Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe said the number of unemployed social workers was likely to decrease over the coming financial years after cabinet took a decision that a select few departments should hire social services professionals.

“The Cabinet in February this year approved a strategy of employing social services professionals by the following departments: police, defence, health, correctional services and basic education.

“The department held a workshop with the identified departments in September to unpack the strategy and get commitment from all these departments for the employment of social service professionals,” Tolashe said.

The minister was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Bridget Masango, who enquired about the total number social workers, auxiliary workers and psychologists that were trained by her department and graduated in the past four years.

Masango also asked about the current number of unemployed categories of professionals that have lock-in clauses with each provincial department and the arrangements her department has with different tertiary institutions to recruit the graduates.

In her response, Tolashe said the country was currently facing a number of social ills ranging from poverty to substance abuse and high levels of crime, abuse of the elderly and child-headed households.

“Social services professionals are the backbone of these service delivery in the department as they deal with the most vulnerable citizens, providing them with much-needed psychosocial support in times of need.

“However, the department does not have capacity to employ all needed human resources due to budget limitations.”

She also said the reduction in the compensation of employees budget across the public service has negatively impacted the ability at national and provincial departments to employ the unemployed social work graduates and other social service professionals.

“In the past four years a total of 493 social workers were trained as part of the scholarship that the department was offering.

“The scholarship has been stopped due to low absorption levels.”

No auxiliary social workers were trained and only three clinical psychologists were trained and graduated in the past four years.

Tolashe said there were 6671 unemployed social workers in all nine provinces with the majority being in KwaZulu-Natal at 3153 and Eastern Cape at 1086.

Masango noted with concern that South Africa has over 6 000 qualified social workers that were unemployed amid the crisis of social ills facing the nation.

“It is clear the Department needs urgent engagements with Treasury regarding the filling of vacant posts,” Masango said.

Tolashe said her department does not have any arrangements with tertiary institutions for the recruitment and training of social workers, social auxiliary workers and psychologists.

“Based on their enrolment targets as well as preferred choice of study and institution, grade 12 learners would apply to study towards qualification in any of the three programmes.”

Tolashe added that the department’s bursary programme and the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority learnership contracts did not have lock-in clauses binding the department to employ students and learners after the completion of their studies.

“Recruitment for appointments in the Public Service is not done directly from tertiary institutions.

“As such no graduates were recruited, therefore, no province explored direct recruitment of graduates from tertiary institutions.”

She stated that the Department of Social Development was the lead department responsible for social service professionals through the Council for Social Service Professions that reports directly to her.

“The department ensures that social service professionals are trained and absorbed, however, the department can only account for the number of social workers, child and youth care workers, community development practitioners and social auxiliary workers.”

The minister said her department had 9 652 child and youth care auxiliary workers, 475 child and youth care professionals, 14 897 social auxiliary workers, 44 525 social workers, bringing the total number to 69 549 social services professionals.

Masango said while the department was unable to provide the necessary services due to budget constraints and staff shortages, NGOs were being cut off and prevented from filling the gaps.

“The result is ever-increasing social ills plaguing our communities across the country.

“If government cannot employ enough social workers to address the situation and provide much-needed support and care, and if it prevents NGOs from filling the gap, South Africa will continue to have an increase in gender-based violence,” she said.

Cape Times

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