Social Community

Inspire’s main community support service is Pathfinder, a free service designed to help persons with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals and their families navigate the support available to them. Pathfinder provides information, guidance and practical assistance, helping individuals and families understand their options and identify the services, resources or other forms of support that may be appropriate to their needs.

The service aims to make it easier for people to find their way through what can sometimes be a complex system of services and supports. It can provide information on matters such as education, disability services, therapeutic support, community resources, rights and other relevant forms of assistance, and can guide families towards the most appropriate service or organisation.

Inspire provides a range of specialised programmes for children, young people and adults, each designed around the individual’s developmental, educational and support needs.

STEP IEI – Intensive Early Intervention Programme
STEP IEI is a specialised programme for young autistic children, generally between three and five years of age. It provides an intensive, structured and individualised programme combining educational activities, individual and group work and therapeutic intervention. The programme focuses particularly on communication, social interaction, functional and developmental skills, intending to help children reach their potential and develop greater independence. Families and schools are also supported so that skills can be transferred into everyday environments. Children attend once a week for a 5-hour day programme.

STEP Forward Programme
STEP Forward is a highly structured programme that supports 5-year-old service autistic children, who would have transitioned out of the STEP IEI Programme in developing their full potential and expanding their participation in society. This is done by promoting the service users’ socio-emotional and communication skills and supporting them in developing functional behaviours and school readiness skills.

STEP Beyond Programmes
STEP Beyond 1 is a pay-per-use programme which provides additional support to children aged approximately 6–7 years. It offers targeted social and literacy groups designed to develop children’s communication, social participation, literacy and functional skills. Unlike the educational programmes delivered under Inspire’s service agreement with MEYR, parents can self-refer to STEP Beyond.
STEP Beyond 2 is an extension of the STEP Beyond 1programmemme, offered to learners aged approximately 7–9 years.

School Outreach Programme (SOP)
The School Outreach Programme provides primary and secondary learners with disabilities who attend mainstream schools, aged 6 – 16, and exhibit behaviours of concern that affect their inclusion in class or school, with the opportunity to attend Inspire Foundation twice a week during the school day, accompanied by their Learning Support Educator (LSE).
During the programme, students engage in a variety of academic and therapeutic activities designed to support their individual goals. These include sessions in multi-sensory rooms, animal-assisted therapy, functional daily living skills training, social and communication skills development, and basic academic instruction delivered through an adapted curriculum.
LSEs actively participate in the programme alongside the students and are supported through modelling and reflective discussions. This approach empowers them to apply effective strategies and interventions in the school setting, enhancing their ability to help students achieve consistent progress across environments.

LinC Day School Programme
LinC is a specialised day-school programme for primary school-aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities whose needs cannot be adequately met within a mainstream school setting despite inclusion efforts. The programme provides an adapted educational environment with individualised learning and support. It focuses on academic and functional learning, communication, social development, independence and participation, alongside opportunities for physical, therapeutic and recreational activities. The overall aim is to enable each learner to develop their abilities and participate as fully as possible in everyday life.

STAR Programme
STAR is an adult day service for young men and women aged 22 and over with profound multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). The programme provides structured daytime support and meaningful activities tailored to the individual’s abilities, needs and preferences. It focuses on quality of life, communication, participation, personal development, social interaction and maintaining and developing functional skills. The programme also provides opportunities for individuals to engage in activities and experiences within a safe and supportive environment using an active support approach.

Pathfinder
Pathfinder is somewhat different from the other services because it is not a day programme. It is a free community information and guidance service that helps persons with disabilities and their families identify and access the information, support and assistance they need. It can help people understand available services and options and navigate towards the most appropriate source of support.

Supported living is a model of accommodation and support that enables a person with a disability to live in their own home or in a shared home within the community, rather than living in an institutional or highly congregated setting.

The level of support is tailored to the individual’s needs. Some people may require only occasional assistance, while others may need support throughout the day or night. Support can include areas such as personal care, preparing meals, managing a household, budgeting, medication, accessing the community, maintaining relationships and developing everyday life skills.

The fundamental principle is that the person has their own home and is supported to exercise choice, control and independence in their daily life. Supported living is therefore different from simply providing residential care: the emphasis is on enabling the person to live as independently as possible, with the support they need.

Yes. Developing independence is an important element of Inspire’s approach. Independence does not necessarily mean doing everything without support. Rather, it means enabling each person to develop and exercise their abilities, make choices and participate as fully as possible, with the right level of support.
Across Inspire’s programmes, this can include developing:

• communication and self-advocacy skills
• social interaction and relationships
• personal care and self-help skills
• functional and daily-living skills
• learning and problem-solving skills
• mobility and physical skills
• emotional and behavioural regulation
• confidence and decision-making
• the ability to participate in school, work and community environments.

A particularly important aspect is generalising skills, helping a person use a skill they have learned in one environment in other parts of their life. For example, a child may learn a communication or self-care skill at Inspire and then be supported to use that skill at home, at school or in the community. However, Inspire does not currently provide a supported-living service or a specific independent-living transition programme.

Access depends on the specific programme. For the educational programmes delivered under Inspire’s service agreement with the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR), referrals are made through the National Student’s Wellbeing Services (NSWS). This currently applies to:

• STEP IEI Programme
• STEP Forward Programme
• LinC Day School Programme
• School Outreach Programme (SOP)

In addition, Inspire operates STEP Beyond 1 and 2, pay-per-use programmes for children aged approximately 6 – 9 years, for which parents can self-refer.

Pathfinder is different: it is a free service, and individuals with disabilities and their families can approach the service directly for information, guidance and assistance. It is intended to help people identify and navigate the support that is most appropriate to their circumstances.

The STAR Programme, which supports adults aged 22+ with profound multiple learning difficulties, is delivered under a service agreement with Aġenzija Sapport, and referrals are made through the Agency.

Inspire also provides its Know Ur Rights resource, which brings together useful information for persons with disabilities and their families.

Yes. Inspire currently provides adult disability support through its STAR Programme, which caters for young adults aged 22+ with profound multiple learning difficulties.
STAR is a structured day service providing personalised support, meaningful activities and opportunities for participation and engagement. The programme focuses on maintaining and developing communication, functional, social and daily-living skills, while promoting wellbeing, choice and participation. It provides a supportive environment where individuals can take part in activities suited to their abilities, needs and interests using an active support approach.

Inspire also supports adults and families through Pathfinder, which is open to people seeking information, guidance or assistance in navigating disability-related services and supports.

Not currently as a dedicated service. Inspire does support the development of independence through its existing programmes, particularly by helping individuals develop communication, self-care, functional, social and daily-living skills. However, Inspire does not currently provide a specific supported-living or independent-living transition programme that would enable a person to move from their family home into supported or independent accommodation.

The application or referral route depends on the service.
For STEP IEI, STEP Forward, LinC Day School and the School Outreach Programme, referrals are made through the National Student’s Wellbeing Services (NSWS), as these programmes are provided by Inspire under its service agreement with MEYR.

For STEP Beyond 1 and 2, parents can self-refer, as this is a pay-per-use programme.

For Pathfinder, individuals with disabilities and their families can contact the service directly. Pathfinder is free of charge and is specifically intended to help people understand what support may be available and guide them towards the most appropriate services.

For STAR, referrals are made through Aġenzija Sapport in accordance with the service agreement between the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector and Inspire.