Developmental Social Welfare: transforming social services in SA

Lucy Jamieson

Children’s Rights

S 28(1)(c)Every child has the rightto basic nutrition, shelter,

basic health careservices and social

services

The right tofamily care orparental care

The right to appropriatealternative care when

removed from thefamily environment

The right to beprotected from all

forms of abuse andneglect

The right to aname and anationality

The right to be protectedfrom exploitive labor

practices/ not to performharmful or inappropriate

work Rights of childrenin trouble with the

law

The right to legalassistance

The right not to beused in armed

conflict

A child’s best interestsare of paramount

importance

Rights in South Africa

Socio-economic rights in the Constitution: Everyone has the right to an environment that is not

harmful to health or wellbeing Everyone has the right to have access to adequate

housing Everyone has the right to have access

to health care services, including reproductive health care; Sufficient food and water; and Social security and social assistance.

Everyone has the right to an education Everyone has the right to equality/ non-

discrimination Everyone has inherent human dignity Freedom from violence

Policies that shape the model of social services

Major policies shaping South African model:

White Paper for Social Welfare 1997 Policy for Financial Awards to Services

Providers 2004, affects subsidies to NGOs and salaries (currently under review – NWF seminars and submissions)

Service Delivery Model for Developmental Social Services 2006

Social Services in a Developmental Welfare Model

Funding gap

Rights based approach Constitution and international law Emphasis on support to families and prevention

Economic development and Social Development Fight poverty and dependency

Democracy and Participation Community Involvement Including children in decision-making

Social Development Partnerships Government, NGO, informal and commercial sector roles

No Macro and Micro Divide Strengthening Community Based Structures

Conceptualising Developmental Welfare in South Africa

Conceptualising Developmental Welfare in South Africa Inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary

Joined up government through interdepartmental planning and service delivery

Multi-disciplinary teams

Transformation criteria for access to funding implement programmes aimed at early intervention

and prevention; provide services irrespective of race, gender and

service beneficiaries’ ability to pay; keep service beneficiaries in their homes and

communities; and redirect services to previously marginalized

communities and prioritize service delivery to the most vulnerable

New legislation based on DSW Children’s Act no.38 of 2005 Children’s Amendment Act no. 41 of

2007 Sexual Offences Act no. 32 of 2007 Child Justice Bill B 49B of 2002 Older Persons Act No. 13 of 2006

Legislation demands range of social service practitionersChildren’s Act 2005 and 2007 recognises the full

range of social service practitioners.

“social service professionals” probation officer, development worker, child and youth care worker, youth worker, social auxiliary worker and social security worker

“Social workers” are listed separately

Other practitioners mentioned in the legislation: Early childhood development practitioners (unregulated) Managers, administrators, cooks, drivers, gardeners,

volunteers (unregulated) Police, magistrates, clerks, lawyers, family advocates

(Law Society) Psychologists (HPC)

Human resources gapCategories of workers available vs needed:Social workers and auxiliaries - 12,000 registered approx 7000 available for

implementation of the Children’s Act - Between 16 000 and 66 000 neededChild and youth care workers and auxiliaries - approx 7000 available - need not known = at least as many if not more

than the numbers of social workers neededECD practitioners - approx 55 000 available - need not know = at least 105 000 needed

Challenges to implementation of the new legislation

Only those who are registered under the Social Service Professions Act of 1978 may perform functions under the Children’s Act

Currently the only practitioners that can register: social workers and auxiliaries

PB does exist for child and youth care workers but there has been little progress in recognising child and youth care worker as a profession and providing for the registration of child and youth care workers

The Council is the profession that is allowed to register i.e. social workers.

Scarcity of all the social service practitioners needed

Gap between government and NPO salaries

Key Questions What services are needed to give life to

the Developmental Social Welfare model?

What role does your profession/occupational group play? (What is the unique role?)

What other professions do you work with?

What challenges do you face as profession?