Page 70 - Department of Social Development Annual Report 2021

PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
PERFORMANCE BY PROGRAMME

Services to Persons with Disabilities Funding of national bodies

Policy on Social Development services to persons with The Department funded and supported six National Actual
disabilities Disability Organisations to facilitate transformation and achievement
redirection of services and resources, towards ensuring
The Policy on Social Development Services to Persons effective and efficient provision of services to the poor
with Disabilities is a sectoral policy aimed at the and vulnerable sectors of society.
provision of social development services provided to The funded organisations included the following;
persons with disabilities to improve the overall quality of • Disabled Children’s Action Group (DICAG)
their lives. The Policy focuses on the social development • Autism South Africa (ASA)
services directives contained in the White Paper on the • South African Federation of Mental Health
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (WPRPD). It (SAFMH)
alsoadvises on the provision of disability specific • Deaf Blind South Africa (DBSA)
intervention and support services to persons with • South African National Deaf Association
disabilities. It was developed to respond to the tranversal • Disabled Children’s Organisation
White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(WPRPD)'s commitment to address socio-economic needs The funding was geared more towards strengthening the
and the human rights of persons with disabilities. capacity of the organisation to enable them to provide
services to this most marginalised sector. The funded
The Policy identifies programmatic issues for translation national bodies provided services that include the
into an Act that will ensure legal compliance in the provision of capacity, empowerment and service delivery
provision of services to persons with disabilities. The to affiliated organisations and beneficiaries. The bodies
envisaged legislation will enable the Department to also provided services in relation to research and
undertake several functions inclusive of addressing development of best practice models to inform services
compounded marginalisation experienced by persons to person with disabilities. This also included the
with disabilities amongst others. provision of advocacy and awareness programmes on the
rights of persons with disabilities.
In preparations for the submission of the Policy to
Cabinet, the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment report
(SEIAS) was reviewed, updated, finalised and ready for
submission to Cabinet. The costing report on the Policy
was presented to the Welfare Services Forum in
preparation for presentation to DSD management
structures for approval to submit to Cabinet. The costing
report covering the Policy and its implementation
strategies defines a required and acceptable standard of
services followed by a cost analysis of those required
services. The Policy identifies programmatic issues for
translation into an Act that will prescribe compulsory
services that must be funded and implemented by the
State, after its approval.

The Policy was not submitted to Cabinet, as it must be
edited to ensure its re-alignment to the WPRPD. The
policy will be submitted to Cabinet in the next financial
year.

Guidelines on Respite Care Services to Families and
Persons with disabilities

The Department, in its quest to realise the rights of
children with disabilities through a series of legislation
and programmes, drafted the Respite Care Programme,
which is a set of services integrating roles and
responsibilities of different sectors to protect and
promote human rights of children with disabilities and
support for their families.

70 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21