Qualifications
March 1996 Baccalaureus Societatis Scientiae (South Africa)
Majors: Criminology and Sociology
January 2005 Diploma in Social Work (United Kingdom)
September 2006 Post-Qualifying Social Work Practice
University of Gloucestershire
Additional Courses Completed
Course/ Date/ United Kingdom or South Africa
Child Sexual Exploitation April 2015 Swindon Borough Council
Understanding Attachment May 2015 Swindon Borough Council
Solution Focussed Approach June 2015 Swindon Borough Council
Working with Families – Framework of Good Practice October 2015 Swindon Borough Council
Information Sharing October 2015 Swindon Borough Council
Public Law Outcome February 2014 Cumbria County Council
Analysis & Critical Thinking in Assessment January 2013 (1 day) Cumbria County Council
Communicating with Children January 2013 (1 day) Cumbria County Council
Child Victims of Sexual Abuse and Child Sexual Perpetrators March 2012 (1 day) Child Welfare South Africa
Restorative Discipline For Professionals Working with Children and Youth July 2012 (1 day) University of the Free State South Africa
Socio-Emotional Assessment of Children, Holistic Assessment of the Childs World September 2011 (3 weeks) Forensic Assessment Consultation Training South Africa
Circle of Courage September 2011 (1 day) Department of Education, South Africa
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy October 2011 (1 da) South Africa
Coping with troubled youth May 2010 (1 day) Department of Education, South Africa
Creative Play Therapy Workshop August 2010 (2 days) South Africa
Norms, Standards and Practice Guidelines for the Child and Youth Care Centers November 2010 (1 day) Free State Youth Care Centre, South Africa
Joint Investigation Training (6 days) Wiltshire, UK
Foster Care Training(4 days) Swindon, UK
Cognitive Therapy( 4 days) Swindon, UK
Working with children that had sexually been abused (2 days) Swindon, UK
Child Protection Legislation (1 day) Swindon, UK
Managing difficult behaviour (1 day) UK
Working with children and families with HIV (1 day) Wiltshire, UK
Working with Ethnic Minority Groups (1 day) UK
Framework for assessment training (1 day) UK
IT Skills
SWIFT
Capital One – ICS
Liquid Logic
MS Office – Word and Excell
Touch Typing
Employment History
Swindon Borough Council
Children’s Localities North Team
March 2015 – 13th November 2015
Qualified Social Worker – Locum
I worked with Child in Need, section 17, Children Act 1989, chairing the Child in Need meetings.
I’ve worked with Child Protection, outcome of Section 47, Children Act 1989. Completing Statutory Assessments, working with Multi-agencies and chairing Core Groups, making sure that the Child Protection Plan is adhere to.
I’ve worked with PLO, from requesting Legal Planning Meetings, to inviting the parents to the Public Law Outline Meeting.
I’ve complete statutory visits, announced, unannounced making sure that the child has been seen alone and spoken to, making sure that the wishes, feelings and voice of child is clearly noted.
I’ve worked with Looked after Children under section 20, Children Act 1989. Including completing the matching of placement and following all Legal Statutory visits and meetings.
I’ve worked in a multi-disciplinary manner, along with Education, SENCO, Safeguarding, Health Visitors, School Nurses, MARP, MASH and Community Paediatricians.
I’ve worked with children/teenagers at risk of sexual exploitation, missing and having drug dependency. This work is done alongside U-Turn, CRI and Youth Support Workers.
I’ve worked with parents who are drug dependent, assessing their ability to keep their children safe and parent in a manner that is not putting their child/children at any risk.
Wiltshire County Council
Children’s Safeguarding & Assessment Team
October 2014 – March 2015
Qualified Social Worker – Locum
Cumbria County Council
Carlisle Children and Family Support Team
October 2013 – August 2014
Enhanced Social Worker
I worked to improve outcomes for Children and Young People in Cumbria by listening to the voice of the child, young person and their families, understanding their needs and working together to agree how these needs will be met with the right help and support.
I worked as a highly capable practitioner assessing and delivering care and support services to complex and high risk cases.
I undertake complex assessments using the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, and have in depth knowledge of Children’s Assessment and Case Management Process and outcome based planning, which are needs led.
I’ve chaired Child in Need meetings and been the lead professional in Child Protection Conferences.
I’ve put together, needs led plans for children and their families.
I work effectively in a multi-agency context with internal and external colleagues on a day to day basis, sharing and co-ordinating resources.
I keep appropriate records that describe and support an analysis of the child’s experience that clearly identify the child’s voice and demonstrate evidence based practice.
I’ve been part of an interview panel.
I’ve worked with homeless young people, securing them in a supportive living.
I’ve worked with looked after children and them being placed back home.
I’ve done risk assessments with children and families.
I wrote Section 7 Court Reports and has experience of witnessing in court.
I conduct my work in accordance with Social Work Core Values, Children’s Services policies and procedures and the Council’s core values and corporate standards, including anti-oppressive and anti-discriminating practice.
I travel in and around the county as part of my duty.
I work alongside colleagues and engage in peer support.
I have experience of mentoring and guiding less experienced colleagues and students.
Free State Care in Action, NGO (Non Government Organization), South Africa
Children and Families Team
May 2011 – May 2013
Social Worker
Case load of 200+
Working with children and families from different ethnicities with poverty, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence and HIV
Legislation work in the field, when needed removing children that’s neglected or abused according to the new Children’s of Act 38 0f 2005, South Africa
Child assessment according to the Socio-Emotional Assessment which is a holistic approach to the child’s world
Renewing orders of children placed in foster and or kinship care
Renewing orders of children who will continue with education after age 18 years
Opening and finalizing cases in Children’s Court
Worked closely with foster carers
Did projects for Foster Carers and Children placed in safety
Did early intervention work
Duty at intake desk
Working supportive and early intervention with both children and parents on relationship problems, going through a divorced and being abused.
Children’s Home and Youth Care Therapeutic Centre
NGO (Non-Government Organization), South Africa
August 2010 – April 2011
Social Worker
Case load of 50+ children
Working therapeutic with children that had been placed in this Children’s Home
Assessing the children and working accordingly to the outcome of this assessment
Used Creative Play Therapy to support the children
Involved in projects with the children
Liaised with education, making sure that the children’s needs had been met in their educational development
KMD,NGO
(Non-Government Organization), South Africa
Children and Families
March 2010 – July 2010
Social Worker – standing in for maternity leave
Case load 200+
Worked with children, families and foster carers
Applying the Children’s Act in South Africa
Attending Court with opening and finalization of cases
North Devon, Devon County Council
Community Adults with Learning Disabilities
November 2007 – November 2009
Social Worker
Worked with adults age 18 and older who qualified under the FACS criteria
First point of contact with adults with learning disabilities and their families
Worked within a multi-discipline team, including Nurses, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Speech Therapists, Physiotherapist and General Practitioners
Worked within the legal, government and local policy, Valuing People and Valuing People now
Worked with a centre person plan, after completing the overview assessment.
Worked alongside solicitors to prepare court reports
Worked with attempted suicide victims and their families
Swindon Borough Council
Department of Adult Care, Review Team
May 2005 – June 2007
Social Worker
Reviewed care packages according to FACS criteria
Worked within a multi-disciplinary team
Completing assessments
Setting up care packages
Arranging respite
Completing carers assessments
Swindon Borough Council
Department of Children and Families Referral Team
November 2005 – August 2006
Social Worker
Worked with Section 17 referrals
Worked with teenagers and obesity
Worked in a multi-disciplinary team
Attending Core Group meetings, child protection conferences and involvement in Section 47 Child Protection cases
Wiltshire County Council, Wootten Basset
Children and Families
September 2004 – April 2005
Student Social Worker then Qualified Social Worker
Managed Duty calls, including emergency referrals, telephonic referrals and 1:1 support and referrals
Did initial and core assessment by using DoH’s Framework for Assessments
Worked on a weekly basis with a family whose child is on CPR
Attending Core Group meetings, child protection conferences and involvement in Section 47 Child Protection cases
Presided over PAM (Plan and Action Meetings) which involved families and other professionals
Presenting Social Services in a multi disciplinary meeting, example Education
Completed Foster Care Placements and Schedule 2 Reports for step-parent adoption application
Worked with a range of families presenting domestic violence, ADHD, mental health issues and Schedule 1 offenders
Organised and supervised arranged supervised contact
Managed own case load
