Mireia Vall, Juan Carlos Batanés, Carlos Campuzano, Toni Espinal and Montse Barniol
The entity has transferred to the minister the need to give urgent response to the lack of places, especially in residential housing and with the diversity of highly complex profiles, among them autism, multiple disabilities and behavioural disorders.
The Minister of Social Rights of the Generalitat, Carles Campuzano, has visited this Friday the residence and school “Els Companys” of the foundation AMPANS in Sant Fruitós de Bages. In this residence, the foundation accompanies 30 children and adolescents with severe autism and highly complex behaviour. The residence-school “Els Companys” is one of the few community services in Catalonia for this profile of children and adolescents who need an intensive accompaniment for their development and behavioural habilitation.
Afterwards, the minister visited the special education school Jeroni de Moragas, also from the AMPANS foundation, to know first-hand the growing profiles of children with special needs: autism, multiple disabilities and behavioural disorders.
Accompanied by the director of AMPANS, Toni Espinal, and the heads of the respective areas, the councillor Carles Campuzano was also able to visit the Julio Payàs residence that accompanies adults with generalised support needs. This residence, located on the Comabella estate in Santpedor, has a rehabilitation project pending approval and execution by the Generalitat.
Toni Espinal, director of AMPANS, thanked the councillor for his visit, stressing that “he is a person who knows the sector, with whom we have been working for years and who has a clear desire to accompany the sector in social transformation, with facilities that promote the inclusion and quality of life of the people we serve“. AMPANS works with a waiting list of more than 300 people who need a spot in a residence. The organisation is immersed in four new residential projects in Manresa, Balsareny, Santpedor and Terrassa, to alleviate the shortage of places.
During the visit, the minister was accompanied by the director of Social Services of the Generalitat, Mireia Vall, the government delegate in central Catalonia, Montserrat Barniol, and the mayors of Sant Fruitós de Bages, Joan Carles Batanés, and Santpedor, Agustí Comas, who highlighted the networking promoted by the organisation with the local councils to promote inclusion through community participation and territorial projects.