Extra social workers to ease families’ load during lockdown

IN an effort to assist more vulnerable families who are in need during the lockdown, the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu yesterday said more than 1 000 social workers will be employed on a temporary basis for three months across all nine provinces.

The minister made several announcements yesterday which related to the department’s response to level four lockdown regulations.

“As the lockdown continues to have an impact on individuals and families across South Africa, social service professionals are on the frontline of the national pandemic response.

The additional 1 809 social workers will reinforce the current workforce by providing a range of social work services, including timely psychosocial interventions, to support affected individuals and families,” Zulu said.

The social workers will be allocated per province:

Eastern Cape:    171

Free State:         92

Gauteng:           676

KwaZulu-Natal: 266

Limpopo:           116

Mpumalanga:   128

Northern Cape:  33

North West:       81

Western Cape:  246

Priority will be given to social work graduates who have registered on the department’s database of unemployed qualified social work graduates, developed in 2019. A further 1 210 unemployed social work graduates will be given a one-year internship opportunity in a joint venture between HW-SETA, the South African Council for Social Service Practitioners (SACSSP), the DSD and Wits Health Consortium. The SACSSP will ensure that all graduates signed up for these two projects are verified and licensed to practice. They will all be exposed to training before their placement.

The minister said the provision of psychosocial support services are an integral part of disaster response as it helps individuals and communities to rebuild their lives.  “The social workers will have their jobs cut out for them: They will among others, be used to also assist with the placement of the 19 000 offenders that will be released in the near future to assist overcrowded prisons in diminishing the risk of Covid-19 infections.”

Furthermore, statutory services must be provided by social services practitioners supported by relevant staff, and children may be released and discharged from facilities upon a social worker’s recommendation and reunited with families. Victims and survivors of gender-based violence as well as the disabled, who are ready to be released, may be referred for further support by related service providers including civil society organisations. Psychosocial support services, including the screening of and referrals for substance abuse to already identified shelters, must also be provided to homeless people.

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