Services
The Department of Social Development continues to grow services to people with disabilities, including people with moderate and high support needs (severe and profound) intellectual disabilities. As the population grows, our efforts will include:
- Increasing the bed spaces for children and adults with moderate and high support needs (severe and profound) intellectual disabilities.
- Increasing subsidies to residential facilities for people with disabilities.
- Expanding audits for universal access to buildings for people with disabilities.
The Department of Social Development makes available the following services through its NPO partners:
- Residential care services facilities:
These are managed by Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) who provide the temporary or permanent care, protection, support, stimulation and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. These services are provided when they can’t be done at home or in the community.
- Protective workshop services:
Working with NPOs, the Department funds several workshops for people with disabilities. The workshops provide rehabilitation services and “work” opportunities to persons with disabilities who experience barriers in accessing employment in the open labour market.
- Day care centres (for both children and adults):
Centres are managed by NPOs to provide daytime supervised care, stimulation, structured programmes and activities. The Department also subsidises the salaries of carers and programme implementers and the safe transportation of children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities at 44-day care centres.
- Social work services:
- Awareness and education;
- Counselling;
- Peer support programmes;
- Family/parental support programmes;
- Empowerment programmes – including life skills development; and
- Programmes enhancing positive self-image and self-perception.
You can access details of funded NPOs in the following categories:
Disability mainstreaming
“Mainstreaming” aims to accommodate special needs into the day-to-day service delivery and development efforts. Special needs can relate to physical, emotional, thinking, motivation or learning needs.
The White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ (WPRPD details the vision of creating a free and just society inclusive of all persons with disabilities as equal citizens.). The Department’s focus in this regard is now on:
1. ECD (Early Childhood Development) & Disability:
Children with disabilities must have equitable access to all ECD Programmes and Facilities.
The Department is working in partnership with the NGO sector on:
- Advocacy on access to services:
- Shift on Policy Development: issues of disabilities being recognised and taken into account; and
- Progress made on the availability of Mainstream ECDs and access to services in Special Day Care Centres.
2. VEP (Victim Empowerment Programme) & Disability
Protecting the rights of persons at risk of Compounded Marginalisation.
The Department is currently involved with:
Programme Achievements
Some recent achievements of the Services to Persons with Disabilities Programme include:
- The approval of the Disability Mainstreaming Strategy.
- The training of social workers on Mental Disability and a Uniform Referral Pathway for holistic assessment and appropriate referral of persons with disabilities.
- The establishment of Parent support structures in George, Witzenberg, Kraaifontein and Atlantis areas in partnership with the Disabled Children Action Group (a NPO run and managed by the parents of children with disabilities) and some local municipalities.
- The expansion of Peer Support Programme services in Stellenbosch, Knysna and Beaufort West.
- Capacity building on norms and standards and improved monitoring and reporting process resulted in increased NPO compliance.
To access the services, visit any regional office:
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Cape Winelands: 023 348 5300
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Eden Karoo: 044 814 1687
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Metro South: 021 763 6200
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Metro North: 021 483 7673
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Metro East: 021 812 0921/ 021 360 4200
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West Coast: 022 713 2272
You can also contact the tollfree number: 0800 220 250
Downloads:
For more information contact:
Services to Persons with Disabilities Programme:
Patiswa Momoza
Tel: 021 483 4015
E-mail: Patiswa.Momoza@westerncape.gov.za
Postal Address: Private Bag x 9112, Cape Town, 8000
Physical Address: 14 Queen Victoria Street, Union House, Cape Town, 8000
