AGENCY ACCREDITATION REGULATIONS

AGENCY ACCREDITATION

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 495.01

AGENCY ACCREDITATION REGULATIONS

24th April, 2012

LEGAL NOTICE 125 of 2012,as amended by Act II of 2019.

The title of these regulations is the Agency Accreditation

Regulations.

Amended by

II.2019.18.

Application for Accreditation

of an Adoption Agency

[Regulation 3]

CENTRAL AUTHORITY - MALTA

Adoption Administration Act

(Cap. 495)

Social Care Standards Authority,

Ministry for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity,

Bugeja Institute, 469, St. Joseph High Road, St. Venera, SVR 1012, Malta,

Tel: (356) 25494300, Website: www.scsa.gov.mt and E-mail: info.scsa@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.

AGENCY ACCREDITATION

P ART I - DETAILS OF A DOPTION AGENCY

Name of Adoption Agency

Address

of

Adoption

Agency

Private Organisation 

Public Organisation 

Status of Adoption Agency

Tel

Fax

E-mail

Details of Parent Organisation (if applicable)

Name of Organisation

Main Activity

Business Address

Tel

Fax

E-mail

When set up

Registration of Parent

Organisation with

Competent Authority

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

Organisation

Name

post

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Name of Legally Responsible Person of Adoption Agency

Position within the organisation

I.D Card No

Title: Ms/Mr/Other

E-mail

Tel Office

Mobile

Fax

Address

Detailed police conduct of legally responsible person attached 

Name of person managing the Adoption Agency

Id

Title: Ms/Mr/Other

Post

Tel Office

Mobile

Emergency no

Fax

Address

E-mail

Curriculum Vitae 

Photocopy of Identity

Detailed Police

Card 

Conduct

Certificate 

Authenticated Copy of

Certificates of Qualifications

Names and Contact Details of two Referees of Manager

Referee 1

Referee 2

N AME

A DDRESS

T EL /M OBILE

E MAIL ADDRESS

Occupation

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Indicate type of service provided by Adoption Agency

Open Adoption: 

Ty p e

of

Local

term

Inter-

Adoption: 

Adoption

country term

Adoption: 

service

State office

hours of the

Agency

Agency Premises

Description of the Agency’s premises

Number

Description

Offices

Meeting Rooms

Administration

Areas

F o r u m / Tr a i n i n g

Facilities

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

AGENCY ACCREDITATION

administrative staff

Name &

ID

Position

Age

M/F

Hours

Quali-

Expe-

Professional

surname

NO .

per

fications

rience

Registration

week

/skills

& warrant

no. (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

AGENCY ACCREDITATION

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

Attach 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

Phase 3

Matching of the Child with Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

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

matching process of child with Prospective 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 Prospective Adoptive Parent/s with children who are to be

placed in adoption

Matching criteria when placing siblings with Prospective Adoptive Parent/s

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

Parent/s

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

interest of the child

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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 form

development

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

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Assessment reports of prospective adoptive

parent/s

Register of prospective adoptive parents

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

AGENCY ACCREDITATION

Declaration by legally responsible person

1. I declare that I act in the capacity of Legally 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.

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).

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.

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

Central Authority for accreditation.

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.

AGENCY ACCREDITATION

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 two 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)

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;

"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.

AGENCY ACCREDITATION