Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips


  View printer friendly version

(NAR) VOL. 18 NO. 4/OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2007

[ DSWD ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 11, July 31, 2007 ]

REVISED STANDARDS ON RESIDENTIAL CARE SERVICE



A. RATIONALE

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the primary government agency responsible for caring for the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors of society. As such it sets standards and provides consultative services to enable institutions, organizations and persons engaged in social welfare activities both in public and private settings to comply with said standards and monitor compliance. In keeping with these mandates, Administrative Order No. 141, s. 2002, Standards in the Implementation of Residential Care Service was issued. It presents a set of guidelines on the minimum administrative and program requirements for the operation of a 24-hour group care that provides alternative family care arrangements to the poor, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged individuals in crisis whose needs cannot be adequately met by their families and relatives or by any other form of alternative family care arrangements.

Further, indicators for residential care as Centers of Excellence as contained in Administrative Order No. 01, s. 2004 were formulated in line with the Department’s effort to improve service delivery and provide the best quality care for the clients being served. It was intended to be used as reference for determining exemplary performance in providing the service and basis for giving awards and recognition. Initially, an assessment of DSWD residential care faciities using these indicators was conducted which provided an opportunity to review the applicability of the various indicators as well as simplify the assessment process.

The revised standards and indicators for Residential Care Service were developed following the rights-based approach of service delivery of Social Work Agencies providing 24-hour residential care.

These standards concretize the obligation of the government and its partners as duty-bearers who undertake necessary measures to ensure the respect, protection and fulfillment of the rights of the poor, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged whom we consider as claimholders. To comply with this obligation and to guarantee high-quality care for these residents, the standards are formulated encompassing five focus areas – 1) Administration and Organization, 2) Program Management, 3) Case Management, 4) Helping Strategies/Interventions and 5) Physical Structures and Safety, of which each focus area is deemed important in effective, efficient and accountable service delivery.

B. LEGAL BASES

1. Republic Act 5416, Providing for Comprehensive Social Service for Individuals and Groups in Need of Assistance, Creating the Department of Social Welfare, Section 3 – The Department shall… (2) “set standards and policies to insure effective implementation of public and private social welfare programs”; ..(5) “accredit institutions and Organizations, public and private, engaged in social welfare activity including the licensing of child caring and child placement institutions and provide consultative services thereto”.

2. Executive Order no. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987, Title XVI, Chapter I, Sec. 3.Functions of the Department…. “to set standards, accredit and monitor performance of all social welfare activities both in public and private sectors”.

3. Executive Order No. 15, s.1998 as amended by Executive Order No. 221, s. 2003, Redirecting the Functions and operations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Sec. 3 (f) “set standards, monitors, accredit and provide consultative service to institutions, organizations, and persons engaged in social welfare activities, both public and private”.

C. COVERAGE

These standards shall apply to all types of residential care facilities operated and managed by DSWD, LGUs and private social work agencies or NGOs. Residential care shall refer to a service delivery mode that provides 24 – hour group care living as an alternative family care arrangement to residents whose needs cannot be adequately met by their families.

D. OBJECTIVES

These standards are intended to:

1. Protect and promote the best interest and welfare of residents in residential care facilities, recognizing their right to efficient, responsive and effective human services;

2. Ensure that programs and services in residential care facilities will contribute to the healing, recovery and social reintegration of residents;

3. Promote efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in the management and implementation of programs and services in residential care facilities

E. GENERAL POLICIES:

1. In support of DSWD’s policy on de-institutionalization, admission to residential care facilities especially for children should be the last resort and should consider a time frame on the maximum duration of their stay in the facility.

2. Residents who are: a) 15 years old and above; b) who can take care of themselves; c) have no chances for adoption/foster care; and d) those without families/relatives should be prepared for independent or group living.

3. The accreditation of residential care facilities by the Standards Bureau shall have a validity period with a maximum of 5 (five) years.

4. There should be a ladderized system for accreditation wherein indicators of compliance shall be categorized as follows: ( Please see attached annex A*)

a. MUST indicators - are MANDATORY standards (minimum or baseline) which should be complied with since absence of one would compromise the safety and welfare of the residents and the service implementation as well. This corresponds to level 1compliance with accreditation valid for 3 years.

b. DESIRED indicators – are higher standards that if complied with, will increase the quality of service implementation. These can be given credit if all MUST standards and indicators are complied with. This corresponds to level 2 compliance with an accreditation valid for 4 years.

c. EXEMPLARY indicators – are highest standards that, if complied with, will make the facility a CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE. Similarly, these can be given credit if all DESIRED items are complied with. This corresponds to level 3 compliance with an accreditation valid for 5 years.

5. During the validity period, the Accreditation may be suspended/cancelled if compliance to standards is not maintained despite three (3) notices within six (6) months to act on the reasons for such.

6. To promote the use of the revised standards, conduct of orientation, advocacy, capability building and technical assistance to LGUs, NGOs and other stakeholders shall be included in the priority activities of the Technical Assistance Division (TAD) of the Field Offices.

F. STANDARDS

The following general standards will serve as guide for policy and program planners in public and private agencies providing residential care service to children, youth, women, persons with disability, older persons and other vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals.

1. Administration and Organization – There is a clear statement of the Vision, Mission and Goals (VMG) of the organization indicating the desired outcomes for its residents and the programs and services it offers to operationalize the VMG. It has a well defined organizational structure that operates towards an efficient and effective implementation and management of the facility, with sufficient number of trained and competent staff organized to give the best possible care to the residents. Policies are consistent with the VMG and supportive of international conventions, declarations, and other relevant instruments wherein the government is a signatory, and other national and local legislations. Appropriate internal and external mechanisms for efficient and effective operations are in place.

2. Program Management- Projects and activities are responsive to the needs of the residents, appropriate resources are allocated and utilized efficiently towards attaining the agency’s/facility’s VMG as well as in improving the total well-being of the residents.

3. Case Management- A manageable number of residents are handled by social workers and other allied professional staff with direct care giving functions applying specific social work methods, innovative approaches/strategies and processes in accordance with the assessment of their problems and written treatment plan. This also includes the systematic documentation of the helping process as basis for determining appropriate interventions and their effects on the residents being cared for.

4. Helping Strategies/Interventions – Provision of any or a combination of  services/ interventions shall be done by qualified staff taking into consideration the age, gender, nature of the case and the physical and intellectual attributes of the residents and should be based on the treatment plan to ensure that this/these will contribute to the attainment of the helping goals.

5. Physical Structures and Safety – Physical facilities shall be kept in good condition and designed in such a way that will promote the physical, cultural, emotional and psychosocial well-being of the residents and of the staff. It shall conform to the basic safety standards and program requirements for the day to day operation of the facility and implementation of its programs and services.

G. ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE

In consideration of the varying service capacities of agencies implementing residential care, compliance to standards shall be assessed using the indicators in Annex A (Revised Standards and Indicators for Residential Care) of this guidelines which shall be reviewed and updated every three (3) years to ensure applicability with current social work practice. Assessment tools for accreditation shall be formulated by the Standards Bureau taking into consideration the peculiar needs of the residents.

H. REPEALING CLAUSE

Administrative Orders No. 141 s. 2002 and 01 s. 2004 and all other issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby revoked.

I. EFFECTIVITY

This order shall take effect immediately 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette or in newspaper of general circulation whichever comes first.

Adopted:  31 July 2007.

(SGD.) ESPERANZA I. CABRAL, MD
Secretary



* Text Available at Office of the National Administrative Register, U.P. Law Complex, Diliman, Quezon City
© Supreme Court E-Library 2019
This website was designed and developed, and is maintained, by the E-Library Technical Staff in collaboration with the Management Information Systems Office.