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PERFORMANCE BY PROGRAMME PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Heroes and GBVf Ambassadors deployed across the country. also focuses on providing necessary support service through direct
• Pillar 3 – DSD developed and presented to Cabinet the Victim referrals aimed at improving the developmental outcomes of the
Support Services Bill. The Bill was recommended by Cabinet children. The Department developed, consulted and finalised the
for public comment and is currently before Cabinet for tabling Guidelines on Respite Care Services. An implementation plan for the
to Parliament. guidelines was also developed and both documents were approved
• Pillar 4 – There are several services rendered by DSD in line by Department’s management structures in February 2022.
with its mandate of providing psychosocial services. These
include among others, services such as sheltering services, In preparations for the implementation of the guidelines, two (2)
Gender Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) and implementation sites in Mpumalanga and Northern Cape were
National Emergence Response Team. The number of victims selected. Consultations sessions, facilitated with parents and DSD
accessing the GBVCC increased considerably. The Command officials to establish the implementation structures for the projects,
Centre received a total of 72 017 calls, and over 763 USSD’s were held. The Respite Care Baseline Survey, aimed at assessing the
(Unstructured Supplementary Services Data) in a form of “please state of readiness of provinces; the availability of services and the
call me” short messages and over 2 036 SMSes. Furthermore, capacity of Social Workers in the provision of services to families
the Command Centre has a Skype line (help me GBV) for the and children with disabilities across the nine (9) provinces, was
deaf community and an SMS baseline (31531) for persons with undertaken. The analysis of the baseline survey will be used to
disability. As a result, there was a total of 74 816 interactions guide the development of the methodologies and capacity building
using the various channels of communication and engagement programmes for the DSD officials, parents and primary care givers
with the GBVCC. in the implementation of the project.

All these efforts contribute to the government priority on Social Promoting and Protecting the Rights of Persons of Short
Cohesion and Safe Communities. Stature, a Marginalised Disability Grouping
The Department is mandated to support the strengthening of
Services to Persons with Disabilities civil society formations, conducting a dialogue on sexual and
reproductive health and rights, HIV awareness and prevention, as
Policy on Social Development Services to Persons with well as GBVf for persons of short stature.
Disabilities
Whilst the plan was to submit the Policy on Social Development In line with this mandate, a dialogue was held aimed at
Services to Persons with Disabilities to Cabinet for approval, this strengthening the collective voice of persons of short stature, in
was not achieved because the revised Policy lacked a chapter on line with the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
programmes addressing policy issues that required conducting The dialogue was further intended at various forms of stigma,
research inclusive of conceptualizing a new programme on respite discrimination and harmful practices that surround persons of short
care. There was also information required to provide insight and stature. In addition, the dialogue focused on developing a program
understanding for all key departments critical for successful of action to address gaps in service delivery to persons of short
implementation of this Policy. stature in partnership with all key role players and promoting a
365-day approach to accessing disability rights, ensuring inclusion
The Policy had to be reviewed by a panel of experts as per Executive’s of persons of short stature in all programmes on sexual and
directive requiring sufficient time for their understanding of reproductive health, HIV awareness and prevention, as well as GBVf.
the policy content and the Department’s mandate. this was to
allow them to make inputs that would address key policy and Commemoration of the Disability Awareness International
programmatic interventions. The Policy was edited through analysis Day of Persons with Disabilities – 03 December 2021
of peer reviewers’ input and Executive’s recommendations, including
conducting research and document review of different national An inclusive conversation on Respite Care Services
and provincial policies, strategies and programmes resulting in The Department, in its effort to support families, introduced the
improvement of the chapter on programmes. Respite Care Programme for persons with disabilities and their
families, which is a family centered temporary relief service, for a
The Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEAIS) Report on the primary caregiver/parent to take a much-needed break from the
Policy had to be reviewed and updated for the issuance of DPME’s demands of caring for a person with disabilities or chronic illness.
approval certificate to table the Policy in Cabinet. The SEAIS Report The focus of the service is in particular on those with severe and
was finalised and DMPE approval certificate to table the Policy to profound disabilities.
Cabinet was subsequently obtained. The finalisation of this Policy
will ensure that DSD focuses on the social development directives In commemorating the International Day of Persons with
contained in the overarching White Paper on the Rights of Persons Disabilities on 03 December 2021, the Deputy Minister of Social
with Disabilities (WPRPD). Development led a conversation with parents and primary care
givers, persons with disabilities, organisation of and for persons
Respite Care Services to Families and Children with with disabilities, community leaders, broader Disability Service
Disabilities Organisation including related government departments on the
Respite care services is a non-institutional based service targeting concept of Respite Care. The process assisted in developing an
families of persons with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The inclusive programme responsive to the needs of families.
service utilizes different models to reach out to families/parents at
community-based level, who by virtue of the support needs of their
children, require a support service to sustain them and enable them
to care for their children and persons with disabilities. The service

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