The following learnerships and skills programmes (short courses) are currently offered by CEFA:

• Social Auxiliary Work
  
• Community Development: HIV and AIDS Support
• Fundamentals for Child and Youth Care Work
• Developmental Social Work (short course)
• Mentoring and Coaching (short course)
• Victim Empowerment (short course)
• Leadership Development (short course)

Click on the links, or read more for more info on these courses

SOCIAL AUXILIARY WORKER

DEFINITION & SCOPE

A Social Auxiliary Worker is:

• dedicated to the social welfare of people as a key element of human development;
• an essential support for the social worker in assisting with all preventative and social care tasks;
• a good listener, with strong empathy for others, who can match up human needs with practical solutions within community and national structures and resources;
• able to empower people to help themselves to achieve to the best of their capabilities within an effective understanding of their communities and the world around them;
• an interventionist at grass roots level in communities, guided by and expanding the scope and effectiveness of professional Social Workers;
• an effective contributor to research and development in the enhancement of social welfare.

In today's increasingly slewed development of world economies, job insecurity, manmade and natural disasters, climate change, hunger and disease, social auxiliary work begins with poverty eradication. From a low base of hunger and despair the social auxiliary worker helps those in need – from child to adult – to cope first with the brickbats that life throws at them, then to grow in hope, to lift themselves up in the world – and empower them to build their communities and societies and uplift others.

QUALIFICATION
Within a wide variety of legal and socio-economic frameworks around the world the regulation of – and the qualifications for – social auxiliary work both vary from the highly defined and professional to the non-existent. International standards under UN auspices are a goal to be achieved. Training and qualification should be via both classroom teaching and in-the-field employment engagement, together with follow-up mentoring and assessment; it will encompass knowledge and understanding – combined with practical application – of:

From a common formal qualification base the social auxiliary worker will go on to specialize in one or more elective areas of child and youth care, child and family life, older persons, drug abuse, community development, victim empowerment, correctional services, disabilities – and chronic illness.

Registration: SAW SAQA ID 23993: SAW SAQA

Web link: http://regqs.saqa.org.za/viewQualification.php?id=23993
 

VICTIM EMPOWERMENT

DEFINITION & SCOPE

In current society basic standards such as respect, courtesy and consideration have become distorted and disdained. As a result, transgression of interpersonal boundaries is endemic in many parts of the world, with crime victimisation a major social problem that leaves in its wake much suffering and trauma. Victim Empowerment is about enabling survivors and their families to live with the impacts of violence and criminal victimisation, and to develop life anew.

In addressing the cycle of violence victim empowerment is also a crime prevention strategy that contributes to strengthening the Criminal Justice System; supported victims are better able to cooperate with those who are trying to empower them.

Victim Empowerment is a developing sector in the field of human development, with widely varying degrees of regulation, or even recognition that there is a need. Many victims of crime and violence either do not receive any treatment or do not receive what they need. Reasons include the limited number of mental health professionals, lack of accessible mental health services – particularly in rural areas, inaccessibility to criminal justice systems, concerns about stigmatisation, fear of retribution, as well as the fact that survivors can be re-traumatised through insensitive handling.

QUALIFICATION
In practice victim empowerment encompasses many activities. People working and/or volunteering in community projects, through NGOs and church groups, often provide such services in their communities without formally recognised training or qualifications. Despite their considerable experience and insight, they are unable to gain access to training, qualifications and career paths in victim empowerment and related sub-fields which would assist them in being far more effective. Worldwide there is a need to standardise and co-ordinate activities in order to ensure successful implementation and measurable achievement.

A standard approach to victim empowerment training and professional qualification is needed, backed by well researched case studies that will inform good trauma intervention and -management practice. The underlying philosophy is one of public health, social justice and a developmental approach in which violence and crime are considered to be complex social problems rather than simply legal matters. Emphasis is placed on the need for community development, advocacy, prevention and early interventions, together with multi-disciplinary and multi-agency cooperation. Resourcefulness and resilience of individuals are important elements, together with a restorative justice philosophy and practices.

Training and qualifications for victim empowerment practitioners should be through both classroom teaching and in-the-field engagement, backed by real life case studies, together with follow-up mentoring and assessment. Qualities needed by practitioners include:

• an ability to listen to the victim, with the wisdom and perspicacity to hear what he or she is really saying;
• a capacity to match victim needs with practical solutions networked within community and national structures and resources – including the public health and justice systems;
• intuitive understanding of how best to guide victims into developing their lives anew, accessing and coordinating support and key services where necessary;
• an ability to contribute effectively to research and development in the enhancement of effective victim empowerment procedures.

TRAINING IS BASED ON CEFA CORE VALUES OF:

• leadership in the field of providing top quality empowerment education and training to learners;
• the belief that education and training are the keys to human development in contributing to the quality of life of communities;
• equipping learners with the necessary knowledge, skills and values to become highly qualified self-reliant Victim Empowerment practitioners.

Qualifications will include knowledge, understanding and practical application of:

Management

• Public health input and social justice principles in planning, coordination and implementation of victim empowerment initiatives and programmes.
• Networking and an inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach to victim empowerment services within the public health framework.
• Strategic partnerships which fully incorporate the responsibilities, skills and methods of other role players.
• Organisational strategies in establishing and maintaining media relations – so as to maximise the benefits of media engagement in victim empowerment interventions.
• Accessing, coordination and utilisation of key resources and service providers in effective referral of clients, service delivery, information feedback and reporting.
• Cooperative and coordinated management of volunteers in service delivery.

Field Work

• Social crime prevention programmes in the context of victim empowerment – with reference to youth at risk, child abuse and gender violence.
• Understanding the context and impact of serious violent crime in programme planning, coordination and implementation in support of victims.
• Application of the principles, processes and requirements of support services in a structured environment under qualified supervision.
• Rationale, purpose, principles, concepts and limitations of victim support, together with the role and responsibilities of victim support workers.
• Application of appropriate interpersonal, interviewing and referral skills in determining clients’ needs, together with provision of support and facilitation of access to other services.
• Burn out and secondary trauma risk reduction strategies and practices.

Environment

• The roles, characteristics and functioning of the components of the Criminal Justice System in relation to victim empowerment and community development interventions.
• Compiling community profiles, safety-audits and needs assessments in planning and facilitating victim empowerment services with identified strategic partners.
• Description, review and coordination of strategies to inform individuals and communities about crime, victimisation and HIV / AIDS in a victim empowerment organisation.
• Conducting advocacy and fundraising campaigns, workshops and training in target communities to provide community development interventions in victim empowerment.

Planning & Reporting

• Coordination of team members, Victim Empowerment programmes, interventions, and activities in respect of personal, religious and cultural differences of all participants.
• Assistance in the planning and execution of research in Victim Empowerment using appropriate methodology.
• Assistance in the planning, preparing and conducting of Victim Empowerment training and development interventions to meet identified needs of individuals and communities.
• Compiling, verifying and distributing reports on Victim Empowerment programmes, interventions, research, campaigns and activities, with identified information sources.

To enhance the scope and quality of victim empowerment (VE) services and provide VE service providers with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide direct services and coordinate VE programmes in their organization.

Registration: Victim Empowerment SAQA ID 49872: V/E SAQA

Web link: http://regqs.saqa.org.za/viewQualification.php?id=49872
 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: HIV / AIDS SUPPORT

DEFINITION & SCOPE

Addressing the affliction of HIV / AIDS and its many associated problems is of high priority in self empowerment through continuing education. Individuals, families and communities need to know and understand the nature of the impact of HIV / AIDS and its related problems, particularly on vulnerable communities – and how best to provide remedial action and support. Such understanding and action capability are the purpose of this qualification.

Training is aimed at empowering health workers, both lay and professional, who find themselves in the frontline of interfacing with HIV / AIDS afflicted – and often under-resourced – communities.

QUALIFICATION

Qualifying learners will be able to inform, educate and counsel communities about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and related problems through a thorough knowledge and understanding of:

• the communities within which those living with HIV/AIDS find themselves;
• how best to communicate with all members of those communities;
• adult learning processes in continuing education;
• how to communicate new information and understanding in order to bring about both necessary and beneficial changes in personal and community behaviour;
• human behaviour in achieving emotional and physical support for those in distress;
• the principles and practices of personal and community sanitation, with ability to initiate improvements in this area;
• causes and effects of life threatening conditions, with particular reference to HIV/AIDS.

Based on the CEFA core values of field leadership, human development through education and training, together with necessary knowledge equipment, each learner will be taught the skills needed to work both as a team member and as a provider of support services within a multidisciplinary health care team.

Registration: Community Development: HIV/AIDS Support SAQA ID 58396:

C/D: HIV/AIDS SAQA

Web link: http://regqs.saqa.org.za/viewQualification.php?id=58396