State social workers to take over

Department staff will handle vulnerable child cases after NGOs hobbled by huge subsidy cuts

ACONTROVERSIAL policy change will see hundreds of vulnerable children being looked after by state social workers instead of the non-governmental organisations currently dealing with their cases.

This, NGO representatives said, was a result of the millions of rands in child protection subsidies that were withdrawn by the provincial Department of Social Development.

This year, Uviwe Youth and Child Services had its subsidy reduced from R4.6-million to R527 000.

Following pressure from political and civil society, the department backtracked last week, upping the subsidy to R1.8-million.

Uviwe Youth and Child Services director Anna-Louise Olivier said the organisation’s child protection division would still have to close.

“We have told the department we have made peace with its decision and accept the subsidy. The money will relieve our immediate financial pressures,” Olivier said.

“We can only keep one or two social workers so we will use the money to strengthen preventative programmes.”

She said the organisation was very concerned about the children in its care and would meet with the department to discuss a hand-over plan. “If we feel the children are not adequately protected we will consider going to court.”

Uviwe would have to hand over between 700 and 800 cases to government social workers. “We were not consulted,” Olivier said.

The Christelik-Maatskaplike Raad (CMR) had its funding reduced from R3.2-million to R547 000 but following appeals was given an additional R1.9-million.

Late last week, department spokesman Mzukisi Solani said the department was implementing a policy shift. It wanted NGOs to focus on prevention, with statutory protection cases to be handled by the department.

The DA’s Kobus Botha said a transfer plan to ensure vulnerable children were not left without help was now a matter of urgency.

“We can’t get answers from the department. The new funding policy, if it does exist, has not been made available to the portfolio committee.”

He said that, worryingly, no plan for the transfer of cases to state social workers had been produced.

CMR director Magda van Solms said the adjustment of their subsidy meant they would still be able to carry on with their work but social workers would have considerable work burdens.

CMR looks after thousands of vulnerable people, and more than 600 abandoned, neglected and abused children, and runs extensive preventative programmes.

Olivier said they were the only organisations providing support and assessment services for young rape victims in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The child and youth care centres in Port Elizabeth had sent a collective protest document to the department saying budget cuts would leave children in their care more vulnerable than ever.

EP Children’s Home programme director Travis Marshall, who compiled the document, said concerns ranged from ethical issues to not knowing what to tell children about the July holidays.

“Social workers from these organisations are the only bridge between the children and their families,” he said.

“The kids are asking if they can go home for the winter holidays and we can’t give them answers.”

He said in the metro, external social workers from the CMR and Uviwe shouldered the bulk of cases.

“A low child protection workforce means less preventative work. Ultimately it means children most in need of care will not be able to gain access to services offered by child and youth care centres.

“This will mean increased challenging behaviour from the children due to their frustration,” he said.

Solani said the department’s budget for transfers to NGOs had been cut by 25% and none of the NGOs was guaranteed funding for the 2017-18 financial year.

He said 22 new social workers had been appointed for Nelson Mandela Bay.

The new funding policy . . . has not been made available