GENERAL AND ANNUAL REPORT: BRIEFING OF THE PORTFOLIO

COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON 19 OCTOBER 2005

SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS

BACKGROUND OF COUNCIL

SACSSP established and functions in terms of the Social Service Professions Act, 1978 Act 110 of 1978 as amended.

Act as amended inter alia makes provision for the establishment of professional boards for social service professions.

A priority of Council is to draft a new act.

BACKGROUND OF COUNCIL (Conti…

First SACSSP completed its five year term of office in 2004, laid foundation for new Council.

First two professional boards established under Council’s auspices on 3 February 2005.

MEMBERS OF 2ND SACSSP

1- Appointed by the Minister of

Education

11- Appointed by the Minister of Social

Development

6- Elected

COUNCIL AND BOARD’S ROLE AND OBJECTIVES

Council –

• determining, guiding and directing authority body within structure of social service professions;

• protector of the interests of clients of social service professions; and

• promotes interests of those registered with it.

Boards –

• regulation of all matters pertaining to profession(s) under ambit of board concerned.

ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRST SOCIAL

SERVICE PROFESSIONAL BOARDS Council - umbrella body and juristic person.

Professional boards - Council’s delegates, responsible for profession(s) under their ambit.

First professional boards established during February 2005 (Professional Board for Social Work and Professional Board for Child and Youth Care).

Professional Board for Probation Services to follow.

ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRST SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL BOARDS (Conti….

Professional board established by Minister on recommendation of Council.

Practitioners of profession concerned lodge application for a board to be established, with Council.

If application meets criteria, Council recommends to Minister for board to be established.

Professional Board for Social Work

Members:

• Prof Nomvula MTETWA (Chairperson) (Appointed to represent the community)• Ms Nozuko YOKWANA (Vice-Chairperson) (Appointed to represent the community)

• Ms Margot Ann DAVIDS (Appointed member in the employment of a social development department in the provincial sphere of Government)

• Ms Janet Angela DU PREEZ (Elected social worker)• Ms Marieta Lamencia KEMP (Elected social worker)• Prof Antoinette LOMBARD (Elected social worker)• Mr Kgabo Gabriel MAPOTSE (Appointed person versed in law)• Prof Ntombifikile Margaret MAZIBUKO (Elected to represent social

work education and training institutions)• Mr Samuel Zwelaba MNAMATELLI (Elected social auxiliary worker)• Prof Vishanthie SEWPAUL (Elected social worker)• Dr Sello Levy SITHOLE (Designated by the SACSSP)

Generally taken over functions previously fulfilled by the Council regarding the social work profession.

Professional Board for Child and Youth Care

Members: • Ms Janet Merle ALLSOPP (Elected child and youth care worker)• Dr Senathi FISHA (Chairperson) (Appointed to represent the community)• Rev Barrie James LODGE (Elected child and youth care worker)• Ms Sbongile Cynthia MANYATI (Elected child and youth care worker)• Ms MRM MOTHAPO (Appointed person versed in law)• Mr Donald NGHONYAMA (Appointed to represent the community) • Ms Bessie NKOSI (Appointed member in the employment of a social

development department in the provincial sphere of Government)• Mr Ashley THERON (Elected child and youth care worker) • Ms Zenuella Sugantha THUMBADOO (Vice-Chairperson) (Elected child

and youth care worker)• Ms Jacqueline Anne WINFIELD (Elected to represent child and youth

care education and training institutions)

Immediate priorities: Drafting and implementation of regulations for establishing registers for practitioners, establishing criteria for registration, setting of fees to be paid for registration, determining acts or omissions which shall constitute unprofessional conduct, and formulating code of ethics.

FUNDING OF COUNCIL

Council does not receive money automatically from Department of Social Development. Council’s main source of revenue is annual and registration fees payable by persons registered with the Council. Practitioners of social service profession for which a professional board has been established should be enabled to register and start contributing financially to the Council as soon as possible after establishment a board.Councils’ activities divided into programmes each with its own budget.

FUNDING RECEIVED FROM DEPARTMENT

OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Establishment of professional boards severely taxing Council’s financial resources.

Council gratefully acknowledges financial contributions from Department of Social Development.

SALARIES AND SERVICE CONDITIONS -

SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL Council strongly supports Government’s focus on poverty and accompanying socio-economic problems. Apparent increased demand for services of social workers.Low salaries for social workers a serious concern for many years.Council compiled a Guideline document for the remuneration, service conditions and human resource management in the social service professions in 2002.

SALARIES AND SERVICE CONDITIONS - SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL (Conti…

Submissions to Minister and Department of Public Administration, and Minister and Department of Social Development in 2002. Departmental task team to deal with the remuneration, grading and job descriptions of social workers employed in the public sector.

Salary adaptations for social workers in public sector.

SALARIES AND SERVICE CONDITIONS -

SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL (Cont….

Finance Minister’s announced improvement of salaries of social workers in public sector (Budget Speech for 2005/6). Further widening of gap between NPO/NGO and public sectors. NPO/NGO sector a major provider of direct services.Some provinces increased subsidies. Department produced draft Retention Strategy for Social Workers.NACOSS research.

SOCIAL WORKERS LEAVING FOR ABROAD

“Brain drain” –

An inability to find employment in South Africa

Low salaries and remuneration.

High work loads, especially in the case of statutory work.

Effect of “global village”

1ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS Conference held during October 2004.

Theme: Dialogue across disciplines – Partnership in development.

Co-hosted by Council and Department of Social Development.

Attended by 658 delegates.

Objectives achieved to establish positive working relationships with all social service professionals.

Conference Declaration.

EDUCATION & TRAINING Name change of social work qualification to Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) Degree

All universities to comply with exit level outcomes formulated by SGB for Social Work

Council to play an active role in quality assuring contents of social service learning programmes

Re: FET Certificate in Social Auxiliary Work, SACSSP facilitated following developments:

EDUCATION & TRAINING (Conti..

Equivalent of Grade 12 Certificate

Career path and access to studying of professional degree in Social Work

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) now a reality.

COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Research amongst social workers

First Conference of the HWSETA

Community Development workers

Publication of Newsletter of the Council

Visits national and provincial departments and organisations responsible for social development services

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Council is finalising its new Code of Ethics for Social Work as well as its Policy Guidelines for the Course of Conduct, Code of ethics and the rules for Social Workers. These documents will be expanded to provide for the social service professions other than social work under auspices of the Council.

CONCLUSION SACSSP and its newly established professional boards are fulfilling their statutorily awarded regulatory role regarding the social service professions concerned in all earnest:

Council and professional board are vigorously attending to setting criteria for registration of practitioners of new profession of child and youth work, registers for their registration to be up and running in foreseeable future.

Council attending to drafting of a new Act and is planning to submit it to Parliament for finalisation by the end of 2006 beginning of 2007.

CONCLUSION (Conti…Serious demands are made on the Council’s human and financial resources. Additional resources would have to be obtained as a matter of priority to ensure that the Council is in a position to fulfil its responsibilities.

Council sincerely appreciates this opportunity to present the Portfolio Committee with some of the highlights comprising the most contentious and important issues that the Council dealt with during 2005 and 2006 and with which it is to deal with in the foreseeable future.

THANK YOU