Social Development
- (a) What are the procedures and criteria to (i) register a drug rehabilitation facility with his department and (ii) qualify to receive departmental support for such a facility and (b) what support are currently provided by his Department to registered rehabilitation facilities.
(2)(a) how many registered drug rehabilitation facilities are currently operating in the province and (b) how many patients were treated at these registered facilities in (i) 2023, (ii) 2024 and (iii) 2025 to date?
1) (a)(i) Registration of treatment options is regulated by section 14, 19 and 21 of the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act. Section 19 specifically apply to the registration of inpatient treatment centres:
Procedure to register:
Treatment facilities apply to the Department of Social Development (DSD) on a Form 4 prescribed by the Regulations of the Act. Designated officials will conduct a completeness verification. In the instance where the application is incomplete, the Department provide pre-application support to ensure that the service provider receive adequate guidance to submit a complete application.
In the event where a complete application is received, a formal assessment is scheduled and conducted by a designated official and outsource nursing service provider. Facilities are monitored against the prescribed norms and standards, and a nationally approved tool is utilised that has been updated to administratively calculate the determination to register or not, and/or to determine whether such registration will be conditional (12-month period) or in full (5-year period).
If the determination is to register, in accordance with the provincial standard operating procedure for the registration of inpatient treatment centres, the facility will be provided with a registration certificate within 30 days after such assessment. The regulations afford the department a period of 90 days to conclude on the registration process, subjected to the submission of a complete application.
Criteria to register
Completion of the Form 4 include various documentation. In essence, such facility must provide all the required local authority certification inclusive of:
- Registration as a legal entity (NPO, NPC or Pty Ltd)
- Appropriate zoning to operate a treatment centre (in accordance with the municipalities planning law)
- Fire clearance issued by the Chief Fire Inspector
- Health Clearance issued by the Environmental Health Practitioner
- Occupancy Certificate issued by local authorities
- Food Acceptability Certification
Furthermore, the facility must operate a biopsychosocial social approach which is verifiable on the employment/staffing structure of the facility.
Other criteria include inter alia:
- Structured treatment programmes and philosophy
- Adequate governance structures
- Sound financial Management and Human Resource practices
- Services in accordance with the prescribed norms and standards
- Effective Health and Safety Systems and procedures
- Safe environment and adequate amenities
- Policy position on operative areas of functioning
(ii) Any facility can make application for funding to the provincial Department of Social Development subject to available budget and compliance with registration as legislated. The Department implement a 3-year funding cycle and advertise widely the call for proposals. All received applications is subjected to eligibility criteria which is considered based on the registration status and the demand/need for such service.
(b) The levels of support to unfunded private treatment centres are primarily of a regulatory function which include the following:
- Technical guidance and support in relation to all areas of operation
- Reporting platform for critical incidences
- Complaints management and investigations
- Continuous compliance monitoring (All registered facilities receive 2 visits annually, 1 announced and 1 unannounced)
The levels of support available to the private funded treatment centres are:
- Financial aid in the form of subsidisation (procurement of bedspaces) for voluntary and involuntary service users
- Annual performance monitoring
- Technical guidance and support in relation to all areas of operation
- Reporting platform for critical incidences
- Complaints management and investigations
- Continuous compliance monitoring (All registered facilities receive 2 visits annual, 1 announced and 1 unannounced)
2) (a) There are currently 27 registered inpatient treatment facilities operating in the province. The five private and funded by the DSD is Ramot, Hesketh King, Toevlug, Namaqua Treatment Centre and Saartjie Baartman.
The other 22 registered inpatient treatment centres is privately owned businesses that admit on client payment, either through cash payment or medical aid claims.
Kensington Youth Treatment Centre is the public treatment centre that provides inpatient treatment to 30 adolescent girls with substance use disorders over an eight week treatment cycle.
(b)(i)(ii)(iii) The DSD keeps data of bedspaces subsidised at the 5 NGO-run inpatient treatment centres that admit across the WC province. The verified performance for the 5 centres across the province is:
2023 – a total of 652 service users admitted and discharged after treatment completion
2024 – a total of 649 service users admitted and discharged after treatment completion
2025 – to date 348 service users admitted and discharged after treatment. (Only 2 quarters data verified, the Q3 and Q4 of the reporting period will only be available after end of April 2026).
