SOCIAL WORK POLICY DEVELOPER GRADE 1: CHILD PROTECTION is a South African government vacancy at Department of Social Development (DSD). This job is part of Circular 20 of 2026 from the DPSA. centre: HSRC Building, Pretoria | closing date: 30 June 2026. Use this page to review the requirements, duties, application instructions and official source links before applying.
Job details
Applications
Where to send your application.
Please forward your application, quoting the relevant reference number, to the Director-General, Department of Social Development, Private Bag X901, Pretoria, 0001. Physical Address: HSRC Building, 134 Pretorius Street In the event of hand delivery of applications, applicants must sign an application register book as proof of submission. Applicants may also email their applications to the following email addresses: For Research Policy Manager – e-recruit.RPM@dsd.gov.za Deputy Director: Systems Development – e-recruit.DDSD@dsd.gov.za Project Coordinator: Sector Infrastructure – e-recruit.PCSI@dsd.gov.za Branch Coordinator – e-recruit.BC@dsd.gov.za Social Work Policy Developer Grade 1 – e-recruit.SWPDCP@dsd.gov.za Assistant Director: HIV and AIDS Capacity Building – erecruit.ADHACB@dsd.gov.za Assistant Director: Systems Development – e-recruit.ADSD@dsd.gov.za Project Administrator – e-recruit.PAPMO@dsd.gov.za
Directorate
Child Protection
Salary
R471 330 per annum
Centre
HSRC Building, Pretoria
Requirements
- An appropriate recognised Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or equivalent qualification.
- Registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) as a Social Worker, plus eight (8) years’ appropriate experience in social work after registration as a Social Worker with the SACSSP.
- Knowledge of childcare and protection legislation, child protection policies, vulnerable children, and the provision of prevention and early intervention services.
- Willingness to travel.
- Competencies needed: Programme development, Project management skills.
- Planning and organising skills.
- Networking skills.
- Communication (written and verbal) skills.
- Professional counselling skills.
- Policy analysis and development skills.
- Financial management skills.
- Presentation and facilitation skills.
- Report writing.
- Monitoring and evaluation skills.
- People management skills.
- Ability to compile complex reports.
- Attributes: Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to work in a team and independently.
- Innovative and creative.
- Friendly and trustworthy.
- Integrity.
Duties
- Develop, implement and maintain child protection policies.
- Monitor, interpret and review legislation, policies and procedures to determine whether legislation, policies and procedures are still relevant and comply with current requirements.
- Develop proposals to amend/maintain the relevant acts, policies and procedures and develop new policies/procedures where required.
- This includes costing the policies.
- Develop programmes to implement the relevant policies.
- Facilitate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of communitybased prevention and early intervention services for vulnerable children (Risiha).
- Facilitate the funding of a national body to provide services to vulnerable children.
- Keep up to date with new developments in the social work field.
- This would, inter alia, entail the following: (i) Study professional journals and publications to ensure that cognisance is taken of new developments.
- (ii) Monitor and study the social services, legal, and policy framework continuously.
- (ii) Liaise/attend meetings with other departments, nongovernment institutions and relevant stakeholders to take cognisance of the latest developments in the relevant fields.
- Engage in continuous professional development activities as prescribed.
- Research and development.
- Perform the administrative functions required in the unit.
Enquiries
Ms B. Sambo Tel No: (012) 312-7178
Department Notes
Curriculum vitae with a detailed description of duties and the names of two referees must accompany your signed application for employment (Z83). If applying for more than one position, applicants must submit separate applications for each position. Shortlisted candidates for a post will be required to submit certified copies of qualifications and identity documents on the date of the interview. Applicants are advised that from 1 January 2021, a new application for employment (Z83) form is effective and must be completed in full, failure to use the new Z83 will result in disqualification. The new form can be downloaded online at www.dpsa.gov.za-vacancies. Applicants applying for SMS posts are required to successfully complete the Certificate for entry into the SMS (submitted prior to appointment) and full details can be sourced by following the link: https://www.thensg.gov.za/training-course/sms-pre-entryprogramme/. Applicants are expected to pay for the course and may enroll for it at a cost of R400.00. The duration of the course is 120 hours. All shortlisted candidates, including SMS, shall undertake two pre-entry assessments. One will be a practical exercise to determine the candidate’s suitability based on the post’s technical and generic requirements and the other must be an integrity (ethical conduct) assessment. Following the interview and technical exercise, the selection panel will recommend candidates to attend a generic managerial competency assessment (in compliance with the DPSA Directive on the implementation of competency-based assessments). The competency assessment will be testing generic managerial competencies using the mandated DPSA SMS competency assessment tools. The successful candidate will sign an annual performance agreement, complete a financial discloser form and will also be required to undergo a security clearance. Candidates nominated for posts on salary levels 2 – 12 may be subjected to a competency assessment during the selection process. If the candidate is applying for an OSD post, certificates of service must be submitted on the date of the interview. It is the applicant’s responsibility to have foreign qualifications evaluated by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA). Failure to submit the requested documents will result in your application not being considered. Personnel suitability checks will be conducted on shortlisted candidates, and the appointment is subject to positive outcomes of the checks. Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. The selection of candidates will be done with due regard to the relevant aspects of the selection process as set out in the Public Service Amendment Regulations, 2023, Regulation 67. Applications received after the closing date will not be taken into consideration. If you have not been contacted within three months after the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Candidates requiring additional information regarding the advertised post may direct their enquiries to the person as indicated above. Internal applicants must submit and register their employment applications at the register book in the DSD reception area for the attention of Mr R Khobatha. DSD reserves the right to cancel the filling/ not to fill a vacancy that was advertised during any stage of the recruitment process.
Original Text
Directorate: Child Protection
SALARY : R471 330 per annum
CENTRE : HSRC Building, Pretoria
REQUIREMENTS : An appropriate recognised Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or equivalent qualification. Registration with the South African Council for Social Service
Professions (SACSSP) as a Social Worker, plus eight (8) years’ appropriate experience in social work after registration as a Social Worker with the
SACSSP. Knowledge of childcare and protection legislation, child protection policies, vulnerable children, and the provision of prevention and early
intervention services. Willingness to travel. Competencies needed:
Programme development, Project management skills. Planning and organising skills. Networking skills. Communication (written and verbal) skills.
Professional counselling skills. Policy analysis and development skills.
Financial management skills. Presentation and facilitation skills. Report writing.
Monitoring and evaluation skills. People management skills. Ability to compile complex reports. Attributes: Ability to work under pressure. Ability to work in a
team and independently. Innovative and creative. Friendly and trustworthy.
Integrity.
DUTIES : Develop, implement and maintain child protection policies. Monitor, interpret and review legislation, policies and procedures to determine whether
legislation, policies and procedures are still relevant and comply with current
requirements. Develop proposals to amend/maintain the relevant acts, policies and procedures and develop new policies/procedures where required. This
includes costing the policies. Develop programmes to implement the relevant policies. Facilitate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of communitybased prevention and early intervention services for vulnerable children
(Risiha). Facilitate the funding of a national body to provide services to vulnerable children. Keep up to date with new developments in the social work
field. This would, inter alia, entail the following: (i) Study professional journals and publications to ensure that cognisance is taken of new developments. (ii)
Monitor and study the social services, legal, and policy framework continuously. (ii) Liaise/attend meetings with other departments, nongovernment institutions and relevant stakeholders to take cognisance of the
latest developments in the relevant fields. Engage in continuous professional development activities as prescribed. Research and development. Perform the
administrative functions required in the unit.
ENQUIRIES : Ms B. Sambo Tel No: (012) 312-7178
Official source
This vacancy was imported from DPSA Circular 20 of 2026 for reference.
Disclaimer: This vacancy was imported from the official DPSA circular PDF. Please confirm the reference number, closing date, and application instructions in the original circular before applying. View the official DPSA vacancy circulars.