Social Development

(a) The Western Cape DSD provides Awareness, Prevention and Early Intervention, Statutory and Reunification services to children and their families, through its regional offices and partnerships with the Designated Child Protection Organizations (DCPO’s - NPO sector) in line with the Children’s Act (Act 38 of 2005).

Key services include:

Awareness and Prevention:

• Educational and information programmes targeting children, parents, caregivers, families and communities with the focus on:
• Strengthening resilience in children and families to prevent child abuse, neglect, exploitation, trafficking, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy.
• Parental responsibilities and rights, completing of Form 22 & Form 23 and reporting of child abuse neglect and exploitation in terms of the Children’s Act 38/2005.

Early Intervention (PEI) Programmes presented by DCPO’s:

• Parenting skills training
• Life skills programmes for children and youth
• Therapeutic and developmental services
• Anti-bullying
• Teenage pregnancy
• Behaviour Modification
• Social relief program (ACVV)
• Isolabantwana (Eye on the Child) (Child Welfare South Africa)
• Boy / Girl Child Program (Child Welfare South Africa)
• Gender Based Violence (GBV)
• Safety and Risk Assessments
• CORE PACKAGE OF SERVICES for at-risk children and their families in the community.
• Programmes targeting children at risk and children with risky behaviour

Statutory Child Protection Services:

• Investigations of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation
• Alternative care placements:  Temporary Safe Care, Foster Care, Cluster Foster Care and Adoption.
• Mediation services/Parenting plans
• Foster care supervision services
• Support groups for foster parents
• Capacity building for child protection social workers and social auxiliary workers, i.e. Safety risk Assessment Tool, Therapeutic programme for children and families affected by sexual abuse, updates children’s Act, etc.
• National audits done on the Implementation of the Children’s act and norms and standards
• Operational after-hours services (Service Delivery Areas and Provincial)
• Support groups for foster children

Re-unification Services: Support services that assist children and families to maintain their level of reconnection with their families or communities of origin which includes:

• Family reunification services
• Transitional care
• Exit programs for children in alternative care who are 15/16 years and older.
• After care services to children who have been reunified into the care of their biological parents.

(b) The Western Cape DSD ensures a co-ordinated response through the following:

• A Provincial Child Protection Forum was established with all relevant stakeholders that has a role to play in child protection services
• Established regional Children & Family forums which include all relevant stakeholders
• Child Death review panels of children that died under unnatural circumstances have been established with DOH, SAPs  and other relevant role-players
• DSD participation in Area Based Teams together with other Western Cape Government Departments, SAPS, Municipal Police and other roleplayers in crime hotspots
• In some regions social work supervisors of WCED forms part of the social workers supervisor learning forum
• Regular engagements with the Department of Home Affairs, SASSA and National DSD