Virtual Library

The information below was sourced from the public domain to provide social service professionals with key links and resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures to address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19.

Click on the underlined text to download a document or open a link. These are all linked to external sites via hyperlinks. If a hyperlink is inactive, please search directly on the internet.

WEBSITES:

Government of South Africa

https://www.gov.za/covid-19/

https://sacoronavirus.co.za/

National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)

https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/disease-index-covid-19/

World Health Organisation 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

UNICEF

Global: https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19

South Africa: https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/research-and-reports/coronavirus-disease-covid-19

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance

https://www.socialserviceworkforce.org/resources/blog/social-service-workers-mitigating-impact-covid-19

International Federation for Social Workers

www.ifsw.org/covid-19

Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN)

https://www.mhinnovation.net/resources/addressing-mental-health-and-psychosocial-needs-during-covid-19-outbreak

RESOURCES

Lancet (2020): Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic

Disclaimer: The SACSSP publishes the information on this page as open source public links in the interest of directing registered social service professionals and other stakeholders to a diverse range of sources in support of their professional interests. The SACSSP does not necessarily endorse the organisations or websites published here, neither should it be assumed to.

The following legislation, regulations, rules and policies are published here as a resource for social service professionals. These are resources for the sector and the policies in particular does not necessarily represent the official view or position of Council, the Professional Board for Social Work, the Professional Board for Child and Youth Care Work or the Secretariat, neither should it assume to.

Click on the underlined text to download a document or open a link. These are all linked to external sites via hyperlinks. If a hyperlink is inactive, please search directly on the internet.

LEGISLATION

Children’s Act 38 of 2005 (consolidated)

Child Justice Act 75 of 2008

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007

REGULATIONS, RULES AND DIRECTIONS

Consolidated Regulations (inclusive of Forms and National norms and standards)

Regulations relating to child justice

Government Notice No. R. 2418 of 26 August 2022: Criminal Procedure Act: Determination of persons or category or class of persons who are competent to be appointed as intermediaries

WHITE PAPERS

• White Paper for Social Welfare (1997)
• Revised White Paper on Families in South Africa (2021)
• National Climate Change Response White Paper
• White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

POLICY

• Policy for social service practitioners (2017)
• Generic norms and standards for social welfare services (2011) published by the Department of Social Development

Disclaimer: The SACSSP publishes the information on this page as open source public links in the interest of directing registered social service professionals and other stakeholders to a diverse range of sources in support of their professional interests. The SACSSP does not necessarily endorse the organisations or websites published here, neither should it be assumed to.

The Treaties published in this section were selected on the basis of what may be relevant to social service professionals in their practice. This is not an exhausted list and practitioners are encouraged to search for relevant treaties and international commitments on the internet as well.

Click on the underlined text to download a document or open a link. These are all linked to external sites via hyperlinks. If a hyperlink is inactive, please search directly on the internet.

UNITED NATIONS

Human Rights

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)

Women

• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (OPCEDAW)
• United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules)

Children

• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
• Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OP-CRC-AC)
• Optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OP-CRC-SC)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure (OP-CRC-IC)
• Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (ILO No. 182)
• Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (ILO No. 138)
• United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty
• United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (The Tokyo Rules)
• United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules)
• Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System
• United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines)

Older persons

• United Nations Principles for Older Persons

Persons with disabilities

• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OP-CEDAW)
• Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons
• Principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and the improvement of mental health care
• Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

Victim empowerment

• Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power
• Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
• Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation

Persons deprived of their liberty

• United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
• Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners
• Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Marriage

• Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages
• Recommendation on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages

HIV and AIDS

• Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS

Migrants and refugees

• International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICPMW)
• Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
• Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees
• Declaration on the Human Rights of Individuals who are not nationals of the country in which they live

Social development

• Declaration on Social Progress and Development
• Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition
• Declaration on the Right to Development

AFRICAN UNION

• African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
• African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa
• Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons
• Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa
• African Youth Charter
• Revised African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
• African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention)

SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC)

SADC Protocol on Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking (1996)

SADC Protocol on Education & Training (1997)

SADC Protocol on Gender and Development (2008)

SADC Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights in SADC (2003)

SADC Maseru Declaration on the fight against HIV and AIDS (2003)

SADC Declaration on Gender & Development (1997)

SADC Minimum Package of Services for OVC&Y

Disclaimer: The SACSSP publishes the information on this page as open source public links in the interest of directing registered social service professionals and other stakeholders to a diverse range of sources in support of their professional interests. The SACSSP does not necessarily endorse the organisations or websites published here, neither should it be assumed to.

Click on the underlined text to download a document or open a link. These are all linked to external sites via hyperlinks. If a hyperlink is inactive, please search directly on the internet.

Research reports and articles related to:

Social work

Forthcoming

Child and youth care work

Forthcoming

Social service professionals in general

Forthcoming

Disclaimer: The SACSSP publishes the information on this page as open source public links in the interest of directing registered social service professionals and other stakeholders to a diverse range of sources in support of their professional interests. The SACSSP does not necessarily endorse the organisations or websites published here, neither should it be assumed to.

Click on the underlined text to download a document or open a link. These are all linked to external sites via hyperlinks. If a hyperlink is inactive, please search directly on the internet.

Forthcoming

Disclaimer: The SACSSP publishes the information on this page as open source public links in the interest of directing registered social service professionals and other stakeholders to a diverse range of sources in support of their professional interests. The SACSSP does not necessarily endorse the organisations or websites published here, neither should it be assumed to.