WC DSD Standard Operating Procedure for the Removal of Street Children to a Place of Safety - April 2015

[Western Cape Street Children's Forum]

Dear Forum

Please see two very important documents attached that pertain to the Standard Operating Procedure for the removal of Street Children to a place of safety.  Please forward to those concerned.  I also attach the Forum 22 and 36 as applicable to this process.  But also note......

PLEASE NOTE:

 - The part of this procedure relating to placement in a Secure Care Facility should NOT be applied uniformly to all children found on the street.  Early intervention procedures for new children still apply.  Placement in Lindelani Secure Facility is for those who have fallen through the cracks of other services and persist in returning to the street.

 - The Document refers to an official vehicle with the assistance of .... eg. "the CID" - I would suggest that this refers specifically to the Social Development arm of the CID - these are the social service professionals trained and experienced in managing children.  We can't very well have security officers hauling children off the street left right and centre. 

These new process, initiated by the DSD HOD, came about largely as a result of Pat Eddy's (CCID: Social Development) tenacious perseverance (with the support of the WCSCF Hardened Kids Sub-Forum) to make sure something was actually done about the recent burgeoning situation of children persisting in living, working and begging in the CT CBD.  Well done, Pat!

Naturally, it is a new procedure which will need to be tweaked, developed and adapted as it rolls out to more areas.  There are obviously going to be issues along the way which need to be worked out - eg.  What happens to the child after six months in Lindelani? Are there enough spaces in Lindelani?   But this is a great improvement on what we had before, so we are hopeful and positive.   We need to all pull together, each roleplayer playing their role, to make this process work as it could.

Yours sincerely

Janice Sparg

COORDINATOR

Western Cape Street Children's Forum

cel: 072 424 3977
email: wcstre...@gmail.com
www.wcscf.co.za*