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Award in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

Safeguarding Others
MQF

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-023) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 4, as Further Education Programme.

This short course will assist employees and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults or handle their data, to recognise the key principles of safeguarding and learn to create a safe environment for children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

The intended learning outcomes:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. familiarise themselves with safeguarding policies
  2. understand the legal obligations with child abuse
  3. identify signs and symptoms of abuse
  4. know the disclosures of abuse
  5. identify the principles of safeguarding
  6. practice professional boundaries
  7. know their legal obligations related to the Protection of Minors (Registration) Act (2011) and the Minors Protection Act (2019)
  8. learn about the different types of abuse and poor practice
  9. learn a standard response to a disclosure of abuse
  10. be able to recognise signs of abuse
  11. identify the actions to take if you have a concern and who can help

If you are a registered pastoral worker with the Archdiocese of Malta, you can benefit from a 33%  discount on this course. Start your application process as a pastoral worker on parrocci.knisja.mt/pfi

  • Employees who work with children and vulnerable adults
  • Employees who handle children and vulnerable adults` data
  • Volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults
  • Volunteers who handle children and vulnerable adults` data.

CodeMode of DeliveryValue
SGC4001Blended Learning1 ECTS

The course is delivered over 5 contact hours. These 5 hours are delivered over two sessions:

  1. 3 hours – In person session (Face-to-Face Learning)
  2. 2 hours – recorded material which can be accessed on the PFI`s Moodle Portal (Blended Learning)

Students will also be given additional reading material which they can read in their own time.

You may find all the dates in the Calendar section below.

Each course is delivered over two sessions; (a) 3-hour, in-person session and (b) 2 hours of recorded material which can be accessed on the PFI`s Moodle Portal.

February 2024
Lecturing Period
Mode of DeliveryDate & TimeVenue
In-person17th February 2024Archbishop`s Curia, Floriana
Recorded Material17th – 26th February 2024Recorded Videos on the VLE platform
Assessment Period:
AssessmentAvailable FromDue by
Short Multiple-Choice Online Exam26th February 2024Monday 4th March 2024
Reflective Journal26th February 2024Monday 26th March 2024

This course has three exit certificate options: 

  1. Certificate of Attendance

A Certificate of Attendance will be rewarded to students who have:

  • attended in-person session
  • watched all the recorded material
  • and did not submit any course assessments.
  1. Certificate of Participation 

A Certificate of Participation* will be rewarded to students who meet the attendance criteria and successfully conclude the course multiple choice test. (please check the calendar tab above for exam dates)

  1. Certificate of Achievement 

A Certificate of Achievement* is awarded to students who successfully concluded the course, that is;

  • meet the attendance criteria
  • sit and pass the short multiple-choice online exam (mentioned in point 2),
  • and also submit a written assessment

Click here to view the PFI`s Grading System

*To obtain a Certificate of Achievement or a Certificate of Participation, a student must; attend all the contact hours and successfully conclude the assessment/s.

EQF/MQF Level: Level 4

Accreditation Category: Further Education Programme

Total ECTS: 2 ECTS

Teaching Institutions: Safeguarding Commission together with Pastoral Formation Institute

Award Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute

MQF

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-023) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 4, as Further Education Programme.

Qualifications: Every application will be considered on its individual merits. The Pastoral Formation Institute accepts a wide range of qualifications, and we always try to judge applications on the basis of academic potential. We do consider a very wide range of academic, vocational, and professional qualifications, as well as work and other appropriate experiences and skills.

Language: Primary level understanding of Maltese and English.

Digital: Knows how to access the internet and use a word processor.


For courses offered in face-to-face learning and Blended Learning, it is required that applicants reside in the Maltese Islands and use their Maltese address in their application form.

For further information regarding visa requirements, head to Identity Malta’s VISA requirement for third-country nationals.

Seminar: Safeguarding – Adults Working with Minors

  Ta' Mlit Pastoral Centre
Safeguarding Minors

This full-day seminar will assist all those who work with children and handle their data, to recognise the key principles of safeguarding and learn to create a safe environment for children. Throughout the seminar, participants will:

  • Obtain more awareness on the subject of safeguarding.
  • Gain knowledge on how to create healthier environments, especially with minors.
  • Be able to promote healthier relationships in pastoral work.
  • Discuss and draw concrete solutions to preventing abuse.

If you are a registered pastoral worker with the Archdiocese of Malta, you can benefit from a 25%  discount on this seminar. The course fee includes lunch. Start your application process as a pastoral worker on parrocci.knisja.mt/pfi

Adults working with minors, especially:

  • Individuals who assist in children’s mass/liturgy
  • Individuals involved in leadership of altar boy groups
  • Individuals involved in the leadership of parish commission for children
  • Individuals involved in the leadership of children’s choir
  • Individuals involved in catechism
Date & TimeSession Title
Saturday 18th November 2023 8:30 am – 2:30 pmSession 1: Introduction to Safeguarding
Session 2: Health Relationships and Safe Boundaries
Session 3: Way Forward

This seminar has three exit certificate options: 

Certificate of Attendance

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to students who have:

  • attended all contact hours

Certificate of Participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to students who have:

  • attended all contact hours
  • and successfully completed short multiple-choice exam

Certificate of Achievement 

A Certificate of Achievement is awarded to students who have:

  • attended all contact hours
  • successfully completed short multiple choice exam
  • and submit a written assessment

Qualifications

The Pastoral Formation Institute accepts a wide range of academic, vocational, and professional qualifications as well as work and other appropriate experiences and skills.

Language Skills

Primary level understanding of Maltese and English is required.

Digital Skills

Ability to use the internet and use a word processor is required.

Every application will be considered on its individual merits and evaluated on the basis of academic potential.

Award in Developing Environmental Responsibility

Developing Environmental Responsibility
MQF

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-023) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Developing Environmental Responsibility is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 5, as Higher Education Programme.

The course is designed to inspire and empower participants in taking a stand on sustainability, both in their personal lives and in their communities.

Learning Outcomes
  • Understand the basic Environmental, Social, and Development Challenges we are facing as a country and globally.
  • Apply critical thinking skills to bring about sustainable choices in their day-to-day life.
  • Apply critical thinking skills to bring about sustainable change at a household, institution, and community level.
  • Reflect critically on their roles and identities as active citizens, consumers, and change-makers in a complex and interconnected world.

The Developing Environmental Responsibility is offered by the Pastoral Formation Institute in collaboration with inteko, CEER (University of Malta), and the Interdiocesan Commission for the Environment.

Adults with an interest in

  • developing environmental responsibility
  • engage in ecological conversion
  • further positioning themselves in front of the interconnected double challenge of preserving the environment and eradicating poverty. 
Target Audience Age: 18+
Mode of Attendance: Part-Time

This course is held on Wednesdays 2024

CodeMode of DeliveryValue
IFP/DER5In-Person (Face-to-Face Learning)2 ECTS
Knowing – the Social and Development challenges.
During this introductory lesson, we will discuss the Social and Development Challenge and how they impact us.
Knowing – the Environmental challenge.
Current local and global environmental challenges, and how they impact us.
Caring for the Planet: Where do I stand?
Making sense of and taking a stand on the newly acquired knowledge and awareness of the first two sessions. We will examine our own lifestyles and patterns and identify areas that require a change.
Aligning my stated values with my daily behaviour.
During this lecture, participants will have an opportunity to engage critically in value clarification.
Ecological Conversion: A Spiritual Journey
Spirituality and Ecological Literacy. Living in an ethical and moral manner and meeting today`s challenges.
A shared vision and commitment
This session is a follow-up of the previous one but brings out the creation of community and the community mindset as a pre-requisite for overcoming today`s local and global challenges
How can we remain inspired?
In this concluding seminar, the participants will have the opportunity to share any behavioural changes they observed or trying to adopt in their day-to-day routine. This opportunity of sharing will help participants learn from each other in inspiring active change.

Assessment: Reflective Journal 

EQF/MQF Level: Level 5

Accreditation Category: Higher Education Programme

Total ECTS: 2 ECTS

Duration: 7 weeks (14 hours)

Certification:

This course has two exit certificates: 

  1. Certificate of Attendance 

To obtain a Certificate of Attendance, students must attend 80 % of the contact hours

2. Certificate of Achievement  
To obtain a Certificate of Achievement, students must:

  • attend all the contact hours
  • and successfully complete a reflective journal.

Click here to view the PFI`s Grading System

Final Award: Award in Developing Environmental Responsibility

MQF

The Pastoral Formation Institute is licensed by MFHEA
(Licence #: 2013-FHI-023) as a Further and Higher Educational Institute. The Award in Developing Environmental Responsibility is accredited at EQF/MQF Level 5, as Higher Education Programme.

Every application will be considered on its individual merits. The Pastoral Formation Institute accepts a wide range of qualifications, and we always try to judge applications on the basis of academic potential. We do consider a very wide range of academic, vocational, and professional qualifications, as well as work and other appropriate experiences and skills.

Language competencies: The student is required to be proficient in Maltese;

Digital competencies: The student is required to be digitally literate, i.e. knowing how to access the internet, must have an email address and use Moodle software and word processor.


For courses offered in face-to-face learning and Blended Learning, it is required that applicants reside in the Maltese Islands and use their Maltese address in their application form.

For further information regarding visa requirements, head to Identity Malta’s VISA requirement for third-country nationals.