What is the Social Services Agency, and what does it do?

The Social Services Agency is a statutory body created, under the Laws of Gibraltar, to provide social services for the community. It operates within the provisions of the Social Services Agency Act 2002, under the auspices of the Ministry for Family, Youth and Community Affairs. Its Main Office is at 16 Governor’s Parade. 

Available Documents: 

1 -  Leaflet on employment opportunities in the Social Services Agency 
2 -  Application Form for Employment   
3 -  Guidance on Inter-Country Adoption   
4 -  Application Form for Adoption  
5 -  Application Form for Fostering

The Agency provides the following services:

Adult Social Work

This service provides social work support to vulnerable adults, older people, adults with learning disabilities, their families and their carers within the community. The service provides assessments of needs for both service users and their carers, it offers support and advice, and provides other social work support for those in need. It also works in partnership with other agencies and prepares reports on social housing.  

Day Centre Service for the Elderly
 
Four day centres are operated in four different locations throughout Gibraltar. Approximately 100 people use the service. The centres provide social contact for the older persons, and it helps to keep these service users integrated in the community, advising them of their rights and assisting them with problem solving. The centres use their own bus to transport service users to and from the locations to encourage greater attendance. The service is staffed by a Day Centre Co-ordinator and by volunteers. The Co-ordinator is supervised by a social worker from the adult team. 

Day Centre Service for adults with learning disabilities

St Bernadette’s Occupational Therapy Centre is a day centre for adults with learning disabilities. Activities are organised to promote integration and personal development, and to provide stimulation. The Centre is located directly below the Dr Giraldi Home and is open Monday – Friday during school term times from 09.00 am to 4.20 pm.

 Click here for information about Occupational Therapy at St Bernadette's OTC
 
Family Court Welfare Service

This team assist the courts through the preparation of reports and mediation in relation to matrimonial disputes where custody and access to children of separating parents are involved.   
 
Probation Service

Provides a service to the Courts by preparing pre-sentence reports, supervising offenders on parole or on probation in the community and working within HM Prison.

The Probation Service is the ministerial responsibility of the Minister for Justice, and currently runs in conjunction with the Social Services Agency.
 
Community Service

The Community Service Order Scheme provides work placements and supervision to offenders subject to Community Service Orders imposed by the courts. It is run by a Community Service Officer.

The Community Service is the ministerial responsibility of the Minister for Justice, and currently runs in conjunction with the Social Services Agency.
 
The Child in Need Team

The Social Services Agency works to promote the welfare of children generally and in particular those considered being ‘in need’. As far as possible, it enables children to be brought up by their families by providing a range of support services. The Child in Need team deals with all incoming referrals concerning children; they carry out initial assessments in order to gauge the child’s situation. Children and families that need help may be offered advice, counselling, and guidance on parenting amongst other services. The SSA can also seek the assistance of other departments and agencies. Sometimes, protection plans may be made in order to safeguard a child’s wellbeing. The SSA strives to undertake these in partnership with parents or carers, and generally involve other professionals.

Where the SSA has reasonable cause to suspect that a child in its jurisdiction is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm it has a duty to make enquiries. The purpose of such an enquiry is to decide what action, if any, is necessary to safeguard the child’s welfare. An initial assessment and/or core assessment will be conducted, which involves inter agency enquiries regarding the child’s education, health, general welfare and any particular matter which may have acted as a catalyst for the child coming to the attention of the SSA in the first place. If necessary, a child protection conference can be convened to co-ordinate multidisciplinary responses to any perceived needs the child may have. At this point, the decision is made as to whether or not the child’s name should be included on the child protection register and what action if any is necessary.

Most children on the child protection register remain at home with monitoring and support. However, in some cases after conducting in-depth assessments it may be considered unsafe for the child to remain at home. The Social Services will then accommodate the child and bring his circumstances to the attention of the court in a process that is known as ‘Care’ proceedings. Work with the ‘looked after child’ continues, looking at key issues that affect him. Work with the family also continues, in an attempt to improve conditions for the child’s safe return home.

In some cases, where the necessary changes do not occur, longer-term plans will be made for the child. In most cases, the Social Services Agency will encourage contact between looked after children and their families if this is consistent with their welfare. 
 
 
The Child Placement Team

This service seeks to provide a range of placements for children who live or are found locally and require to be accommodated. The team is involved in recruiting, training and assessing prospective adopters and foster carers and in providing them with ongoing support and guidance. The team also carries out the functions of a local “Adoption Agency” and co-ordinates Inter-country Adoptions.

Dr Giraldi Service

Dr Giraldi is an established residential care home service providing services to adults with a learning disability. The service currently offers two residential care homes, one for seven people and one for six people. The home also provides a flat and 24-hour support to an individual who lives on his own, a respite service and a sitting-service. Two further adult service-users live in a flat in the community and are supported by carers at home.
 
 
Looked after Children

There are eight flats in the community which house looked after children. Each flat has a unit manager who has supervisory duties for a team of social care workers.
 
 
THE COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE 

The Agency employs a qualified full-time psychologist and a counsellor. This service provides therapeutic counselling support to adults and children receiving a service from the Agency.
 
DUTY SOCIAL WORKERS (Out of Hours) 

The Agency operates an emergency social work provision outside office hours, including weekend and public holidays thus ensuring that there is a social worker available 24/7. Referrals are made through the RGP.
 
HOW TO ACCESS OUR SERVICES

Enquiries and referrals are taken from a range of agencies involved with children and families, and from members of the public who have concerns regarding the physical, emotional and developmental needs of a child or children. Enquiries and referrals are similarly taken in respect of vulnerable adults.

An enquiry or referral can be made by ringing Tel 20078528 and asking for the Duty Social Worker, or by calling into the office in person between 9.00 am to 1.00 pm Monday to Friday, and making arrangements to see the Duty Social Worker. (The Duty Social Worker would usually be seen by appointment.)

If a service is required outside of these times, we provide an ‘emergency only’ duty system that can be contacted via the Police on 20072500. The Police will contact the Duty Social Worker who will then ring you back.
 
CONTACT US

If you wish to contact us, in respect of an enquiry or referral, or for any other reason, you can do this in person by calling at our offices between 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, from Monday to Friday:
Social Services Agency
16 Governor’s Parade
Gibraltar

Alternatively, you could write to us at that address,
or telephone our offices on:
Tel No: 20078528

or fax us on :
Fax No: 20044194

or e-mail us

• for any general enquiry on: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• for the Duty Social Worker on: TBA
• for the SSA Adult Team on: TBA
• for the Children & Family Team on: TBA
• for the Counselling and Psychology Service on: TBA

LOCAL ADOPTION

Adoption is the legal process by which children, who cannot be brought up by their own parents, become full and permanent members of a new family. Legal parental responsibility is transferred to the new family by the granting of an Adoption Order by the courts.

Locally there are very few babies needing adoptive placements today. The majority of children who need permanent homes are generally several years of age. Sometimes, the impact of their early history may have affected their health, education and general development but children usually thrive with the stability and emotional nurturing that comes with adoption.

Children come from a variety of backgrounds and Social Services are therefore keen to have a wide range of families to draw on - from single applicants to couples and parents with children – so that a good ‘match’ can be made between the specific needs of a child and what the families can offer. Most children placed for adoption will have memories of their previous family. Adopters need to be able to accept this and help the child understand their birth family history.

Adoptions in Gibraltar are governed by the Adoption Act 1951. The Social Services Agency can provide guidance to people who are considering adoption as a way of increasing their family. They can be guided through the process from the ‘enquiry’ stage through to ‘approval’ as prospective adopters and eventually, after introductions and the gradual transition of the child into the new family, through the legal process. There are no fees to be incurred if you wish to adopt a child that is placed with you for this purpose by the Social Services Agency.

Further information regarding local adoptions can be obtained by making an appointment to see the Duty Social Worker.
 
INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION

The Social Services Agency also co-ordinates the local aspects of Inter-Country adoptions.

 Step by step guide to the process for Inter-country Adoptions and the fees payable at each stage  
 
FOSTERING

Sometimes families encounter difficulties that make parents unable to care for their children; this may be for a brief period or for longer. When for whatever reason, children cannot be looked after at home, the Social Services Agency may arrange for them to live in an approved foster home.
Being a foster carer involves many tasks but primarily it is about:

• Caring for someone else’s child(ren) in your home as part of your family
• Providing a safe and stable environment for children and young people, from babies to 18 years
• Enabling the children to keep in contact with their own family

You can make an offer to Social Services to provide care in a manner that suits you and your family. E.g. the age range of children, their sex, numbers and length of stay. A child may need foster care for:

• A short time while difficulties are sorted out
• Longer periods, perhaps until s/he reaches 18 years of age
• A planned short stay to bring a much needed break to a family

What makes a good foster carer?

People with a variety of life experiences and from all religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds can become successful foster carers.

To be a foster carer you’ll need:
• Patience and an understanding of the needs of children in foster care
• Experience of looking after children
• Time and energy to care for children who may have complex needs

The SSA will provide training and support before and during your time as a foster carer and will pay a weekly allowance for the maintenance of the child.

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer contact us and we will provide you with an information pack and details of the next Information Meeting.
 
 
RELATED LEGISLATION

The following is some of legislation that is relevant to the work of the Agency:

• Social Services Agency Act
• Criminal Procedure Act
• Adoption Act
• Fostering Act
• Probation Rules
• Mental Health Act

Any enquiries? Please Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it