Swartland Municipality’s 100-Day Challenge aims to strengthen every part of that process by working towards 60 referrals through the Dahlia Centre in Malmesbury. The Dahlia Centre provides counselling and connects survivors with a range of support services. Activities taking place across the municipality are helping more residents understand where support is available and how referrals are made.
Starting conversations in the community
Community outreach has created opportunities to introduce the Dahlia Centre to people in familiar settings because conversations are easier when they happen in places that people already know and trust. Teams visited households in Moorreesburg through door-to-door engagements. They also joined residents during a Colour Fun Walk in Abbotsdale and hosted a community walk and puppet show in Riebeek Kasteel and at the Suiderkruis POP Centre. These engagements gave residents an opportunity to ask questions and share information with neighbours and friends.
Preparing trusted community members
The referral pathway also depends on the people who receive disclosures in their daily work because they are often the people a survivor chooses to speak to first. Twelve GBVF Ambassadors participated in training that prepared them to recognise concerns and connect survivors with the appropriate services. Early childhood development and afterschool care practitioners attended a Children’s Act workshop, while 40 Yeboneers, PlayMakers and staff took part in a mental health workshop that aimed to strengthen their understanding of referral processes and the support available through the Dahlia Centre.
Creating support pathways across campuses.
The municipality has also worked across five West Coast College campuses because staff and students play an important role in recognising when someone needs support. Risk assessments, capacity-building sessions and campus-wide communication have helped build a shared understanding of how to respond when someone asks for help and where to refer them.
Strengthening partnerships between services
The referral pathway is also strengthened through partnerships. The Dahlia Centre works closely with SAPS, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Health and community organisations because each organisation provides a different service. Communication between these organisations helps referrals continue from one service to the next, giving survivors and their families access to the support they need. The municipality also reports regularly to Council on referrals linked to GBVF, child protection, domestic violence, elder abuse, rehabilitation support and mental health.
Connecting people with support
Every referral starts with a person deciding to speak to someone they trust. It continues because another person knows how to respond, knows where support is available and understands who should become involved next. This is the work taking place across Swartland’s 100-Day Challenge. The municipality is strengthening the relationships, knowledge and coordination that help people reach the Dahlia Centre when support is needed.
Majuba TVET College