Statutory Social Worker

Location: Sandringham, Johannesburg- Position Type: Permanent**Purpose of the Job**:

- To promote, maintain, and develop the psychosocial functioning of children and families within the confines of Family Protection Services.

To provide Child Protection Services in accordance with the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and other related Acts

**Role and Responsibilities**:
**_Case Work _**
- Demonstrating insight and experience in initiating and sustaining effective therapeutic relationships
- Providing counselling for community members, children, residents, individuals, couples, families and beneficiaries with the emphasis on family preservation and Child Statutory services
- Preparing necessary documentation relating to statutory intervention
- Conducting home visits, life space work in the family environment, supervised access visits, mediation and family interactional and related assessments
- Completing relevant reports and process notes
- Holding case conferences / family meetings (collaborating with the multidisciplinary team as needed)
- Crisis Management, relevant follow up and monitoring as required; ongoing relevant feedback must be given to management and all parties involved
- Parent coordination services
- Foster care/ temporary safe care screening processes
- Attend Childre’s Court, Maintenance Court, High Court, domestic abuse courts and any other court deemed necessary
- Compile relevant court reports

**_Group Work _**
- Organizing and conducting groups parenting skills related groups and groups that impact on skill development to enhance family functioning
- Foster care/ temporary safe care, adoption information sessions and support groups
- Conducting needs analysis and developing proposals accordingly
- Drafting group session and other relevant reports and statistics
- Co-parenting groups

**_Community Work _**
- Involvement in community development projects as required - promoting child protection services and reporting by upskilling youth leaders, educational institutions, relevant community organisations and community
- Involvement in community development projects as required
- providing skill development, capacity building, empowerment of learners, vulnerable children, and youth abuse prevention & resilience programmes
- Maintaining files and records appropriately
- Compiling relevant presentations as necessary
- Develop and implement campaigns related to adoption, 16 days of activism, child protection weeks, outreach programmes

**_Education_**
- Sharing of knowledge in order to further the development of volunteers, students, care workers, social work and social auxiliary staff
- Providing public education on psychosocial matters
- Speaking at, writing articles for, arranging, and/or participating in seminars and conferences as appropriate
- Upskill and train social workers on family functioning, and child statutory services

**_Professional Development / Functioning_**
- Maintaining and developing appropriate professional qualifications, skills, knowledge related to field of work
- Furthering own professional development by making use of internal and external development opportunities
- Attending regular individual supervision meetings with the Senior Social Worker Supervisor at Jewish Community Services or supervisor at Chev entity seconded to
- Attending regular supervision meetings. The supervisor / consultant and supervisee / consultee share responsibility for facilitating an effective working relationship. Parties in this relationship must contract on the goals, structures and nature of this process, and must have regular evaluations of the process with the focus support/ professional development and monitoring
- Attending conferences, lectures and workshops
- Attending consultation sessions with Group Manager of Social Services and appointed consultants as required
- Supervision or consultation to colleagues in relation to Child and Family Statutory Services

**_Research_**
- Developing knowledge and skill pertaining to all areas of statutory/ family protection work
- Participating in agency research.
- Initiating and completing other research that is beneficial to the organization
- Sourcing of relevant literature and information
- Ensuring CPD points are obtained
- Identifying research needs

**_Collaboration with Multidisciplinary Team_**
- Facilitating a collaborative and mutually beneficial working relationship with the multidisciplinary team
- Liaising and arranging meetings with relevant internal divisions (e.g. care, medical, operations etc.) as necessary
- Attend client forums as required

**_Liaison with External Affiliates / Organizations_**
- Facilitating a collaborative and mutually beneficial working relationship with affiliates and external organizations in the best interest of the community (and to minimize duplication of services)
- Liaison with relevant organisations, Governmental Departments and Courts in respect of child abuse and child statutory services
- At