CHILD AND YOUTH CARE WORK AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY DISCUSSED AT HSDS STRATEGIC SESSION

By: Tholakele Makena

• The Heads of the Social Development Sector (HSDS) strategic session focused on strengthening social service delivery and expanding South Africa’s social service workforce.
• The National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW )highlighted the impact of the Isibindi model in providing psychosocial support services and creating employment opportunities for child and youth care workers.
• Sector leaders reflected on the growing demand for social service professionals amid rising social challenges and ongoing funding and budget pressures.

As social challenges place increasing pressure on communities across South Africa, discussions at Day One of the Heads of the Social Development Sector (HSDS) strategic session in Boksburg focused on the country’s capacity to respond. The session examined ways to strengthen social service delivery and address the growing demand for social service professionals.

Mr Donald Nghonyama, Director of the National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW), reflected on the growth and contribution of child and youth care work in South Africa. His presentation focused on the Isibindi model, a community-based approach designed to provide prevention and early intervention services to vulnerable children and families.

Nghonyama highlighted the model’s role in expanding access to psychosocial support services within communities while also creating employment opportunities for child and youth care workers. He emphasised the need for continued investment in the child and youth care workforce to strengthen community support systems for children and young people.

The session also heard a presentation by Amanda Vokwana, Director: Human Resource Planning and Organisational Design, who outlined the increasing demand for social service professionals in response to increasingly complex social challenges affecting communities across the country.

Her presentation identified substance abuse, gender-based violence and femicide, unemployment, and psychosocial challenges as some of the key factors contributing to the rising need for social services.

Vokwana further reflected on the National Development Plan Vision 2030 target of 55,000 social service professionals, while noting that shortages of social workers remain a challenge despite ongoing employment efforts across provinces and government departments.

She also highlighted collaborative work being undertaken with departments such as Correctional Services, Health, and Basic Education to implement the Social Service Professionals Employment Strategy, approved by Cabinet in 2024.

Funding limitations and budget pressures affecting the employment of unemployed social work graduates also formed part of the discussions. Despite these challenges, the session reaffirmed the important role of social workers and other social service professionals in supporting vulnerable individuals, families, and communities across South Africa.