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DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

concluded that it would use a parenting leadership critical posts aligned to the reviewed organisational
approach to support the Social Development Sector structure to ensure that the core mandate will be met.
(Provinces and the Agencies). The model has been The prioritisation of women, youth and persons with
accepted by all stakeholders in the Sector. This was disabilities will remain a priority as the Department
followed by a Ethics and Culture Survey to address both fills the prioritized posts in line with the Departmental
the morale of staff and more importantly to have an Employment Equity Targets.
ethically driven Department.
The Department has also taken a conscious decision
The outcomes of the Culture Survey will be implemented not to fill posts for the sake of reducing the vacany
in the next cycle whilst the draft Ethics Framework and rate but to identify posts and skills that are critical
Strategy has been developed. The structure will be and which have been lacking in the Department to be
implemented once the two outstanding processes are prioritized. To this end the Department will prioritise
finalised which are the Business Process Mapping and specialist posts (Actuarialists, researchers, developers,
Work Measurement. These two activities together with data analysts and ICT skills) for filling. The additional
what has been already done is what the Department demand for services since the COVID-19 pandemic
believes will be a strong foundation for effective service has required the Department to adopt alternative
delivery. recruitment methods to ensure capacity for the Sector
to deal with the increased demand for social services.
b) Employee Health and Wellness
The Department appointed approximately 1300 Social
The COVID-19 pandemic required a special focus and Workers to provide psycho-social support to those
approach in the way we delivery our services and the affected by COVID 19. The model of employment
manner in which we operate. The Department adopted required that the appointments be done at the National
a Risk Adjusted Approach in the Management of COVID Department whilst the placement and management
-19 in the workplace. The point of departure was to was the responsibility of Provincial Departments.
conduct a risk assessment, develop a risk report and The first phase of appointments were for three
address all the findings to make the work environment months commencing June and July 2020 respectively
conducive. In addition the Department had to comply and the second phase commenced in November
with all the rules, regulations, directives and circulars in and December 2020 until 31 March 2021. With the
the management of the pandemic. additional allocations to Provincial Social Development
Departments approximately 3000 contract social
The success in managing the COVID-19 related issues workers have been appointed to provide support for
in the workplace was to put in place a governance the period 1 December 2021 to 31 March 2022. The
structure comprising of Employee Health Wellness Department will continue to engage National Treasury
(EHW), Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), Labour to secure additional funding to employ additional
and the stakeholders to ensure the proper management Social Service Professionals in the country.
of same.
d) Integrated service delivery model
The Department appointed three nursing staff on
contract to support it in the new processes of screening, The Department will finalise the integrated service
social distancing, contact tracing and support to those delivery model in ensuring that the structures and the
affected and infected by the virus. The Department strategies are aligned for effective service delivery.
developed a protocol for the management of COVID-19 e) Implementation of ethics strategy and execution
in the workplace and issued regular communication to diligence are prioritised for the implementation of the
staff. APP.

Regular information on the fundamentals of sanitisation, f) The Department is also in compliance with all
social distancing and general hygiene were distributed government wide legislations including BBBEE and
to all staff which the Department believes was key in continue to put measures in place for more qualitative
the effective management of the virus in the workplace. improvement.
Like all countries, South Africa in general and the Public
Service in particular was not immune to the impact of
the virus

c) Capacity to deliver on its mandate:

In order to have a fully effective Department it is
critical to fill vacant funded posts as soon as possible.
With the current vacancy of 8% and the reduction in
compensation budgets, the Department will prioritise
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ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN