Elsie Gaofenngwe Innocentia Lekana
School Social Worker
Mabopane
Summary
I therefore request an award to use my experience and expertise as a social worker and manager in your institution to actualise and promote your vision.
I still attend workshops for further developments. The above mentioned set me apart from other candidates because of my experience in two different institutions. My experience at correctional services helped in managing and monitoring learner behaviour especially learners at risk. As an only social worker in the Love Trust, Nokuphila School I have created various network within the community of Tembisa to sustain sound support and give the necessary services to our vulnerable community. I can adapt quickly into any institution.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
School Social Worker
Nokuphila School
09.2016 - Current
- Supporting learners and advocating for their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.
- Connecting at-risk learners with helpful resources and conducting home visits to provide additional support.
- Working with outside agencies to provide support to families for further assistance.
- Offering mentoring and suggestions for teachers and other school personnel
- Developing and providing crisis intervention strategies to improve learners’ success
- Working to maximize coping skills for learners in difficult situations
- Counselling and assessments for learners. (Play therapy and counselling for learners who are referred by teachers and parents), providing counselling for parents and families and doing assessments referred by the SMT as part of management team.
- Referrals. (Families that needs further assistance regarding mediation or conflict resolution).
- Home visits. (Home assessments for new learners who applied at the school). Home visits are also done if there is negligence of learners and parents are unable to make it to school or other significant reasons that affects the learners. Death in the family and for the school Alumni. Visits to investigate change in socio-economic status-pantry purposes.
- Working with multi-disciplinary team. Reporting challenging matters to the SBST and SMT committee.
- Embarking on arising matters, projects or programmes that need to be implemented with SMT. E.g World Aids Day, bullying programme etc.
- Evaluate information and compile home based report in the best interest of the child.
- Enrolment (Networking with child welfares and community organisations to ensure that the right families are enrolled to the school as per requirement of the school looking to enrol the most vulnerable families).
- Conducted interviews for new applicants and organising parental workshop.
- Private Christian school - by Love Trust
Intern social worker
Baviaanspoort Correctional Services
02.2015 - 09.2015
- Professional assessment of inmates
- Provide social work services and programmes to inmates
- Assist offenders to develop coping skills
- Ensure the provision of therapeutic counselling and support to inmates
- Assist in compiling reports to the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board
- Build partnership with external service providers (NGOs, families and the community) in the rehabilitative process.
- Organize awareness and information sharing campaigns to expand the knowledge of inmate on child protection, domestic violence, crime prevention and human rights etc
- Facilitate contact between offenders and their families to build and maintain healthy family relationships thus contributing to stable families and positive lifestyles.
- Inform policy formulation through practice and contributing to professional knowledge of social work through research and paper presentations
- Provide, capacity building to professionals
- Embark on action-based research to inform appropriate interventions
Education
Matric -
Motshegoa High School
Honours bachelor's degree - social work
University of South Africa
Social Work
UNISA
Pretoria, South Africa04-2016
Skills
Administrative practices
Personal Information
- ID Number: 820505 1289 087
- ID Number: 8205051289087
Special Training
- Isiqalo - Specialised Social Services Practitioner
- Isiqalo - Gender-Based Violence
- Hayley Bower - Practitioner Training
- Nation Builders - Training in Reflective Practice for Social work
- University of Pretoria
Phone Numbers
084 991 4391, 010 023 7073
Timeline
School Social Worker
Nokuphila School
09.2016 - Current
Intern social worker
Baviaanspoort Correctional Services
02.2015 - 09.2015
Honours bachelor's degree - social work
University of South Africa
Matric -
Motshegoa High School
Social Work
UNISA