Social Worker - Bellville
Background
U-turn is a thriving non-profit that exist to give homeless people the skills to overcome homelessness. Founded in 1997, we believe in life after homelessness. We believe that every homeless individual should have access to an effective pathway that addresses their physical, spiritual and emotional needs so they can leave the streets and become a long-term productive member of society.
To help homeless people overcome homelessness we operate a phased approach that includes rehabilitation from substance abuse, counselling, life-skills training and work placement in one of our social enterprises. This allows candidates to test and apply the training they’ve received. In the process, the programme inculcates a healthy work ethic, furnish modern job skills and give 18-24 months of real work experience so that individuals can graduate and be gainfully employed in the modern South African economy.
The programme is yielding wonderful results. Our candidates typically graduate into open market employment and show an 80% long term success rate! We are actively working to expand the programme to more locations in Cape Town and across South Africa.
Work-readiness program
The work-readiness department forms part of the Life Change Journey and is tasked with providing work-based rehabilitation and skills development training that prepares clients for graduation into the open labour marker and reintegration into community. One day a week, each client attends a training day where they access group therapy, counselling, and input using a specially designed curriculum. This cycle of learning and then application follows a graded approach and continues for as long as needed. It takes an average of 18 months. Case-managers coordinate the entire intervention programme for the clients and work in close-collaboration with the worksite managers.
This position
The social worker will form part of the interdisciplinary team based in the Northern Suburbs managing a case-load of up to 16 clients on the work-readiness program. He/she will also assist with groups, family and community intervention and program development.
The ideal candidate will be a committed Christian who has previous experience working within an interdisciplinary team, individual case management and facilitating group sessions. An added advantage will be if you have experience working with people who have lived experience of overcoming homelessness.
Key Areas of Responsibility
- Manage a case load of up to 16 clients per week
- Assessment of needs within relevant stage of the Life Change Programme and setting appropriate goals
- Crisis intervention, e.g. resolving conflict.
- Provide case management and support for each client. This includes intervention planning and implementation, monitoring and follow-up; and re-assessment; internal referrals to multidisciplinary team and external referrals to external service providers/healthcare professionals where necessary
- Conduct Groups as part of the Training day schedule
- Complete required data capturing, including service instances, client notes and progress reports
- Contribute to programme development
- Assist head of department with any projects or events that need to be planned and completed
- Screening and assessment of prospective clients for the work readiness programme
- Use and contribute to the existing planning and recording keeping systems to ensure continuous improvement of your areas of responsibility.
Essential Skills
- Qualified Social Worker registered with the SACSSP (essential)
- Driver’s license (essential)
- Previous experience of working with people experiencing homelessness (an added advantage)
- Previous experience working in the addiction field (an added advantage)
- Strong administrative skills
- Good interpersonal including good verbal and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated time management, organisation and planning skills
- Active listening
- A resourceful individual that is not easily flustered
- A collaborative team player – concerned with the team success as well as individual performance
- Emotionally mature individual
Attitude
- Willingness to assist and help out where necessary
- Willingness to learn and grow personally
- A problem solver who is open to change and innovation
- Must be able to take initiative
- An enthusiastic person who is devoted to South Africa and wants to use his or her clinical skills and experience to make a meaningful difference
Organisational Fit (where applicable)
- If in Recovery - actively engaged in own ongoing recovery, accessing accountability support and practicing recovery behaviour
- If employed as a Professional – affiliation with professional board, continued personal development and accessing supervision
- Gospel orientation – connected to a local fellowship of believers, reading the Bible and grounded in Gospel-motivated Social Action
Next Steps
Candidates interested in this position must submit a letter of motivation and CV to [email protected]. The letter of motivation should be approximately 1 page in length and include information on why you would like to work at U-turn and how you fulfil the required knowledge and skills outlined above. Applications without a letter of motivation will NOT be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: R16 000,00 per month
Application Question(s):
- Are you registered with the SACSSP?
- Do you have experience working with people in homelessness and drug addiction?
- How years of experience do you have in the relevant field?
- Have you upload your motivational letter ?
