Agency Accreditation Regulations, 2012

L.N. 125 of 2012

ADOPTION ADMINISTRATION ACT

(CAP. 495)

Agency Accreditation Regulations, 2012

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 28 of the

Adoption Administration Act, the Minister responsible for social

policy has made the following regulations:-

The title of these regulations is the Agency Accreditation

Regulations, 2012.

Application for Accreditation

of an Adoption Agency

[Regulation 3]

CENTRAL AUTHORITY - MALTA

Adoption Administration Act

(Cap. 495)

D EPARTMENT FOR S OCIAL W ELFARE S TANDARDS

M INISTRY FOR J USTICE , D IALOGUE AND THE F AMILY

Bugeia Institute, 469, St. Joseph High Road,

St. Venera, SVR 1012 Malta

Tel. (356) 22788000– Fax: (356) 22788260

Website: www.welfarestandards.gov.mt / E-mail: welfare.standards@gov.mt

Application for Accreditation of an Adoption Agency

Name of Adoption Agency

Full Address of the Adoption Agency

 Please tick, if the Adoption agency is to operate from the above

address and if this is the official address for correspondence.

P ART I - DETAILS OF A DOPTION AGENCY

N AME OF A DOPTION

A GENCY

A DDRESS OF A DOPTION

A GENCY

S TATUS OF A DOPTION

P RIVATE

P UBLIC

A GENCY

O RGANISATION 

O RGANISATION 

T EL

F AX

E- MAIL

Details of Parent Organisation (if applicable)

N AME OF O RGANISATION

M AIN A CTIVITY

B USINESS A DDRESS

T EL

F AX

E- MAIL

W HEN SET UP

R EGISTRATION O F

P ARENT O RG . W ITH

C OMPETENT

A UTHORITY

Name all Partners, Directors and/or Board Members/Trustees of Parent

Organisation

N AME

POST

N AME OF L EGALLY R ESPONSIBLE P ERSON OF A DOPTION A GENCY

P OSITION WITHIN THE ORGANISATION

I D

T ITLE : M S /M R /O THER

E- MAIL

T EL O FFICE

M OBILE

F AX

A DDRESS

D ETAILED POLICE CONDUCT OF L EGALLY RESPONSIBLE PERSON ATTACHED 

N AME OF PERSON MANAGING THE A DOPTION AGENCY

I D

T ITLE

M S /M R / N OMENCLATURE

O THER

T EL O FFICE

M OBILE

E MERGENCY NO

F AX

A DDRESS

E- MAIL

P HOTOCOPY OF

C URRICULUM

D ETAILED P OLICE

I DENTITY

C ONDUCT

V ITAE 

C ARD 

C ERTIFICATE 

A UTHENTICATED C OPY

OF C ERTIFICATES OF

Q UALIFICATIONS

N AMES AND C ONTACT D ETAILS OF T WO R EFEREES OF M ANAGER

R EFEREE 1

REFEREE 2

N AME

A DDRESS

T EL /M OBILE

E MAIL ADDRESS

O CCUPATION

Indicate type of service provided by Adoption Agency

T YPE OF

INTER -

OPEN A DOPTION : 

LOCAL TERM

A DOPTION

A DOPTION

COUNTRY

SERVICE



TERM

A DOPTION : 

S TATE OFFICE

HOURS OF

THE AGENCY

Agency Premises

DESCRIPTION OF THE AGENCY ’ S PREMISES

N UMBER

D ESCRIPTION

O FFICES

M EETING R OOMS

A DMINISTRATION

A REAS

F ORUM /T RAINING

F ACILITIES

Management Structure

Please provide an organizational/management chart of the agency and parent

organisation (if applicable).

Staff Overview

Detail below staff or proposed staff, to include management, professional and

administrative staff

P ROFESSIONAL

H OURS

E XPE -

N AME &

R EGISTRATION &

Q UALI -

ID NO .

P OSITION

A GE

M/F

RIENCE /

PER

WARRANT NO .

SURNAME

FICATIONS

SKILLS

WEEK

( IF APPLICABLE )

Please copy or expand as necessary.

Staff Training

Give details of staff training within agency

I NDUCTION TRAINING

O NGOING TRAINING

R EGULAR S TAFF ATTENDANCE TO

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS /

CONFERENCES

Financial Details

Please submit a three year business plan of the agency, including details of

income, staff remuneration costs, staff training costs, fixed costs and client

related costs

P ART II - DETAILS OF THE A DOPTION SERVICE

Phase 1

1(a)

Initial Contact and Suitability of

Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

1(b)

Initial Training of Prospective Adoptive Parents

Phase 1(a) Initial Contact and Suitability of Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s policy and procedure on initial

contact and suitability of Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Attached a copy of the information pack given to Prospective Adoptive

Parent/s

Phase 1(b) Initial Training of Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s policy and procedure for initial

training for Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Attach a copy of your training programme for Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Phase 2

Assessment of Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s policy and procedure of the

assessment process for Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

Attach copy of the Home Study Report format

Phase 3

Matching of the Child with Adoptive Parent/s

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s policy and procedure of the

matching process of child with Adoptive Parent/s

Attach copy of the Adoption Agreement

In accordance with the Adoption Administration Act, Cap. 495, your policy

and procedure of the matching process of child with Adoptive Parent/s must

include

Matching criteria of Adoptive Parent/s with children who are to be placed in

Adoption

(Art 17c)

Matching criteria when placing siblings with Adoptive Parent/s (Art 17e)

Matching criteria when placing a minor parent and his/her child with

Adoptive Parent/s (Art 17f)

Matching criteria to ensure that any Adoption placement will be in the best

interest of the child (Art 17g)

Phase 4

4(a)(b)(c) Support, Monitoring and Termination of the

Adoption Placements

4(d) Continuous Training to Adoptive Parent/s

Phase 4(a)

Support for Adoptive Parent/s

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s Policy and Procedure of the

support provided to Adoptive Parent/s during the Adoption placement.

Phase 4(b)

Monitoring of Adoption Placements

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s policy and procedure on

monitoring of Adoption placements.

Attach a copy of the Post Adoption report

Phase 4(c)

Termination of Adoption Placements

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s policy and procedure for

termination of Adoption placements.

Phase 4(d)

Continuous Training to Adoptive Parent/s

Give details and attach copy of the Agency’s Policy and Procedure of

continuous training to Adoptive Parent/s.

Attached a copy of the Agency’s programme of continuous training to

Adoptive Parent/s

Adoption Agency’s Policies and Procedures/Manual of Procedures

Please tick

If enclosed

with

In process of

application

development

form

Organisation

Mission Statement

Aims and Objectives

Organisational structure

Legal Identity

Position descriptions

Data Protection policy

Adoption

Types of Adoption (short explanation of each)

Interviewing Board Members for Staff

Recruiting of staff

Vetting of staff

Training and on going training of staff

Criteria for accepting prospective adoptive parent/s

Registration of prospective adoptive parent/s

Vetting of prospective adoptive parent/s

Adoption preparation training for prospective

adoptive parent/s

Assessment reports of prospective adoptive

parent/s

Register of prospective adoptive parent/s

Home Study reports/ post adoption/Court reports

Matching criteria of child/ren with adoptive parent/s

where applicable

Adoption placement of siblings

Preparation for and transition period of child going

to an adoption placement (if applicable)

Adoption Agreements

Storing of information about adoptive parent/s and

adopted child/ren

Assessment of any changes in circumstances of

adoptive parent/s

Update of Home Study report

Preparation of post adoption report

Agency Operations

Case Allocations

Caseload per social worker

Post placement monitoring of adopted children

according to countries requirements

Support for adoptive parent/s

Support for adopted child/ren

Support groups for adopted child/ren

Support groups for adoptive parent/s

Individual files of adopted child/ren

Record keeping

Contact of adopted child/ren with their family

members (if applicable)

Breakdown of adoption placement

Change in adoption placements

Child Protection Policy

Complaints

Complaints by child/ren against adoptive parent/s

Complaints by child/ren against staff of the

adoption agency

Complaints by child/ren against the adoption

agency

Complaints by adoptive parent/s against family

members of adopted child/ren

Complaints by adoptive parent/s against staff of the

adoption agency

Complaints by adoptive parent/s against the

Adoption agency

Investigation of complaints against any adoptive

parent/s

Investigation of cases of abuse of child/ren in

adoptive families

Other

Anti-discriminatory practice/equal opportunities

Whistle Blowing

Quality assurance/evaluation

D ECLARATION BY LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE PERSON

1. I declare that I act in the capacity of Responsible Person authorized by the

agency to submit this application.

2. I am applying for the accreditation of the Adoption Agency in accordance with

the Adoption Administration Act (Cap. 495 of the Laws of Malta).

3. With this application form I am submitting details about the Agency and

documents as requested in this application form. I undertake to submit other

documents and clearances as may be required by the Central Authority, Malta.

4. I agree to co-operate in the assessment to be effected by the Central Authority

regarding this application.

5. I authorize the Central Authority to release such information as may pertain to

the purpose of this application, including verification of the information supplied

to the Authority in terms of the Data Protection Act (Cap. 440 of the Laws of

Malta).

6. I declare that the information I have given on this application form and on all the

attached documentation is, to my knowledge, true, correct and complete.

7. I agree to abide by the eventual conditions that would be issued by the Central

Authority for accreditation.

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:-

"accredited agency" has the same meaning as is assigned to

it by the Adoption Administration Act;

"the Act" means the Adoption Administration Act;

"application" means the form set out in the Schedule to

these regulations;

"central authority" means the authority established by

article 7 of the Act.

Applicants shall provide the central authority with the

information indicated in the application in the Schedule in relation to

all requests made in terms of the Act.

The central authority shall make application forms readily

available to the public at its premises and online on its website and

shall assist applicants in filling in the application forms and in

providing the required information as necessary.

The central authority shall make notifications and

communicate decisions to applicants in writing or by email, as the

case may be, and shall upon granting accreditation to an organisation,

issue an Accreditation Certificate in accordance with article 12 of the

Act.

The central authority shall have the right to refuse an

application for accreditation from an organisation according to article

13 of the Act

Provided that the organisation shall have the right to

appeal against such refusal as provided for in article 13(2) of the Act.

The central authority shall have the right to revoke

accreditation of an agency at any time in accordance with article 14 of

the Act

Provided that the agency shall have the right to appeal

against such revocation as provided for in article 14 of the Act.

I agree to report to the Central Authority any change which may affect the

status of accreditation.

I declare that I have read and understood the Adoption Administration Act (Cap.

495 of the Laws of Malta).

Signature of Responsible Person _____________________ Date: ____________

This application, duly filled, is to be submitted to the Central Authority

(Malta) at the Department for Social Welfare Standards, Bugeia

Institute, 469, St. Joseph High Road, Santa Venera SVR 1012 or by fax.

All applications will be acknowledged.

GLOSSARY

Private Organisation

For-profit or not-for-profit private (non-state)

organisation

Public Organisation

An entity in which Government has a

controlling stake and/or ownership

Parent Organisation

The organisation which owns and is legally

responsible for the Adoption Agency

Responsible person of a Adoption

The person who is legally responsible for

Agency

the Adoption Agency

Manager of a Adoption Agency

The person who is authorised by the

Responsible Person to manage, on a day to

day basis, the Adoption Agency

Referees

The person managing the Adoption Agency

(Manager) is to provide names and contact

details of two referees.

Referees from the Parent Organisation or

Adoption Agency, the Central Authority,

Adoption Board, Board of Appeal and

relatives/family members are excluded.

Referees should be able to attest to the

professional integrity, competence and skill

of the Manager, relevant to managing a

Adoption agency.

Referees should know the Manager for at

least 2 years.

Note: Applicants should be guided by the

Criteria for Accreditation of Adoption Agencies issued by the Central

Authority, Malta, when submitting this application

€1.17