Hon Deputy Speaker, my response to the question asked by hon Alberts is as follows: The ratio of social workers to total population is currently standing at 1:5 000. We also have about 4 799 student social workers who are in training. It should also be noted that the existing number of social workers reflects only the social workers employed by government. The ratio has, therefore, been calculated based on the existing number of social workers employed by government.
I must mention, though, that we still lose social workers to other sectors of the economy in our country through career change. Hon Deputy Speaker and hon member Alberts will be happy to note that the figures we are referring to indeed offer new entrants a social work career, in addition to those who are already there, and cover the whole spectrum of South Africa's demographic.
The international standard for the established norm and ratio for social workers happens to be 1:5 000. It is a coincidence that we have the same figure, but South Africa is on par with the international standards. There is, however, a demand for more social workers due to the fact that South Africa is a developing country with high levels of poverty, deprivation and HIV incidence, which compounds the problem.
The Department of Social Development has developed a recruitment and retention strategy for social workers, to recruit and retain social workers within our country. As part of the implementation of our strategy in South Africa, we also provide scholarships to students who want to pursue social work as a profession.
Since the inception of this programme, the National Treasury committed an amount of R50 million in the 2007-08 financial year, R105 million in 2008- 09, R210 million in 2009-10, and R22 million in the 2011-12 financial year.
In 2008, 816 students graduated, and 1 600 in 2009. Our department offers career fairs annually to high school students to intensify the marketing of the social work profession. We also implemented, very successfully, the occupation-specific dispensation, OSD. The regrading of social workers' salaries was implemented as part of our retention strategy for social workers, and these are the measures that we are applying in that regard. Thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Minister. Is hon Alberts here?
Hon Deputy Speaker, Mr Alberts is not able to be in the House today. Is it in order if I ask a follow-up question on his behalf?
Thank you, hon Minister, for a comprehensive answer. The basic question is: We are obviously looking at the situation because we want to assist the most vulnerable in our society: women and children. What measures can be taken, from government's side, to bring things more in line with what is happening in the private sector with regard to social services? What measures can be taken to enhance the remuneration packages of our social workers in state employ to sort out this problem?
We are thankful that the ratio compares so favourably, but we still need to retain our social workers. What can be done? Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, as I said, the OSD has been successfully implemented within government. The same has not happened and cannot happen in the private sector, nor in the NGO sector, particularly because the OSD was a government-implemented programme.
We are, however, very aware of the challenges faced by the private sector as well as the NGO sector with regard to getting their salary packages on par with those of government. Indeed, we have engaged with the private sector, in particular the NGO sector, to try and find mechanisms to support those NGOs that employ social workers who are not at the same level as those in government. Indeed, we need that support so that government is assisted effectively.
When we have completed the discussions and mechanisms that we are exploring, we will certainly begin to implement all those mechanisms. Thank you very much.
Deputy Speaker, let me thank the hon Minister for the response she gave us. Minister, how can the government pass the Children's Act when there is only 17% of social workers to implement the Act?
The government's own costing report clearly stipulates that to implement the Act properly more than 66 000 social workers are needed. We have a shortfall of 83%, Madam Minister. This does not take into consideration the number of social workers needed for other Acts, such as the Older Persons Act, that also require a large number of social workers. Thank you.
Earlier in my response I indicated that we are currently on par with international standards. However, I also did indicate that South Africa, being a developing country, will require more social workers.
Certainly, we agree that greater numbers are required, not only to implement the Children's Act, but also to support the Department of Basic Education in the recently agreed-upon measures that we are to apply - measures of conditionalities that were attached, and many other fields.
As I said, we are currently training social workers. Fortunately, Treasury and the entire government saw the need for us to increase the number of social workers that we are training. I did indicate that we are doing career fairs. We are, on an annual basis, increasing these numbers, and we believe that, all things being equal, we shall get to the point where we want to be.
I indicated earlier that people do change careers and leave the profession. If more social workers who are already trained do not move out to other sectors, we believe we will make it if we continue with training the way we are doing. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, may I ask the hon Minister what progress is being made to improve the ratio of social workers in the Eastern Cape where, last October, the ratio was 1:6 000? At the time, the department said it was double the burden of the rest of the nation.
How successful has the marketing been, generally, in attracting youth with Grade 12, and especially young men, because currently three quarters of the social workers in South Africa are women? Is the marketing aimed at both men and women, or do we need to re-examine this? Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, again, I did indicate earlier that we are looking at the entire spectrum of the South African demographic when we recruit. And we are working with provinces very intensively. Provinces themselves, jointly with the national Department of Social Development, do this marketing drive together. The hon member is asking about the Eastern Cape in particular: In that province, similarly, we are continuously embarking on the recruitment of social workers.
I must say also - something I did not mention earlier - that even when we say we are on par, the reality is that there is still some inequality and inequity in provinces and in the provincial spread. That is the kind of thing we are working on, as asked by hon Dudley. Thank you.
Madam Deputy Speaker, let me thank the hon Minister. The IFP is happy to hear today, Minister, that currently the Department of Social Development has in place ways of encouraging young people to study social work at tertiary level.
However, once these students qualify in this field, do we have any retention strategies in place to ensure we do not lose these critical skills to other countries, as has been the case with our doctors and nurses? Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, may I say that if hon members read the newspapers last week, they would be aware of indications that the majority of our people who left this country, particularly professionals, are beginning to come back home. That is most welcome.
Fortunately for us in the Department of Social Development, we have not had quite such an exodus of social workers, but as I said earlier on, we are implementing the OSD. That programme of our government is intended to ensure that we remunerate our professionals in the field of social work in such a manner that they will stay. That on its own is part of the retention strategy.
Indeed, the salaries and packages they are getting right now compare favourably. That is a very strong element of retention. However, it is never going to be easy to compel people to stay within a particular profession. From time to time, people move from one profession to another. That aspect we are not able to do anything about.
The only thing we do is to offer bursaries, scholarships, etc. We also do our best in terms of the working conditions we provide, and to ensure that we implement this OSD. That is, for now, as far as we can go. We are doing that with all the other bodies that manage and govern the social work profession. Thank you very much.
Impact of extension of child support grant
54. Mrs Y R Botha (ANC) asked the Minister of Social Development:
(a) What impact will the extension of the child support grant have on children attending school, (b) how will this extension improve the livelihood of the affected families and (c) how will intergenerational poverty be eradicated? NO572E
Deputy Speaker, the response to the question asked by hon Y R Botha is as follows. Indeed, hon Deputy Speaker, there is a large body of empirical evidence that confirms both the developmental and poverty-reducing effects of child support grants. Various studies have found that children who receive this kind of grant are significantly more likely to be enrolled in schools in the years following receipt of the grant than equally poor children of the same age.
To evaluate grant types and their causal role in helping children to get to school, other studies have compared the outcomes of children receiving the grant with those of their siblings who were too old to benefit from this grant. In this regard it was found that siblings of grant recipients, when they are actually compared to the younger children, were less likely to be enrolled in schools.
It was also found that a household in receipt of a child support grant is associated with a reduction of approximately 22% to 25% in school nonattendance. Thus, the grant appears to have a positive impact on school enrolment and attendance.
Studies also indicated, hon Deputy Speaker, that many children stop attending school when they reach the cut-off age of grant eligibility. Even though school enrolment and attendance is high at the lower levels of education, many learners are unable to complete secondary schooling. The most common reason for this nonattendance is that there is no money for school fees. Therefore, the extension of the child support grant will indeed increase the chances of older children to enrol, attend and, indeed, complete their secondary schooling.
Empirical research indicated a 20% reduction in household poverty where there is a child in receipt of a child support grant. By extending the eligibility age to 18 years, that reduction will be 21,4%.
Studies also indicated that social grants are effective in addressing hunger as well as basic needs in general. In a household that receives social grants, spending focuses more on basics such as food, fuel, housing and household operation for the purpose of getting children studying and in school. Less is spent on tobacco and debt servicing than in households that do not receive grants.
Therefore, it is assumed that the further extension of the child support grant would continue to strengthen families by providing households with more resources to improve their wellbeing. Poverty and its consequences erode the opportunities for children and youth to attend school, creating a vicious cycle of destitution and undermining the household's capacity to accumulate the human capital that is so needed.
Hon Deputy Speaker, empirical evidence also indicates that social grants given to those children in South Africa are developmental in nature. Children from households that are receiving grants are more likely to attend school and the extension of child support grants will undoubtedly enable these children to complete their education. The better educated our labour force, the more competitive they would be in the labour market, and higher productivity will mean higher wages and salaries. The progressive extensions of the child support grant hold the potential to diminish intergenerational poverty in our country. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, just a follow-up question to the hon Minister: We all know that, contrary to what some people say, social security is the government's biggest poverty alleviation tool. Could the hon Minister please provide the House with the number of children who will be accommodated on the social pensions, Socpen, system, the extension of the child support grant? Can the hon Minister also provide us with the total number of grant beneficiaries currently in the social security system?
Hon Deputy Speaker, indeed, as I said, our children will benefit and be able to attend school. The number of children who need to be enrolled through this extension is now standing at 2,1 million. As for where we are now, the number of current recipients 9,6 million, but the total figure of all recipients of grants, including the veterans, stands at 13 780 338. The last time we did the count was late last year. The new enrolment just for January already shows a move towards this number of 2,1 million children.
We do believe the enrolment will benefit more children and we appreciate the support and assistance given by our government and Treasury in general, also having covered our children who were born in December 1993. That means we now cover all children from 1 January up to now. Not even a single child will fall outside of this support, so the total will now include the entrance of 2,1 million new children. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Hon Minister, I thank you for the presentation you have given in reply to the question about children's grants. The question I would like to pose to you pertains to this grant being misused, especially by the young mothers who normally collect it but don't use it for the purpose it is intended for. What I would like to find out from the department is: Are there mechanisms in place to address this matter so that the grant does what it is supposed to do, which is to take care of children? I thank you.
Deputy Speaker, we have heard anecdotes of young mothers who are spending the money on their hair and things like that. We are taking these issues seriously. But I must say that the studies and research we have done produced empirical evidence allowing us to determine that, in terms of the registration of new children entering the system, most of the registrations are actually done after two years of age. That tells us, in fact, that if young mothers were indeed registering their children for the purposes of using this money for something else, they would register them right in the first month after birth.
So, this is actually something that we have been able to prove. However, recently we have adopted a mechanism of attaching conditions. I must say that these are soft conditions, not hard conditions, meaning we are not going to be taking any money from any child. There is an agreement between ourselves and the Department of Basic Education that there will be an exchange of reports from time to time on children who may not be attending school. We can then release social workers to go into those families and find out what the challenges are so that we are able to deal with the problems.
In other words, if the child's benefit is being used for anything else, we will be able to detect that through this mechanism and be able to deal with that particular case instead of just sweeping everything under the carpet and it becoming just anecdotal.
It is a matter that we take seriously, as I said. That's why we introduced these conditions. It doesn't mean we will take those monies away from children, but we will really drill deep down into what the problems are and how the money is being used and correct that. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Madam Speaker and hon Minister, the previous question dealt with the chronic lack of social workers. How will the government monitor whether children receiving the child support grant are indeed attending school and benefiting directly from the grant when there are not enough social workers to monitor the situation? Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, I suppose this question was expecting the previous answer to be that we don't have social workers, but we didn't say that. We said their numbers are on par. However, we recognise that we still need to do more. We need to get more social workers, given that we are a developing country. We also indicated that there is a plethora of legislation that we need to implement, including these new conditions which are not necessarily imposed by any legislation.
So in all that work we recognise that there really is a need for more social workers. By the way, there is something I haven't mentioned: We also have practitioners out in the field who are doing the lighter jobs which do not require a high level of professional skill. So, those people are assisting us at present, but we are doing our best to get more social workers to implement the entire spectrum of the work that we need to do. This ranges from the implementation of the Children's Act, support work to strengthen the family as the basic unit in our society and working with the elderly to even the new programmes that are being employed in the area of health and the entire spectrum of work that Minister Motsoaledi will be doing.
But, as Minister Motsoaledi will say, we will also be calling upon retired social workers to help in case there is the need to do that. That call has been made but for now we don't really have a shortage. We are just recognising that the work we do is enormous and we need to get more and more hands. We are training at the same time, as I said earlier on. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Madam Deputy Speaker, in asking this question to the hon Minister I do realise that the implementation of policy and programmes resides with the provinces and the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, at the provincial level. However, hon Minister, during a recent visit to many secondary schools in my area, one of the issues that stood out prominently was the inability of children up to the age of 18 years to access these grants.
It was not because of age, but because of difficulties in obtaining identity documents, IDs, or because parents were late, and other difficulties. I'm wondering whether the department would facilitate a coming together of the Departments of Education and Home Affairs and target specific schools where they can assist young people at school to obtain the relevant documents so that they can qualify for this grant. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, let me firstly remind hon member Singh that we are not registering the 18-year-olds yet. We are still dealing with those who have reached 16 years of age. We are moving incrementally towards 18. But yes, there has been a challenge stemming from the inability to get the necessary documentation for some of the children so that they can actually register.
This department and the Department of Home Affairs have come up - we've been working together for quite some time now - with a process or a mechanism that ensures you can use alternative documents, or supporting documents, for identification of whatever sort. We have a set of agreed documents that can be used so that the children or the young mothers or people who still need access to IDs will have these alternative documents.
There is a whole set of things that we are using to make IDs available so that our children or the mothers - the beneficiaries - can be registered and their children can get these funds. If there is a problem anywhere, we would have to attend to it. We would love to know of specific cases. Thank you very much.
Investigation into concerns regarding use of Tamiflu vaccine
77. Mrs C Dudley (ACDP) asked the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether he will institute an investigation into concerns with regard to using the Tamiflu vaccine in the national swine flu immunisation campaign which starts on 15 March 2010, after it was withdrawn in America because of dangerous side effects; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether he will take any measures to ensure that the public is informed regarding the risks before the immunisation campaigns begin; if not, why not; if so, what measures?