CEFA Newsletter | August & September 2014
A team is stronger than the sum of the people in it.
Growth & Development
The past two months have been hectic, with ‘all hands on deck’ managing constructively the challenges faced. Once more the values of CEFA’s teamwork have been amply demonstrated, not least through the HWSETA monitoring and evaluation visit – and in our participation in the proposed national development of Social Auxiliary Worker (SAW) training at NQF Level 5.
The HWSETA Report
We received the HWSETA report on their July monitoring and evaluation visit; they have recommended endorsement of the learners’ results. Whilst it has indeed been a relatively straightforward visit, we celebrate the hard work of all the eager learners, the commitment of the facilitators – and the exceptional insight and guidance offered by the moderators, whose well-considered recommendations and supportive role in maintaining the standard of training offered by CEFA are highly valued.
SAW Training at NQF Level 5
Along with other training providers, as well as with some organisations that provide practical training
to learners, CEFA staff attended a Qualities Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) consultation session on the development of the proposed SAW qualification. The proposal is that the qualification be developed and offered at NQF Level 5 – thereby ending the current NQF Level 4 qualification. This
consultation process is continuing throughout the country, with the idea that the proposed qualification be implemented from when the current qualification ends. By implication, this means that the entrance requirements to the programme will change to Grade 12 – with other requirements still to be determined.
Community Development Training
The Community Development (CommDev) training programme second cycle (part 2) is being facilitated by Mrs Diana Kitshoff. Learners are currently undertaking the field practice training associated with Unit Standards 4, 5 and 6 of the Core Components of the qualification. These modules are Book 4: Budgeting for Community Development, Book 5: Facilitating Community Learning – and Book 6: Leadership and Leadership Theories.
A survey has been conducted to obtain feedback from the learners regarding their experiences of the programme content, their workplace experiences and their own commitment to their studies. Results show that they are clearly committed to the programme of study, but that travelling distances
and personal factors (e.g. distance from the mentors) sometimes impact on their engagement. The learner survey results were discussed at a CommDev Project meeting on 2nd October, ahead of the examinations written on 6th, 8th and 10th October. Classes for part 3 i.e. Book 7: Legal and Regulatory Frameworks and Book 8: Organisation Policy Development begin on 13th October. The Schedule of Learning has been amended to accommodate feedback from learners. One such amendment is to schedule examinations to be written on every second day as opposed to being written on consecutive days.
The CommDev Programme will be verified after completion of every 60 credits. CEFA’s Teaching and Learning Department is preparing for the first monitoring, evaluation and verification visit.
SAW Training Updates
July 2013 Intake: Learners wrote their first summative case study examination on 16th July; the second reassessment was written on 10th September. Once concluded, learners who are eligible for a further assessment in terms of the development plan will be identified – whereafter the moderation processes can start.
October 2013 Intake:
These learners from Welkom and Bethlehem will be writing exams for the theoretical modules covered
in Cycle 3 on 1st to 3rd October.
January 2014 Intake:
Learners are currently busy with their Cycle 3 practical training, which will continue until 2nd February 2015.
July 2014 Intake:
Cycle 1 practical training is under way at the following training sites: Mossel Bay and Goodwood (WC), Stilfontein (NW), Kimberley and Upington (NC), Edenvale and Muldersdrift (Gauteng), East London (EC), Chatsworth (KZN) and Kroonstad (FS). A total of 305 learners were enrolled for this
SAW training programme intake.
SACSSP Registration:
Applications for registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) are being processed in three batches, due to some incomplete applications being received. Certificates
for those first submitted have been received and distributed to the respective learners. The certificates that were issued with typographical errors were returned to the Council for correction. Registration certificates submitted next are awaited, whilst still incomplete applications will now be submitted once the registration cycle is again open in January 2015.
NB: As we said in our July Newsletter, it is of concern to note how some applicants are trying to enrol incorrectly for the SAW qualification. Please note that:
Subjects certificates are not acceptable – and neither are any documents which are not original certificates; i.e. no document may be a copy of an already certified copy.
Prospective applicants for any of the qualifications offered by CEFA who are not in possession of the advertised minimum entrance qualifications, but who wish to go the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route, should apply on the basis of the outcome of RPL conducted by an accredited RPL centre.
Persons in possession of a foreign school qualification must have their certificate/s assessed by SAQA and pay the prescribed fee. (This is not a CEFA responsibility.)
CHILD WELFARE SOUTH AFRICA (CWSA)
Mentor Training
Mentor training linked to the July 2014 intakes for Cycle 1 has been completed successfully at all the
sites in the respective provinces. Mentors were enthusiastic about the training and feedback received from the both the provincial coordinators and facilitators indicated that they have benefitted from the training.
Project and Steering Committee
Ways to apply the lessons learned during the first 18 months of this three year project continue to be
actively explored. A further 270 learners are to be trained over the next 18 months, in order to meet the targeted total of training 500 SAWs. The joint CWSA/CEFA project committee meeting convened at CEFA in Wellington on 25 and 26 September where the challenges facing some of the respective training sites were ironed out and the reporting to Jobs Fund was discussed. Subsequently the quarterly report to CWSA was submitted by CEFA.
WORKPLACE SITE VALIDATIONS
In line with the requirements of both the HWSETA and the South African Qualifications Authority CEFA are busy conducting workplace site validations in respect of the private learners in the Western Cape. This is being done by Mrs Rosaline Claasens of CEFA. The purpose of these visits is to determine whether the settings for practical training are conducive to learning, as well as to ensure that each site setting meets the health and safety requirements by the aforementioned authorities.
CWSA is undertaking the site validations at the sites which they have indicated as sites to be used for the Jobs Fund funded training.
FACILITATOR ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
In order to ensure that all facilitators are informed about the guiding policies and training programmes, CEFA conducts regular facilitator orientation and training sessions. Our latest training took place from 8th to 11th September at the Department of Social Development, Goodwood. The programme accommodated facilitators of both the SAW and the CommDev training programmes, with Mrs Annelie Terblanche facilitating the SAW programme and Dr Margie Maistry the CommDev programme. Both programmes were well attended and the interaction between the facilitators provided wonderful opportunities for exchange of views and ideas.
COMMUNICATION
To all of you, from across the globe, who access our website or visit us on Facebook, we look
forward to hearing from you. What sparks your interest in the practical training and career paths that we offer?
Our Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/CEFAinAfrica – come visit and interact with us! We
look forward to meeting you.