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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Utilise selected skills in maintenance matters 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
123211  Utilise selected skills in maintenance matters 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Legal Education and Training 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security Justice in Society 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  6 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard will enable court-based learners to provide specialised assistance in complicated maintenance matters and improve the enforcement of maintenance matters.

Learners credited with this unit standard will be able to:
  • Assist the court in a maintenance enquiry.
  • Trace parties and conduct economic profiling.
  • Prepare for a criminal maintenance trial.
  • Calculate interest in maintenance enforcement matters. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Communication skills NQF Level 4.
    Mathematical literacy skills NQF Level 4.
    Computer literacy skills NQF Level 3.

    All the fundamental and core unit standards pertaining to maintenance in the Court-based Certificate in Family Law practice. 

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    N/A 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Assist the court in a maintenance enquiry 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    This specific outcome refers to the performance of the powers and duties of a maintenance officer as provided for in chapters 2 and 3 of the Maintenance Act 99 of 1998. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The role of the maintenance officer in maintenance enquiries is examined with reference to the Maintenance Act. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Procedures and rules of evidence for maintenance enquiries are explained in the context of the Maintenance Act. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Exhibits are identified for use in maintenance enquiries. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Procedures to be followed at a maintenance enquiry are applied in a given case study. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Key points in maintenance matters are evaluated and presented to the court in the context of a given case study. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Oral evidence is led and tested in a maintenance enquiry by means of role play. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Trace parties and conduct economic profiling. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Economic profiling must cover the performance of the functions of a maintenance investigator as set out in sections 5, 7 and 34 of the Maintenance Act no 99 of 1998. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The role of the maintenance investigator in resolving maintenance disputes is examined in the context of the Maintenance Act. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Maintenance matters are analysed in order to identify information capable of being obtained by tracing and economic profiling. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The use of external information sources are evaluated in order to trace and gather information on parties involved in maintenance disputes. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    External information sources must include at least one credit bureau, the national vehicle register, the deeds office database and the unemployment insurance fund database.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Information obtained through tracing and economic profiling is assessed to evaluate the viability of court intervention. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Information obtained through tracing and economic profiling is used to formulate verbal and written recommendations to maintenance officers and or prosecutors as to feasible courses of action. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Prepare for a criminal maintenance trial. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Information flowing from tracing, economic profiling or other sources is prepared for the use of prosecutors. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Information is extracted from maintenance files and prepared as exhibits for use in court. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The procedures followed in maintenance trials are examined in order to inform court users. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Maintenance trial sentences are analysed in order to determine the procedural steps necessary to give effect to the sentence. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Calculate interest in maintenance enforcement matters. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Factual maintenance matters are analysed as to whether interest on maintenance is owed. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Maintenance matters are analysed to establish how much maintenance has been paid and how much remains outstanding. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The applicable interest rate is identified and calculated in the context of maintenance matters. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Factual maintenance matters are analysed and the prescribed interest rate applied to calculate the arrears owing. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Spreadsheet calculations are prepared to illustrate the total amounts of arrears and interest owing in maintenance matters. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    Procedural steps are reviewed to ensure that interest is claimed on outstanding maintenance amounts. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • An individual wishing to be assessed (including through RPL) against this Unit Standard may apply to an assessment agency, assessor or provider institution accredited by the relevant ETQA, or an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Anyone assessing a learner against this Unit Standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this Unit Standard or assessing this Unit Standard must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Moderation of assessment will be conducted by the relevant ETQA at its discretion. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
  • Court procedures in a maintenance enquiry.
  • Techniques to trace parties and conduct an economic profile.
  • Methods to prepare for a criminal maintenance trial.
  • The calculation of interest in maintenance enforcement matters. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to diagnose complex maintenance matters, to access and use sources of information to gather evidence and to facilitate sophisticated enquiries by a maintenance court. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to fulfil their role as a resource provider to external court users and to internal role-players such as maintenance officers, prosecutors and magistrates, allowing effective service delivery by court-based staff. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to assist courts in civil and criminal maintenance enquiries by gathering and preparing information so as to optimise the effective use of maintenance court time. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to understand the importance of accurate financial information in maintenance enquiries, have the skills and expertise to gather information and to interpret its usefulness to court based staff in maintenance enquiries. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to explain to court users in accessible language the nature of maintenance court proceedings and what will be expected of them in formal court hearings. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to use computer spreadsheets to perform specific financial calculations and to access knowledge databases to obtain useful and information for the use of the maintenance system. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to assist the maintenance court to resolve disputes with the support of information from external systems. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING 
    Learners have acquired the generic ability to use advanced maintenance skills to contribute to a more accessible and efficient maintenance court system in South Africa. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Terminology:
  • For the purposes of this unit standard, 'court-based family law practice', 'family law' and 'family law-related matters' are understood to include the legal areas of maintenance, domestic violence, divorce and children's court matters at a lower court level.
  • For the purposes of this unit standard, 'court based staff' and 'court based learners' are understood to refer to administrative clerks working in the area of maintenance at a lower court level. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Elective  50265   National Certificate: Family Law Practice  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  SAS SETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.