Policy for Social Service Practitioners

The policy is a product of a protracted process to review the Social Service Professions Act 110 of 1978 as amended in 1998. The aim of the 1998 amendment was to transform the social services sector and make the legislation more inclusive of a broader range of social service practitioners. The policy development process was initiated in December 2011 and involved extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders and interested parties. The process resulted in six drafts of the document, with all feedback and comments received during the consultative processes being considered. The policy aims to provide a framework for the regulation of social service practitioners, including the recognition of emerging categories of practitioners. The policy objectives are to outline categories of social service practitioners requiring regulation, provide for minimum requirements for social service practice, describe institutional and regulatory requirements for the statutory body, and identify norms and standards required to promote professional and ethical practice by practitioners, education and training providers, and employers. The policy recognizes that the human resource profile within the social development sector was previously restricted to one social development professional, namely the social worker. This restriction was detrimental to service provision and affected the organizational structure. The policy aims to address this limitation by recognizing emerging categories of social service practitioners and providing a framework for their regulation. The policy provides for the regulation of social service practitioners, including social workers, child and youth care practitioners, community development practitioners, early childhood development practitioners, and caregivers. The policy outlines the qualifications, scope of work, and specializations for each category of practitioner. The policy also provides for institutional and regulatory requirements for the statutory body, including the Ministry of Social Development, the Statutory Body, and the Professional Boards. The policy outlines the powers and responsibilities of the Council, the Professional Boards, and the Occupational Boards, as well as the guidelines for the establishment and operations of these bodies. The policy aims to promote professional and ethical practice by practitioners, education and training providers, and employers. The policy provides for norms and standards, including a code of good practice for employers, supervision, continuing professional development, and compulsory community service. The policy concludes by emphasizing the importance of collaboration between practitioners in service delivery to prevent duplication of services and promote collaborative partnerships. The policy aims to ensure that the social services sector is regulated in a way that promotes professional and ethical practice, and provides a framework for the regulation of social service practitioners.