12 Dec 2013

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development says assessment is a pre-requisite for every client by social workers to determine eligibility in provision of social safety nets.

In response to a parliamentary question, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said she was not aware that social workers often refused to include people with reference of recommendations from doctors in the food basket programme with claims that they need to make their own assessment. She said for the home based care patients, the doctor or dietician prescribe the food items for the client that are deemed to compliment his/her diet.

Ms Tshireletso also noted that the turnaround time for cases was four weeks, a time during which full assessments are made by social workers through social inquiry reports, interviewing the beneficiaries and all their potential support structures, compiling the report and presenting it to the relevant council committees.

She however said during this process, spot assistance is made through provision of temporary or emergency assistance to the clients. She said there is synergy in the implementation of the programme because based on the doctor’s prescription and recommendations, the social worker is then duty bound to monitor and ensure that the beneficiary get the prescribed food supplements.

Tonota North MP, Mr Fidelis Molao, had asked whether the minister was aware that social workers often refused to include people with references or recommendations from doctors in the food basket programme claiming that they wanted to make their own assessment, which at times took months to conclude, if so, what was the cause for this lack synergy in implementing this programme. ENDS