Disused Church-owned buildings will be used to offer a range of social services, such as residential care and community centres, in a joint collaboration with government and NGOs, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia said.
He said the government was currently in discussions with the Church to identify these buildings and determine the best use for them.
For this reason, further details could not be divulged at this stage.
Dr Farrugia was speaking during the launch of a committee set up to review the way government agencies work and encourage more collaboration with the Church and voluntary organisations.
The Committee for a Just Society will draw up proposals for the restructuring of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services that runs various government support agencies, including Appoġġ, Sedqa and Sapport.
Proposals to restructure the foundation that runs government agencies Appoġġ, Sedqa and Sapport
Through the restructuring process, the foundation will become an authority which will make it a legal entity.
The committee, that will start meeting next week, will be tasked with reviewing the way government agencies work and ensure more collaboration and efficiency.
For example, in the drug sector, more emphasis will be placed on prevention apart from rehabilitation and the current rehabilitation programmes will be reviewed.
There will be improved collaboration between NGOs, the Church and government to ensure better use of resources and to ensure there is no duplication of services.
The government was working on reaching agreements with the Church to utilise disused buildings for social purposes, he said.
Another agreement would ensure that siblings living in residential care would not be separated and foster families would be encouraged and supported to take siblings.
The restructuring would also ensure standards and quality assurance systems were in place.
Measures would be taken to reduce waiting lists and address the shortage of social workers by recruiting new ones and encouraging experienced social workers to stay on, he added.
The committee will be chaired by FSWS chief executive Alfred Grixti while Rita Calleja, the assistant director of the government’s Social Welfare Standards will be deputy chair.
It will include representatives from the Social Solidarity Ministry, Appoġġ and Sapport agencies, Caritas and representatives from the Curia’s children’s homes and elderly people’s homes sections.