The Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) recorded a 4.3% increase in people seeking its services in 2024, assisting 24,618 individuals across 25,941 cases, nearly double the number of clients compared to a decade ago.

The figures were revealed in the FSWS 2024 annual report presented on Monday morning, which details the rising social challenges in Malta, as well as the trust people place in FSWS agencies.

Chairperson George Borg said that 2024 "brought a substantial increase in requests for support," adding that the management and board had worked to remain proactive in meeting growing social needs.

"Year after year we see more people turning to us. We have tried to be proactive, especially in how we provide support," Borg said, during the presentation of the foundation's annual report.

He said that the foundation has been collaborating with MCAST to encourage more young people to take up the social work profession, given the growing demand for qualified workers.

"This year MCAST had 15 second-year students and a new cohort of 21 first years, making 36 in all," Borg said.

Borg said the increase in service users inevitably requires more professionals, more resources, and more space.

"We are working hard towards a one-stop-shop system for the services we provide, and we're seeing very high levels of satisfaction from both service users and employees," he said.

A study by statistician Vincent Marmarà found that more than 60% of respondents said social benefits had improved their quality of life, while over 70% were satisfied with the information provided about the benefits they receive, a result Borg said shows "the trust people have in the system."

He described 2024 as "a year of collective collaboration," marked by the signing of a new collective agreement which he said recognised the work and dedication of the foundation's employees.

Borg also said FSWS continued to prioritise external evaluations and reviews to strengthen its operations, particularly within the Child Protection Service (CPS).

"It is healthy to have external experts review what we're doing, it helps us improve," he said.

Minister for Social Policy and Children's Rights Michael Falzon commended FSWS's work and said that while the numbers reflect growing needs, each figure represents a person, a family, and a story.

"Numbers do not lie, we have seen more people and we have invested in more workers, but we have to go a step further and remember that these numbers represent people," Falzon said.

Falzon said that despite technological progress, "we are also seeing artificial humanity in some circumstances," and that the core of social work must remain deeply human.

"The essence of social work is people. If we think we can solve all social problems, we would be dreaming, but we must always do our utmost to make a difference," Falzon said.

The Minister said the FSWS budget "has kept increasing" because spending on social welfare is not an expense but an investment.

"In the social sector, you do not spend, you invest, because every euro invested in people returns multiple benefits to society," he said.

Falzon praised social workers for their commitment to inclusion and empathy, adding that "the easiest thing is to judge, but that is not for us."

CEO Alfred Grixti presented detailed statistics showing a consistent rise in demand for FSWS services.

In 2024, the foundation handled 25,941 cases involving 24,618 individuals, a steady increase from 2023 and double the figures registered in 2013.

The Appoġġ agency remained the most sought-after service, handling over 10,000 cases, or 39% of all FSWS cases, followed by the Child Protection Service (18%).

Gozo, Grixti said, "is a microcosm of what happens in Malta," reflecting the same patterns of need.

At the end of 2024, the CPS had around 900 pending cases, largely due to the sharp rise in mandatory reporting of child-related concerns.

"Many of these reports come in during separations or disputes, and we have to investigate them all," Grixti explained.

He said the service had undergone capacity building and recruitment over the past year and expects waiting lists to decrease.

Women continued to make up the majority of FSWS clients, 53% female versus 47% male, Grixti said.

The distribution by age group was "almost perfectly balanced," Grixti said, covering all generations from youths to the elderly.

He noted a growing number of elderly clients, including older individuals battling addiction, with the foundation working closely with the Active Ageing Agency through formal cooperation agreements.

In 2024, 84% of FSWS clients were Maltese (21,816) while 16% were foreign nationals, with similar gender distribution across both groups.

The largest age cohorts were 17-year-olds and people aged over 60, showing the wide social reach of FSWS services, Grixti said.

Geographically, the Northern Harbour district accounted for the largest share of clients (6,544 cases, 25%), followed by the Southern Harbour district (5,732, 22%), South Eastern (3,917, 15%), Northern (3,712, 15%), Western (2,411, 9%), and Gozo (2,095, 8%).

"Let us not stigmatise one town over another," Grixti said, noting that social difficulties exist across all communities.

The top five presenting problems among FSWS clients were: health-related issues, child abuse, domestic violence, addictive behaviour, and mental health challenges.

Grixti also presented data showing the foundation's expanding budget and workforce.

Over the past decade, FSWS's financial allocation has quadrupled, reaching nearly €4 million in 2024.

Grixti said that the FSWS is one of Malta's largest employers, with employees across various professions, including over 300 social workers.

"Of these professionals, 77% work directly with clients, we don't just warm chairs," Grixti said.

Grixti said that an FSWS economist found that for every €1 invested in the foundation, the State saves around €4, as the foundation's interventions prevent higher costs that would otherwise fall on other government services.

"If FSWS didn't exist, the government would have to spend much more to provide the same level of care," he said.

Among the foundation's main achievements in 2024 were the celebration of the 30th anniversaries of Agenzija Sedqa, the Child Welfare Service, and the Domestic Violence Service, he said.

Grixti said that a new collective agreement was signed, granting employees an average 22% salary increase over its term, alongside a separate management agreement.

"We put our money where our mouth is. It was a successful year, for one collective agreement, we delivered two," Grixti said.

He added that FSWS also began the electrification of its vehicle fleet and completed the renovation of Dar l-Impenn, while honouring its Employee of the Year and Team of the Year - the Home-Based Therapeutic Service (HBTS) team.

Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Children's Rights Mark Musù said the figures presented by Grixti were "impressive," showing that social cases and individuals assisted have doubled in ten years.

He said that the increase reflects both greater social challenges and the foundation's expanded capacity to reach those in need.

"The concept of outreach is crucial, we are no longer waiting for people to come to us. Through new programmes, we are proactively reaching out to families before their situations deteriorate," he said.

Musù said that behind each of the nearly 26,000 cases assisted in 2024 there are families and stories, not just statistics.

"This is not only about providing financial aid, it is about improving people's wellbeing and quality of life in all its aspects," he said.