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Award in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults for Fondazzjoni Sebħ Staff

30/10/2024   Fondazzjoni Sebħ Premises, Ħamrun
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 is designed for employees and volunteers who work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults, or who handle their data. Participants will gain an understanding of the key principles of safeguarding and develop skills to create and maintain a safe environment for all individuals in their care.

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

  1. Familiarise themselves with safeguarding policies
  2. Understand legal obligations concerning child abuse
  3. Identify signs and symptoms of abuse
  4. Understand disclosures of abuse
  5. Identify core principles of safeguarding
  6. Practise professional boundaries effectively
  7. Know their legal obligations under the Protection of Minors (Registration) Act (2011) and the Minors Protection Act (2019)
  8. Recognise different types of abuse and poor practices
  9. Learn a standard response to disclosures of abuse
  10. Recognise signs of abuse
  11. Identify appropriate actions to take when concerned and understand who to approach for support

Click here to view and download a detailed course description

Fondazzjoni Sebħ employees who work with children and vulnerable adults and handle their data.

The course is delivered over two sessions: (a) a 3-hour, in-person session, and (b) 2 hours of recorded material accessible on our Moodle platform.

Group 1
Lecturing Period
SessionDate & TimeVenueMode of Delivery
Understanding Types and Indicators of Abuse, Responding to Disclosures, and Safeguarding Principles8th November 2024 from 9:00am to 12:00pmFondazzjoni Sebħ premises, ĦamrunIn-person
Understanding Local Legislation, Church and State Policies on Abuse, and Safeguarding Code of Conduct8th November – 15th November 2024–Recorded material accessible on our Moodle platform
Assessment Period:
AssessmentAvailable FromDue by
Short Multiple-Choice Online Exam15th November 202422nd November 2024
Reflective Journal15th November 202416th December 2024
Group 2
Lecturing Period
SessionDate & TimeVenueMode of Delivery
Understanding Types and Indicators of Abuse, Responding to Disclosures, and Safeguarding Principles14th November 2024 from 9:00am to 12:00pmFondazzjoni Sebħ premises, ĦamrunIn-person
Understanding Local Legislation, Church and State Policies on Abuse, and Safeguarding Code of Conduct14th November – 21st November 2024–Recorded material accessible on our Moodle platform
Assessment Period:
AssessmentAvailable FromDue by
Short Multiple-Choice Online Exam21st November 2024 28th November 2024
Reflective Journal21st November 20246th January 2025

This course has three exit certificate options: 

  1. Certificate of Attendance

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to students who attend the in-person session, watch all the recorded material, and do not submit any course assessments.

  1. Certificate of Participation 

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to students who attend the in-person session, watch all the recorded material, and pass from short multiple-choice online quiz.

  1. Certificate of Achievement 

A Certificate of Achievement will be awarded to students who attend the in-person session, watch all the recorded material, and pass from short multiple-choice online quiz and written assignment.

Only participants who receive a Certificate of Achievement will be awarded an MQF certification.

EQF/MQF Level: Level 4

Accreditation Category: Further Education Programme

Total ECTS: 2 ECTS

Teaching Institutions: Safeguarding Commission in collaboration with the Pastoral Formation Institute

Awarding 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.

Language: Applicants must understand in both Maltese and English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate particularly, in use of office suites and internet access.

Getting to Know Bible as a Parent for Iklin Parish

10/10/2024   Iklin Parish Centre

This toolkit for parents consists of a series of pre-recorded sessions designed to assist parents whose children are attending catechism classes. It helps them to better understand the Bible, grasp basic themes related to the Holy Scriptures, learn how to pray, and pass on the faith with the help of the Bible, while also exploring the central role of the Word of God in the Church’s liturgy. Participants will also be provided with suggestions for additional resources.

Iklin parents whose children are attending catechism classes

Target Audience Age: 18+

This toolkit consists of four (4) pre-recorded lectures that can be watched on the Moodle platform at a time and pace of your choosing. After viewing the pre-recorded lectures, a practical seminar will take place.

Date and TimeSessionMode of DeliveryVenue
–Introduction – What is the Bible?Pre-Recorded Lecture–
–Transmitting the Faith as a ParentPre-Recorded Lecture–
–How to Pray Using the Bible with Your ChildrenPre-Recorded Lecture–
–The Central Place of Holy Scripture in the LiturgyPre-Recorded Lecture–
26th January 2025Practical SeminarIn-personIklin Parish Centre

The Sacrament of Baptism

08/10/2024

This course is aimed at parents who choose to baptize their child. They will be invited to follow this course from the comfort of their home. Firstly, they will learn about the theology of baptism and what baptism entails. They will then proceed to go through the rite of baptism, understanding its various moments so that during the celebration, they will have a deeper understanding of the process. Finally, these parents will be given suggestions on how to live out the baptismal promises within their family.

New parents

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will be delivered online through a series of recorded videos accessible on our VLE platform.

SessionTheme
Session 1The Theology of Baptism – What is Baptism?
Session 2The Rite of Baptism
Session 3Living out the promises of Baptism

This course has one exit certificate options: 

  1. Certificate of Attendance

The student will receive a Certificate of Attendance when watching all recorded lectures available on VLE platform.

Awarding Institution: Pastoral Formation Institute

Language: Applicants must be fluent in Maltese and have basic proficiency in English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate, especially on how to access the internet and use office suites.

Ħarbex

24/09/2024

Dan il-kors hu eliġibbli għall-iskema Get Formed! Din l-iskema trodd lura 70% tal-ispejjeż tal-kors lill-istudent ladarba jlesti l-kors. Għal iktar informazzjoni, żur: https://pfi.edu.mt/get-formed/.

Jekk qatt pruvajt tħarbex żewġ akkordji, xi melodija, jew xi biċċa lirika bil-Malti, dan huwa l-kors għalik!

Ħarbex huwa kors ta’ 3 workshops li l-Akkademja tal-Mużika Sagra Francesco Azopardi qed torganizza b’kollaborazzjoni mal-Pastoral Formation Institute u l-Malta Catholic Youth Network (MCYN) għal żgħażagħ bejn 18-35 sena u individwi li huma involuti f’pastorali maż-żgħażagħ.

L-għan tal-kors hu li jservi ta’ gwida u ispirazzjoni sabiex tħaddem il-ħiliet mużikali u litterali li diġà hemm fik biex jinkitbu għanjiet ġodda għat-talba tal-quddies. Se jkollna magħna għadd ta’ saċerdoti u lajċi li se jaqsmu magħna riżorsi u testimonjanzi li se jħeġġuna nifhmu l-attitudni tagħna fid-diversi mumenti li ngħixu f’din it-talba. Flimkien se jkollna mumenti li fihom se nkunu qed nerfgħu qlubna ‘l fuq, kif aħna mistiedna nagħmlu f’kull quddies.

Ħinijiet ta’ inkontri ma’ xulxin mhumiex se jkunu neqsin, u xejn inqas ħinijiet allokati biex nibdew inħarbxu xi ħaġa wkoll, kemm b’mod individwali, kif ukoll ma’ ħaddieħor. Għandna xewqa kbira li, flimkien magħkom, nixegħlu mqar fjamma t’interess u ta’ bidu.

Żgħażagħ bejn 18 – 35 sena u individwi li huma involuti f’pastorali maż-żgħażagħ.

The workshops will be held on Saturdays from 8:30am – 3:00pm

DataSessjoni
Saturday 18th January 2025L-Ordinarju fil-Quddiesa
Saturday 15th February 2025L-Adorazzjoni
Saturday 15th March 2025Il-Liturġija tas-Sigħat

Dan il-kors għandu tip ta’ ċertifikat wieħed:

1. Ċertifikat ta’ Partiċipazzjoni

Sabiex jinkiseb Ċertifikat ta’ Partiċipazzjoni, l-istudenti huma meħtieġa jattendu għal tnejn mit-tlett workshops li qed jiġu organizzati kif ukoll jikkomponu mużika u/jew jiktbu lirika ġdida.

Dan il-kors qed jiġu provdut mill-Akkademja tal-Mużika Sagra Francesco Azzopardi f’kollaborazzjoni tal-Istitut tal-Formazzjoni Pastorali.

L-applikanti għandhom ikollom bażi tajba tal-lingwa Maltija u ta’ teknika awdjo-viżiva.

 

Preparing Catechists for the Christian Initiation of Adults

17/09/2024
RCIA

This course is eligible for the Get Formed! scheme, allowing students to reclaim 70% of their course fees upon completion. For more information, visit: https://pfi.edu.mt/get-formed/.

This course is designed to prepare committed Catholics to serve as catechists, guiding individuals on their journey toward full membership in the Catholic Church. Participants will learn how to accompany and support those discerning whether to join the Church, as well as newly baptized Catholics in their first months of initiation. The course will cover the key stages of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), from initial inquiry to the period of Mystagogy, ensuring catechists are equipped to share the teachings of the Church with clarity, compassion, and faithfulness.

This course is intended for committed Catholics who would like to share their experience of what it means to be part of the Church with persons who are in a process of discernment about whether to become Catholics. Ideally, these persons would be active in a particular parish where the persons that they would be accompanying could become eventually rooted following their baptism.

This course does not entitle the student to become an accompanying person for Catechumens. The accompanying persons are appointed by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Team in collaboration with the Parish Priest/Chaplain of the respective community.

Target audience: 25+

Module 1 – Introduction to Basic Themes in Theology

This module will be offered entirely online, allowing you to complete it at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Module 2 – Historical and Theological Perspectives of Christian Initiation

These sessions will be held from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.

These sessions will be held at Ta’ Mlit Pastoral Centre, Mosta.

DateSession
8th January 2025The Initiation in the Early Church
15th January 2025The Development of the Rite/Order of the Christian Initiation of Adults
22nd January 2025Catechising During the Pre-Catechumenate Phase
And “Identity of the Catechist”
29th January 2025Catechising During the Catechumenate and the Enlightenment Phases
And “Methodology in Catechesis”
5th February 2025Catechising During Mystagogy
And “The Liturgy as a Mystagogical Journey”

Module 3: Practicum

Those who successfully finish Module 2 – Historical and Theological Perspectives of Christian Initiation may apply for this module which will consist in a 20 hour supervised accompaniment of a person going through the RCIA process, whilst being supported by other persons such as the parish priest and the catechists who will be providing catechesis to the person concerned, often in a group context.

This course has one exit certificate option:

1. Certificate of Achievement

The student will receive a Certificate of Achievement when students attend 80% of course contact hours and successfully complete and pass from all assessments, which are:

(i) a short online assessment

and,

(ii) a written assignment / reflective journal.

Enrolment for this course necessitates a recommendation from the Parish Priest/Chaplain of the relevant community, a requirement that is subsequently verified by PFI.

Language: Applicants must be fluent in English and have basic proficiency in Maltese.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate, especially on how to access the internet and use office suites.

The Narrative Approach to Reading the Gospel of Luke

19/08/2024

Among the three Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel according to Luke contains the most unique material, written by an author with an excellent command of koiné Greek (New Testament Greek) and a clearly well-educated background. The result is a work of sublime beauty, not only from a theological perspective but also from a literary and narrative one.

Rather than using a more classic historical-critical method, this course will explore this Gospel through a synchronic, narrative approach. To better immerse themselves in this methodology, students will be expected to prepare their own brief analysis of different pericopes (as indicated by the lecturer) for class discussion in each session.

Students will leave this course not only with a greater awareness of the content, style, and message of the Gospel according to Luke, but also having acquired a new methodology for Scriptural interpretation. Above all, they will have deepened their passion for Christ present in the Word.

To be eligible for this course, participants must have completed the ‘Introduction to Sacred Scriptures’ and ‘Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels’ PFI courses at Certificate of Participation level or higher or hold at least an equivalent AFF/MQF Level 4 or higher qualification. Please upload a copy of your relevant certification with the application form.

  • Pastoral Workers involved in Ministry of the Word.
  • Christians committed to continual growth in their relationship with God, who, already have some experience in the formal study of the New Testament.

Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will take place on Wednesdays from 6:00pm to 8:00pm

DateSession
8th January 2025Introduction to the Narrative Approach (Lk 8:22-25)
15th January 2025 The Quinary Scheme (Lk 15:11-32)
22nd January 2025Plot of Resolution vs Plot of Revelation (Lk 5:1-11)
29th January 2025Characters (Lk 10:25-37)
5th February 2025Point-of-View (Lk 19:1-10)

This course has two exit certificate options:

1. Certificate of Participation

The student will receive a Certificate of Participation when attending a minimum of 80% of all contact hours for this course and demonstrating a minimum of brief preparatory work prior to each lecture:

Before coming to class, students will be asked to read a pericope as well as a relevant commentary (provided by the lecturer). Their preparation will be demonstrated by writing a few sentences on or highlighting & briefly annotating the Scriptural passage of interest, then uploading this work to the VLE before the session when work must be presented.

2. Certificate of Achievement

To obtain a Certificate of Achievement, students must satisfy the awarding criteria for a Certificate of Participation as well as pass from a short written assignment.

To be eligible for this course, participants must have completed the ‘Introduction to Sacred Scriptures’ and ‘Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels’ PFI courses at Certificate of Participation level or higher or hold at least an equivalent AFF/MQF Level 4 or higher qualification. Please upload a copy of your relevant certification with the application form.

Knowledge: A familiarity with the major scholastic themes in the study of the Synoptic Gospels.

Language: Applicants must be proficient in both Maltese and English.

Digital: Applicants must be digitally literate particularly, in use of office suites and internet access.

Basic Themes in Catechetical Ministry

29/07/2024

This course is eligible for the Get Formed! scheme, allowing students to reclaim 70% of their course fees upon completion. For more information, visit: https://pfi.edu.mt/get-formed/.

This course presents a holistic understanding of catechetical ministry that responds to contemporary needs. Throughout the course, we’ll explore a diverse range of topics essential for shaping proficient catechetical ministers. From delving into foundational theories to mastering practical methodologies, participants will gain insights into basic catechetical principles, effective lesson planning, and leveraging social sciences to meet the diverse needs of children.

By the end of the course, participants will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to develop a thorough and holistic view of the different aspects that form the core identity of the catechetical minister in the Church.

  • Individuals who are either currently involved in or aspiring to be involved in catechetical ministry within the Church.
  • Individuals who are interested in deepening their understanding of catechesis and its practical application.
Target Audience Age: 18+

The course will be delivered entirely through a series of pre-recorded lectures accessible on our VLE platform at a time and place convenient for you.

In these pre-recorded lectures, the following subjects will be covered:

  • Values as a Catechist
  • Identity of Catechesis
  • The Catechist and the Role in the Church
  • Jesus the Master
  • The 5 Aims of Catechesis
  • Catechesis Languages
  • Catechesis and Liturgy
  • The Catechists’ Spirituality
  • Catechesis for Children and Teenagers with Various Conditions
  • Christian Initiation and Catechesis for Adults
  • Catechetical Meetings and Resources

This course has one exit certificate option: 

  1. Certificate of Participation 
  • View all pre-recorded lectures
  • Pass from short online multiple-choice exams

Teaching Institution/s: Pastoral Formation Institute in collaboration with Lifelong Catechesis

Digital competences:

Applicants are required to have basic computer literacy, mainly how to access and use an internet browser and use a word processor

Language competences:

The student is required to be fluent in Maltese and English.

Exemptions

Applicants must have an MQF/EQF level 5 (or higher) qualification in Theology or Religious Studies, or a General Education Award in Evangelisation, or have completed Module 1 – Faith Foundation for Ministry to apply for this course. Applicants are required to upload a copy of their qualification in the application form below. A formal email will be sent to applicants once the qualifications are reviewed.