Date: 07/04/2005
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Benjamin: Inauguration ceremony of Professional Boards
Inauguration ceremony of the 1st Professional Boards for Social Work, and Youth and Child Care by the Deputy Minister for Social Development, J Benjamin
Programme Director
Honourable MECs
Members of the Council
Respective Members of Professional Boards
The Registrar
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Let me first convey the Minister’s apology for his inability to attend this inauguration ceremony and extend his warm and hearty greetings to you all.
The inauguration of Professional Boards for Social Work and Child and Youth Care, brings fresh memories to all of us of the recent keynote address that I delivered at the National Conference for Social Service Professionals in October last year. The highlight thereof rested on ‘dialogue across disciplines’ involved in the provision of social welfare services.
We have gathered here today to mark and celebrate the birth of Professional Boards for Social Work and Child and Youth Care, which I strongly welcome and support. This is a historic event indeed as we accelerate quality service delivery to the vulnerable in the second decade of freedom. I feel honoured to be associated with such an event. It is important to note that the Department remains committed to staying on course with you until we have won the last battle in the war against poverty, which undermines the dignity of our people, especially, women, children and youth.
The establishment of professional boards is a giant step in facilitating the autonomy of the new and emerging social service professions for South Africa’s young democracy. This is a critical step towards the provision of additional human resource capacity that will focus exclusively on the needs of our communities.
The ability of the different social service professions to focus on development needs of our people requires mutual commitment by all the parties involved. Our country will never be prosperous or truly free until all our people live and work in brotherhood.
The Department echoes in its Service Delivery Model, the need to provide a comprehensive, integrated, and co-ordinated package in ensuring the delivery of effective services to the poor and vulnerable. The problems that prohibit this enabling environment should be addressed by different professions – and the time has come. The professional boards thus serve as a critical vehicle in ensuring that this becomes a reality for all.
Programme Director, I consider these developments as a critical milestone in the transformation processes that we started, together with the Council years back in 1994 (during the two-year term of the Interim Council) and have witnessed the inception of the broader Council for Social Services Professions in June 1999, which paved the way for related and allied social services professions, which we are celebrating today.
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to cite the perspective from the article titled “Social Work Professional Associations in South Africa” by Fikile Mazibuko and Mel Gray, which correctly articulates some of the challenges that we face as a collective. Prof Mazibuko currently serves as a member on the Professional Board for Social Work.
According to the article, “Child care workers had been sidelined in the previous welfare system and made to play second fiddle to social work”, probation had been a social work role and function from inception of the welfare system. Community development was a fledging occupation that had long been seen as an important social work method but one which social workers appeared reluctant to pursue, in favour of case work or clinical practice”
This citation signifies some of the important perceptions, stereotypes, and tendencies that we have to deal with and perhaps underscores the challenges that face the council as the overall body with the responsibility to chart this course to the right direction. It is not business as usual since the new has come and greater things are anticipated to match the development challenges facing children and youth in this country.
The inception of these professional boards, as latecomers in the social service profession, requires courage to venture into the unknown and unwavering moral support from all of us as well as through partnership and constant engagement.
The key to this process would be to encourage cross learning and mentoring amongst the professional associations, particularly assisting those who were ignored in the past. We will have to move beyond the comfort zone and spare neither strength nor courage to champion this noble cause of ensuring that these professions discharge their respective mandates with excellence.
I therefore urge the leadership at both Council and Board level to view this development as an opportunity to share experience and benchmark our services towards acceptable international standards. The leadership at the Council’s office has greater responsibility in ensuring that the Council and Board members are well capacitated for these challenges. The transformation within the operations of the Council should receive the highest priority in ensuring that the Council and the Professional Boards fulfil their mandate. The operational plans of the Council’s office should be in line with the challenges of the social services sector and they should be able to deliver on the mandate of the Council and the Professional Boards.
Distinguished guests, the office of the council is the centre point for the holistic development of these professions. As the Department, we would expect greater accountability from the leadership in terms of meeting the broad transformation agenda of the sector and operations of the office. Tangible proof would have to be provided by the leadership of the Council that the Council’s personnel embraces our democracy in ensuring that together we create a better life for all, especially in the manner in which we are servicing the social service constituency. The leadership has further to prove that transformation receives the highest priority, as well as proving that they understand, and are willing to have the capacity to manage the transformation challenges of the sector, within set time frames.
As commonly mentioned, South Africa as a democracy has comparatively speaking produced good policies and legislations. The Council and the Professional Boards are also faced with an important task of reviewing the Social Service Profession Act. This legislation would have to be supported by implementation strategies that will translate it into practical benefits for the most vulnerable in this country. The scope of the work that needs to be carried out is clear and broad enough to enable the Council and Professional Boards to promote the social service interest. I challenge you to exercise the authority conferred to you with care and compassion for this nation.
Over the past years, the Council on behalf of the Professional Board for Social Work has sharpened its ability to develop a professional code of conduct for the practicing social workers. This wealth of knowledge acquired over time, must be a springboard or an anchor for further development of a more comprehensive code of conduct and ethics for the emerging professions, including the professional board for Probation Services, which will soon be established. The birth of Professional Board for Social Work brings with it a challenge to take the process which was started by the Council by further developing educational policies that address the social challenges of the sector, by for example matching theory and practice of the social work practitioners to respond to the ever increasing challenges of the sector. The Professional Board for Child and Youth Care on the other hand must develop a standardised curriculum that will contribute to the independent body of knowledge for this new career. The joint venture of the Department and the Council in strengthening the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) will therefore ensure that social workers and child and youth care workers currently in practice are skilled for the challenges we are faced with.
Given the challenges facing social workers, and child and youth care in this country, it is imperative that the newly established professional boards work closely along side each other and facilitate collective delivery of co-ordinated social services. The responsibility placed on the professional boards is therefore even much greater. I believe the leadership of the respective professional boards, which we are recognising today, will embrace this progressive move as an opportunity to strategically give these professions an identity and ability to engage on policy matters at the local, regional and global level.
Before, I conclude, I would like to thank each and everyone who has made a contribution to the establishment of the professional boards and special thanks go to the communities, NGOs, CBOs and FBOs, which I believe remain integral to this process.
In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who has made a contribution to the establishment of the professional boards. A special word of thanks is also extended to the communities, NGOs, CBOs and FBOs, who I believe remain integral to this process. Together, in unity, we can deal with the challenges in the social development sector today, and build in partnership a South Africa that belongs to all its elderly, people with disabilities, women and children. We are confident that the role of the boards will “help to place us on the high road towards ensuring that we become a winning nation and that we play our role towards the renewal of Africa and the creation of a better world”.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Mbulelo Musi
Cell: 082 904 3395
Issued by: Ministry for Social Development
7 April 2005
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Benjamin: Inauguration ceremony of Professional Boards
Inauguration ceremony of the 1st Professional Boards for Social Work, and Youth and Child Care by the Deputy Minister for Social Development, J Benjamin
Programme Director
Honourable MECs
Members of the Council
Respective Members of Professional Boards
The Registrar
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Let me first convey the Minister’s apology for his inability to attend this inauguration ceremony and extend his warm and hearty greetings to you all.
The inauguration of Professional Boards for Social Work and Child and Youth Care, brings fresh memories to all of us of the recent keynote address that I delivered at the National Conference for Social Service Professionals in October last year. The highlight thereof rested on ‘dialogue across disciplines’ involved in the provision of social welfare services.
We have gathered here today to mark and celebrate the birth of Professional Boards for Social Work and Child and Youth Care, which I strongly welcome and support. This is a historic event indeed as we accelerate quality service delivery to the vulnerable in the second decade of freedom. I feel honoured to be associated with such an event. It is important to note that the Department remains committed to staying on course with you until we have won the last battle in the war against poverty, which undermines the dignity of our people, especially, women, children and youth.
The establishment of professional boards is a giant step in facilitating the autonomy of the new and emerging social service professions for South Africa’s young democracy. This is a critical step towards the provision of additional human resource capacity that will focus exclusively on the needs of our communities.
The ability of the different social service professions to focus on development needs of our people requires mutual commitment by all the parties involved. Our country will never be prosperous or truly free until all our people live and work in brotherhood.
The Department echoes in its Service Delivery Model, the need to provide a comprehensive, integrated, and co-ordinated package in ensuring the delivery of effective services to the poor and vulnerable. The problems that prohibit this enabling environment should be addressed by different professions – and the time has come. The professional boards thus serve as a critical vehicle in ensuring that this becomes a reality for all.
Programme Director, I consider these developments as a critical milestone in the transformation processes that we started, together with the Council years back in 1994 (during the two-year term of the Interim Council) and have witnessed the inception of the broader Council for Social Services Professions in June 1999, which paved the way for related and allied social services professions, which we are celebrating today.
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to cite the perspective from the article titled “Social Work Professional Associations in South Africa” by Fikile Mazibuko and Mel Gray, which correctly articulates some of the challenges that we face as a collective. Prof Mazibuko currently serves as a member on the Professional Board for Social Work.
According to the article, “Child care workers had been sidelined in the previous welfare system and made to play second fiddle to social work”, probation had been a social work role and function from inception of the welfare system. Community development was a fledging occupation that had long been seen as an important social work method but one which social workers appeared reluctant to pursue, in favour of case work or clinical practice”
This citation signifies some of the important perceptions, stereotypes, and tendencies that we have to deal with and perhaps underscores the challenges that face the council as the overall body with the responsibility to chart this course to the right direction. It is not business as usual since the new has come and greater things are anticipated to match the development challenges facing children and youth in this country.
The inception of these professional boards, as latecomers in the social service profession, requires courage to venture into the unknown and unwavering moral support from all of us as well as through partnership and constant engagement.
The key to this process would be to encourage cross learning and mentoring amongst the professional associations, particularly assisting those who were ignored in the past. We will have to move beyond the comfort zone and spare neither strength nor courage to champion this noble cause of ensuring that these professions discharge their respective mandates with excellence.
I therefore urge the leadership at both Council and Board level to view this development as an opportunity to share experience and benchmark our services towards acceptable international standards. The leadership at the Council’s office has greater responsibility in ensuring that the Council and Board members are well capacitated for these challenges. The transformation within the operations of the Council should receive the highest priority in ensuring that the Council and the Professional Boards fulfil their mandate. The operational plans of the Council’s office should be in line with the challenges of the social services sector and they should be able to deliver on the mandate of the Council and the Professional Boards.
Distinguished guests, the office of the council is the centre point for the holistic development of these professions. As the Department, we would expect greater accountability from the leadership in terms of meeting the broad transformation agenda of the sector and operations of the office. Tangible proof would have to be provided by the leadership of the Council that the Council’s personnel embraces our democracy in ensuring that together we create a better life for all, especially in the manner in which we are servicing the social service constituency. The leadership has further to prove that transformation receives the highest priority, as well as proving that they understand, and are willing to have the capacity to manage the transformation challenges of the sector, within set time frames.
As commonly mentioned, South Africa as a democracy has comparatively speaking produced good policies and legislations. The Council and the Professional Boards are also faced with an important task of reviewing the Social Service Profession Act. This legislation would have to be supported by implementation strategies that will translate it into practical benefits for the most vulnerable in this country. The scope of the work that needs to be carried out is clear and broad enough to enable the Council and Professional Boards to promote the social service interest. I challenge you to exercise the authority conferred to you with care and compassion for this nation.
Over the past years, the Council on behalf of the Professional Board for Social Work has sharpened its ability to develop a professional code of conduct for the practicing social workers. This wealth of knowledge acquired over time, must be a springboard or an anchor for further development of a more comprehensive code of conduct and ethics for the emerging professions, including the professional board for Probation Services, which will soon be established. The birth of Professional Board for Social Work brings with it a challenge to take the process which was started by the Council by further developing educational policies that address the social challenges of the sector, by for example matching theory and practice of the social work practitioners to respond to the ever increasing challenges of the sector. The Professional Board for Child and Youth Care on the other hand must develop a standardised curriculum that will contribute to the independent body of knowledge for this new career. The joint venture of the Department and the Council in strengthening the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) will therefore ensure that social workers and child and youth care workers currently in practice are skilled for the challenges we are faced with.
Given the challenges facing social workers, and child and youth care in this country, it is imperative that the newly established professional boards work closely along side each other and facilitate collective delivery of co-ordinated social services. The responsibility placed on the professional boards is therefore even much greater. I believe the leadership of the respective professional boards, which we are recognising today, will embrace this progressive move as an opportunity to strategically give these professions an identity and ability to engage on policy matters at the local, regional and global level.
Before, I conclude, I would like to thank each and everyone who has made a contribution to the establishment of the professional boards and special thanks go to the communities, NGOs, CBOs and FBOs, which I believe remain integral to this process.
In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who has made a contribution to the establishment of the professional boards. A special word of thanks is also extended to the communities, NGOs, CBOs and FBOs, who I believe remain integral to this process. Together, in unity, we can deal with the challenges in the social development sector today, and build in partnership a South Africa that belongs to all its elderly, people with disabilities, women and children. We are confident that the role of the boards will “help to place us on the high road towards ensuring that we become a winning nation and that we play our role towards the renewal of Africa and the creation of a better world”.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Mbulelo Musi
Cell: 082 904 3395
Issued by: Ministry for Social Development
7 April 2005
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