Directorate to accomplish this capital project according to the scheduled time-frame. Despite these obstacles, the Gozo Directorate remains determined to bring this capital project to completion without any compromise in quality.

The FSWS Gozo Directorate is determined to continue its collaboration with other organisations, stakeholders and the community to address the root causes of social issues and provide high-quality support and services to those in need. Furthermore, the Directorate firmly believes that living on the small island of Gozo should never be considered a liability as we establish locally supported services directly in Gozo.