AIDS 2012 - Turning the Tide Together Strengthening the Social Service Workforce in South Africa Zeni Thumbadoo, National Association of Child Care Workers, South Africa INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2012
Feb 22, 2016
AIDS 2012 - Turning the Tide Together
Strengthening the Social Service Workforce
in South AfricaZeni Thumbadoo, National Association of Child Care
Workers, South Africa
INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2012
PEPFAR/USAID Support
Support for strengthening the Social Service in Africa– Country-specific Technical Assistance– Global Initiatives
• Social Welfare Workforce Strengthening Conference• The Global Social Service Workforce Strengthening Alliance
Support for strengthening the Social Service Workforce in South Africa
– Facilitating advocacy by non-governmental partners– Training & capacity building for the workforce– Piloting innovative models– Supporting implementation
The South African Context
Legislation– The Children’s Act– The Social Service Professions
ActOther Factors– Need for a children’s
workforce – The Child and Youth Care Worker
The National Association of Child Care Workers, South Africa
Objectives– Planning for, developing and supporting Child and Youth
Care Workers (C&YCWs)– Training, advocacy, policy development, conferences,
journals, services, international liaison, model developmentThe role of the Child and Youth Care Worker in the Workforce
– C&YCWs operate in different settings-residential care, communities and families work, schools, courts (intermediaries, assistance probation officers)
– C&YCWs in the HIV/AIDS pandemic response
The Isibindi Model
C&YCWs support children in the epidemic in rural communities and families– Focus: poverty pockets, unemployment, women– Focus: skills development, training, career
pathing– Focus: recognition and professionalization– Focus: grassroots development – a developing
workforce in a developing countryApproximately 800 C&YCWs currently provide services to over to 100 000 children
C&YCW Services providedwithin the Isibindi Model
C&YCWs support OVC families by:
–Working in their lifespace
– Using daily life events developmentally and therapeutically
–Working ‘in the moment’
Partnership with the South African Ministry of Social Development
Isibindi Scale up Strategy– Increased job creation
• The Ministry will hire 10 000 C&YCWs by 2017 ( 5 years)– Increased service delivery
• The Ministry will support a total of 400 Isibindi projects and services to 1,4 million children
– More effective implementation of legislation• Services are aligned with SA and international children’s
policy/legislation– Stronger coordination and sustainability within the workforce
• C&YCWs will be integrated and institutionalized within the public workforce in SA
The Isibindi Scale-up
PEPFAR/USAID Support assists with:–Maintaining
quality– Promoting
stakeholder collaboration
– Evaluation–Ongoing
innovation– Planning for
the future
Partnerships to support expansion of C&YCW cadre in Africa
• NACCW conferences – Africa Day programs • 15 different countries
• Isibindi and C&YCW training • Zambia (ZACCW)• Zimbabwe• Rwanda (pending)
• Visits and discussions • Botswana• Kenya• Ethiopia
Thank you!• For further information– Isibindi Project
http://www.naccw.org.za/isibindi/index.html – National Association of Child Care Workers
http://www.naccw.org.za/ – OVCSupport.net/Social Welfare Workforce
Strengthening http://www.ovcsupport.net/s/index.php?c=114