Transcript South African Council for Social Service Professions

BRIEFING REPORT:
SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL
SERVICE PROFESSIONS (SACSSP)
TO
THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
President- Ms. Marilyn Setlalentoa
30 May 2007
FOCUS AREAS
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INTRODUCTION
ACHIEVEMENTS, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND
CHALLENGES
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF SOCIAL
WORKERS
ALIGNMENT OF SOCIAL WORK AND CHILD AND
YOUTH CARE TRAINING
COUNCIL’S DATABASE- REGISTERED PERSONS
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICS
RESEARCH ON DEMARCATION
REVIEW OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS ACT
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
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South Africa like many countries in this continent is
plagued by many social and economic problems. There is
great need for social service professions to deal with
these problems. The Council on the other hand, is the
statutory body that is responsible for maintaining
standards for different social service professions
Minister Trevor Manuel in his budget speech said
“human life has equal value” thus emphasising the need
for more social workers to provide professional services
of high quality and standard. He also recognised social
work profession as one of the oldest professions.
INTRODUCTION (Conti…..

The Department of Social Development is at the centre
of the mission to reach vulnerable groups, and the need
for more social service professionals is also addressed in
the budget speech of Minister Skweyiya
Council appreciates the opportunity given by Portfolio
Committee to –
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SHARE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COUNCIL AND PROFESSIONAL BOARDS
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PROVIDE INFORMATION ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS
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SEEK SUPPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
ACHIEVEMENTS
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Developed and implemented the strategic plan for
2007/08 – 9/10
Restructuring of the Council to address equity and
improve operations to promote efficiency and
responsiveness to the sector
Commissioned research on the Demarcation of the fields
of services, Professionalisation and Specialisation
Review of the Social Service Professions Act, 110 of
1978, jointly with the Department
Implementation of learnerships pertaining to social
auxiliary work and auxiliary child and youth care
ACHIEVEMENTS( Conti…
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Implementation of a system for continuing
professional development (CPD) is significant to
ensure that social service professions remain in line
with new developments and deliver quality services.
A policy for the utilisation of ecomeric measuring
instruments by social workers and social auxiliary
workers have been accepted for piloting
Established two Professional Boards - PBSW and
PBCYC
Developed Regulations to register Child and Youth
Care workers
Skills development Indaba
STRATEGIC PLAN 2007/08
In presenting the strategic plan for the 2007/08 financial year,
we outline our intention to streamline social service professions,
to promote efficiency, prevent duplication and to maximize
service delivery in respect of social development; as well as
positively contribute to “social interventions of joint efforts
among all South Africans to improve social cohesion” as mentioned
by President Mbeki in his State of the Nation Address.
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SACSSP employees to excel
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Client centricity
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Foresight and Visionary
thinking
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Positive attitude/optimism
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Trustworthiness
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Respect for the individual
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Understanding as well as
buying into the strategic
vision/ mandate of the
Council
Serving the interest of social
service professionals
STRATEGIC PLAN
SACSSP
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Education and training
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Ethical conduct and
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Professional service
PROGRAMMES AND PRIORITIES
2007/08
CEO’S/REGISTRARS OFFICE
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Policy development to govern
the relationship between Council
and Boards
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Processing of Regulations
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Professionalizing other
occupational groups
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Financial sustainability of the
Council and the Professional
Boards
Expansion of registers of the
social service professions
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Create awareness amongst the public
about the code of conduct expected
from social service professionals
Educate communities about their
rights and recourse if social service
professionals violate these rights
Educate social service stakeholders
about ethics and the role Council
plays in ensuring adherence to the
ethics by social service professionals
Research into trends pertaining to
disciplinary hearings
Compile a compendium of previous
cases for social work students to use
during training
PROGRAMMES AND PRIORITIES
2007/08 (Conti…
EDUCATION AND
DEVELOPMENT
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Continuing Professional
Development (CPD)
Determine more specialised
fields in Social Work
Learnership in Social Auxiliary
Work (SAW), Child and Youth
Care (CYC) etc
Develop minimum standards for
the education and training of
social auxiliary workers and
social workers
Finalise and publish the
regulations for registration of
child and youth care workers
Compliance with norms and
standards for IHL
POLICY AND ADVOCACY
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Enhance image
profession
Development of
Communication
strategy
Constituency
consultation
Management of media
RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT
OF SOCIAL WORKERS
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This matter is of great concern to Council and it is working closely with
the Department on the several programmes, such as:
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Conference to launch the unified professional association in
September 2007
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Skills development indaba
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Setting standards for social auxiliary workers, and facilitating work
with the HWSETA for the training of these workers to support
social workers in service delivery
ALIGNMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
TRAINING
Standards Generating Body (SGB) for Social Work
 SGB was initiated by the SACSSP during 2000, in line
with the requirements of the South African
Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act, 1995. The
SACSSP played an active role in determining the
minimum standards for the education and training of
social workers and social auxiliary workers.
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During the process of determining new minimum
standards, the SACSSP consulted widely and aligned
the standards with social needs of the country and
benchmarking the minimum standards internationally.
ALIGNMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
TRAINING (Conti…
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In line with the minimum standards, new qualifications
were designed for the education and development of
social workers and social auxiliary workers, with
reference to the four year professional qualification
in social work namely the Bachelor of Social Work
(BSW) and the one year social auxiliary work
qualification namely the Further Education and
Training Certificate (FET) in Social Auxiliary Work.
The exit level outcomes of both these qualifications
were aligned with the developmental approach to
social welfare in South Africa.
ALIGNMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
TRAINING (Conti…
Benchmarking of qualifications with new requirements:
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To ensure that all training providers meet the new
requirements, the SACSSP undertook site visits to
universities with a view not only to assess whether
existing learning programmes meet the requirements,
but specifically to empower the universities to align
existing qualifications with the new requirements.
Self-assessment reports were also required from all
the providers, to be submitted to the SACSSP
ALIGNMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
TRAINING (Conti…
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A 100% participation rate was received from the universities and the
implementation of the new programmes was effected from 1 January
2007, with a phasing in approach through all four years of study until
2010, when the first learners will graduate.
Social auxiliary work training:
 As far as the learning programme of the social auxiliary workers is
concerned, the Department of Labour approved the learning programme
as a learnership.
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The new programme is developed to not only address the developmental
approach, but to ensure career pathing since it is an FET Certificate on
NQF Level 4, which should provide learners access to further learning
in higher education with specific reference to social work. The
department has raised concerns about the exit level outcome and this
matter is being addressed jointly with the department and HWSETA
ALIGNMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
TRAINING (Conti…
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Since private institutions may form part of the
provider sector in this regard, the SACSSP developed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Health and Welfare SETA (HWSETA) to ensure that
quality education and training is conducted.
Both the BSW and the FET Certificate in Social
Auxiliary Work must meet the specific exit level
outcomes as formulated by the Standards Generating
Body for Social Work. The Professional Board for
Social Work, under the auspices of the SACSSP, is
currently developing a policy on how providers could
be monitored to ensure that the outcomes that are
supportive of the developmental approach be met.
ALIGNMENT OF CHILD AND
YOUTH CARE TRAINING (Conti….
CHILD AND YOUTH CARE
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Similar to the Social Work profession, the SGB for
Child and Youth Care formulated the standards for
the Further Education and Training Certificate in
Child and Youth Care, which is a one year training
course and a registered learnership with the
Department of Labour.
All learning on this band is now aligned with the
specific outcomes of the unit standards as
formulated in the qualification.
ALIGNMENT OF CHILD AND YOUTH
CARE TRAINING (Conti…
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The SGB has also submitted to SAQA their
proposed requirements for the Bachelor of
Child and Youth Care. Approval of this
qualification is awaited from SAQA.
The members of the Professional Board for
Child and Youth Care, under the auspices of
the SACSSP, participated actively in this
process.
DATABASE OF COUNCIL
CHILD AND YOUTH CARE WORKERS
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It is estimated that there are ±4449 child and youth
care workers in the country, of whom most are at an
FET level and volunteers.
This occupational class is not yet on the register of
Council, as the Regulations to register them is not yet
submitted for approval to the Minister of Social
Development
Figures of the demographic spread is attached as an
annexure to the presentation
DATABASE OF COUNCIL (Conti..
STATISTICS
Registered
persons
2004
2005
2006
2007
Social workers
10645
10676
11414
11962
Social auxiliary
workers
1591
1848
2189
1485
Student- Social
workers
976
976
1126
1061
Registration in
progressclosing date
June 2007
Student Social
Auxiliary
workers
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Student numbers –incorporated in above statistic, June
2006. Those currently still in the process of completing
the Councils course:1739 Council no longer provides its
own training course and SAW’s register in the FET
training programme offered by the HWseta,
FET
Learnerships
210
Figures of the demographic spread is attached as an annexure to the
presentation
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND ETHICS
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The process of addressing issues of
professional misconduct is clearly articulated
in the regulations (as well as the policy
guidelines) of the Social Service Professions
Act, Act 110 of 1978.
Council has made concerted efforts in
promoting professional behaviour on the part
of its constituency by:
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND
ETHICS (Conti..
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placing the Code of Ethics on the website,
compiling a booklet on the Code of Conduct for
social workers/social auxiliary workers and student
social workers
personally presenting workshops to social workers
and student social workers nationally, explaining
the Code of Ethics
by being readily available telephonically to offer
advice to social workers who find themselves in
situations of conflict with the ethical demands of
the profession
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND
ETHICS (Conti..
The implementation of the regulations for
the professional conduct of social service
professionals is a challenging undertaking,
with the following points for deliberation:
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There is an increasing number of complaints
being received from the general public who
feel cheated out of a professional service by
a limited number of social service
professionals.
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND
ETHICS (Conti..
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In this regard the Act does not make provision for
certain issues in relation to professional conduct
Increased number of social workers practising and remain
unregistered. The public, is because of these actions, not
protected
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT AND
ETHICS (Conti..
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administering disciplinary tribunals/hearings against
defaulters where applicable
Listing and reporting of those found guilty in the Council’s
newsletter as well as the Government Gazette as well as
the penalty imposed, to serve as a deterrent.
Council is presently working on the regulations and the
code of ethics for child and youth care workers/student
child and youth care workers, and auxiliary child and
youth care workers
Professional conduct cases
received and attended to
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Professional Conduct Division : Statistics
January 2007- May 2007
Cases finalised
RCPC (complaints
processed at RCPC
level)
Number Finalized
34
Number Currently
being attended to;
execution of
resolutions
45
Number Pending
(awaiting
documents etc)
42
CPI
Disciplinary
Hearings
Appeal Hearings
1
3
1
3
1 (possibility of withdrawal of
disciplinary proceedings)
RESEARCH ON DEMARCATION
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One issue that the Council is confronted with is an
increase in the number of other occupational groups
applying for professional status.
This necessitated research on demarcation of
services which is currently underway, and done in
partnership with the Department of Social
Development.
The rationale for this action is the following:
RESEARCH ON DEMARCATION(
Conti….
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Professionalizing the social service occupations,
ensuring a high level of professionalism in the
social service professions
Categories of professionals targeted in the
research:
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15 social workers and social auxiliary workers
15 community development workers
15 youth workers
15 child and youth care workers
15 social workers- focusing on specialities
15 probation officers
RESEARCH ON DEMARCATION
(Conti….
The research results on demarcating the
fields of service will be incorporated in the
new Social Service Professions Act
 The 2nd draft research report was debated at
the Council and Board meeting on 29 May
2007
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REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE
PROFESSIONS ACT, 110 OF 1978
The said Act was amended from the Social
Work Act. It also does not address the
current challenges of the social services
sector.
 The research findings of the Demarcation of
fields of services are very critical as they will
be filtered into the Act, in that it will
address matters such as –
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REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE
PROFESSIONS ACT, 110 OF 1978 (Conti..
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The development of specialisations and their
registration in the act, with a view to career
pathing as mentioned in the Retention and
Recruitment Strategy for Social Workers
Determining the roles, responsibilities and scope
of practice, of different occupational groups
Developing guidelines for employers of social
service professionals for conditions of service
REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE
PROFESSIONS ACT, 110 OF 1978 (Conti..
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Cheadle Thompson and Haysom Attorneys have
been appointed as the legal drafters
The 3rd draft Social Service Professions Bill was
debated by the Council and the Boards on 29 May
2007.
National and Provincial meetings are scheduled
from 11- 22 June 2007 to ensure stakeholder
participation.
It is envisaged that the Bill would be tabled
before the Portfolio Committee in July 2007
CHALLENGES
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To enhance the image of the social service
professions
To encourage continued professional
development
To provide guidelines to the various
occupational groups in terms of scope of
practice, standards for education and
training and the code of ethics
CHALLENGES (Conti…
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To identify and professionalize where
possible various unregulated groups of
occupations.
To ensure financial sustainability of all
professional boards
To clarify the roles and responsibilities of
the Council versus the Professional Boards.
CHALLENGES (Conti…
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Number of learners needs to increase due to the
provisions of the new Children’s Act and the
requirements pertaining to human resources
needed.
Additional providers are required specifically for
the education and training of social auxiliary
workers.
Buy-in by workplaces at both public and NGO level
into learnerships
CHALLENGES (Conti…
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Training of assessors and moderators is a challenge, since
social workers and child and youth care workers must provide
the learning.
Due to huge workloads, this is an additional burden on the
professions, which result in even a greater demand for human
and financial resources.
Universities can only accept a particular number of social
work students.
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Workplaces for social auxiliary work learners is a problem
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New posts need to be developed for social auxiliary workers.
CHALLENGES
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The Council noted with concern a decrease in
the number of newly qualified social workers
and others leaving the country. Some of the
reasons expressed are:
Salaries for government are not attractive
 NGOs are paying far less than government
 Working conditions are not conducive
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WAY FORWARD
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Registration of child and youth care workers’
Creating awareness amongst civil society
about the code of ethics of social service
professionals
Ensure that Social Services Bill is tabled
before Parliament during this financial year
CONCLUSION (Conti…
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The challenge however is for all social services
professions and stakeholders to work together towards
ensuring the achievement of ”social cohesion and human
solidarity”.
Involving communities in developmental programmes would
reduce dependency on the state and would contribute to
economic growth because the approach will provide job
opportunities.
Social service professionals should be trained in a way
that would contribute economic development of our
people, hence the critical role Continued Professional
Development (CPD) would play.
CONCLUSION (Conti…
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As poverty remains still one of the challenges in
our country, social security and social welfare
services are of paramount importance to improve
the social functioning of our people.
Council sincerely appreciates this opportunity to
present to the Portfolio Committee some of the
achievements and challenges faced by Council.
THANK YOU