Audit of Residential Facilities, Final report - Division for Social Policy ...

The M&E role of the Department (wherever this responsibility lays) must beimplemented on a continuous and consistent basis.The capacity of provincial and regional staff of DSD must be developed so that theyare confident in performing their tasksThe problem areas identified in this audit must be addressed and homes must beprovided with more mentoring and support by the DSD in order to build the capacity ofthe homes (this is also a key issue in sustainability)3. While attempts have been made by some homes to change their racial profiles, in manyhomes cultural and social norms and high fees have been used as a reason to excludepeople of different racial groups. The focus on transformation is crucial; however theimportance and focus which is to provide proper care for older persons must not be lost.Therefore:The issue of transformation in relation to providing an effective service for all olderpersons must become a priority for the DSD to ensure that homes addresstransformation with more than just lip-service.Homes that have given the impression that they have transformed but have kept blackresidents separate from white residents must be addressed as a matter of urgencyGood practice models of transformation need to be shared with homes; many fear theunknown so if they know that it has worked in another home they might feel lessresistant to the changeMany of the homes that are resistant to change are controlled by „mother bodies‟.These bodies act as a pool of resources and personnel yet they also often alsohamper transformation initiatives. The Department needs to conduct a more thoroughstudy into their practices and address their resistanceDiversity awareness should be done with home management and staff so that theyare sensitised to different cultural and religious practicesAt the same time instead of enforcing compliance with punitive measures, DSD mustembark on a process of assisting homes with transformation by helping them todevelop a transformation strategy. Business Plans must include a plan fortransformation with clear indicators by which to measure the progress made by homesTransformation is not only about racial integration of homes but also on all the otherprinciples inherent in the Transformation Guidelines such as the composition of the7 | D S D A u d i t o f R e s i d e n t i a l F a c i l i t i e s