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Vision and Mandate

Best For Children & Families has been established by a sole proprietor, Independent Social Worker and Consultant with a passionate vision and obtainable objectives to truly wanting to make a positive change in the lives of children and families both nationally and internationally.

I provide specialised training in necessary areas of child protection fields and to create awareness, prevention and protection of children and young people by working within a multi disciplinary approach, collaborating with the Police, networking agencies and organizations and other Authorities and support members to help support victims of Child Abuse  within all areas of Child Protection and Human Trafficking.

I also want to support policy making, creating awareness and providing training on various grass roots and corporate levels to provide expertise in the various fields within child protection matters where the shortfalls have been identified in liaison with other stakeholders.

I am also a Qualified Assessor and Approved Trainer with the South African Qualification Authority. I also provide support within the court arena, specialising in court report writing and recommendations following a wholistic and multi-disciplinary assessment and approach, as well as making recommendations with follow up reviews of plans (if necessary) in all areas of child protection. I am a master of giving evidence in chief within the court arena ensuring justice and best outcomes for all children and families. Being the Sole Proprietor of Best For Children & Families, I advocate for children, placing their needs at the forefront of all intervention and recommendations made.

I, as the Sole Proprietor of Best For Children & Families, want to Ensure necessary structures established and utilized to support victims of Child Abuse and Human Trafficking. I work with relevant Authorities, Stakeholders and Network Agencies to ensure that practical intervention, plans, venues and structures are in place for victims who, will receive the necessary support, counseling and hopeful rehabilitation within their communities.  A healthy result will be the freedom from abuse, many empowered citizens and a community safeguarded and equipped to deal with matters pertaining to their optimum safety and well-being. 

Other Services

BFC-Leaflet

• International Training in all areas of Child Protection

• Educational Workshops and Development Programmes

• Specialist Resource in  Anti Human Trafficking

• Mediation, Assistance and Support in Custody Battles

• Court Report Writing

• Supporting Families with contact arrangements in divorce cases 

• Counseling and Bereavement Support

• Child Advocacy and Family Re-unification

• SETA approved 

• Qualified Assessor and Approved Trainer with SAQA, US115753

Further Specialists Services

  • INVESTIGATIVE AND SPECIALIST COURT REPORTS IN ALL AREAS OF CHILD PROTECTION. 
  • GUARDIANSHIP AND KINSHIP ASSESSMENT COURT REPORTS.
  • INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS FOR CHILDREN BEING FOSTERED OR ADOPTED, OF WHICH THE ABOVE MENTIONED REPORTS ARE HELD WITH AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, WITH HAVING FAMILY GROUP MEETINGS AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH ALL PARTIES INVOVLED, INCLUDING THE BIRTH FAMILY, THE POTENTIAL RECEIVING FAMILY, LISTENING TO THE CHILD’S WISHES, AND WELL-BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE ASSESSMENTS AND DECISION MAKING PROCESS LEADING TO GOOD OUTCOMES.
  • CHILDREN AND ADULT DRUG MISUSE RELATED, RISK AND REHABILITATION RECOMMENDATIONS, WITH TIMELY REVIEW REPORTS AS DIRECTED BY THE COURT.
  • REPORTS FOR YOUTH AWAITING TRIAL.
  • CUSTODY AND CONTACT MATTERS.
  • INVESTIGATIVE ASSESSMENTS AND RECOMMENDED COURT REPORTS INVOLVING FOSTER CARE APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS ADOPTION COURT ASSESSMENTS AND REPORTS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH RELATED TIMELY REVIEW REPORTS AS ADVISED BY THE COURT.
  • TRAUMA AND BEREAVEMENT COUNSELING, CONSULTATION AND TRAINING.
  • MARRIAGE GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING.
  • INVESTIGATIVE COURT REPORTS INVOLVING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
 

A little bit more about me:

Tertiary Education

Institution                                            University of South Africa

Qualification                                       BA Social Science Degree in Psychology and Honors in Social Work

Subjects (BA Social Science Degree) 

–      Psychology I,II,III

–      Criminology I,II

–      Social Welfare Law I

–      Social Research I

–      Marriage Guidance & Counselling I

–      Psycho Stress and Behaviour I

–      Social Work management and Budgeting I

Specialist Post Graduate Training:

  • Valuing Diversity in Practice
  • Using your Supervision sessions effectively
  • Children’s Participant in Child Protection Programmes
  • Children’s Right Training
  • Introduction to Mental Health
  • Family Violence and its Effects on Children’s needs
  • Mandatory Child Protection Training
  • Basic Substance Misuse Training
  •  Improving assessments and plans with child protection theory
  • Training on Case Conferences
  • Working with Woman’s Rights and Vulnerable minority groups
  • Working with diversity and cultural minorities
  • Joint Work with Looked After Children/ Children placed in Foster care/Adoption
  • Care First/ Specialist IT Systems
  • Extensive Risk Assessments in Child sexual abuse; emotional abuse, physical abuse, Neglect and the impact of Domestic Violence
  • All London Child Protection Procedures
  •  Domestic Violence
  • Dangerous families
  • Children’s Bill
  • The Sex Offenders Act
  • Adoption and Children’s Act 2002
  • Update on HIV retroviral & alternative therapies
  • Family group conferencing
  •  Dealing with Aggression and Violence
  • NSPCC Training – To provide participants with basic knowledge in relation to adults who may pose a sexual risk to children.
  • IT CareFirst Training on Children and Families
  • Dealing with most severe Domestic Violence cases within a MARAC – ‘Multi Agency Risk Assessment’ Task Team across London.
  • Adoption and Permanency Planning
  • ICS IT (Integrated Children’s Systems)
  • Immigration & Asylum Law: Social Services and Children from Abroad
  • Parent Assessment Manual – specifically developed to assess vulnerable parents, including those with learning disabilities.
  • Female Genitalia Mutilation – Family sorrows
  • Identifying and Assessing Risk in Child Sexual Abuse
  • Assessing the Identity of Children Looked After in care planning
  • Extensive Child Trafficking Training and Prevention
  • Mental Health Awareness & Child Protection
  • Children In Need Census training
  • Attachment Theories from Child to Adulthood
  • CAF (Common Assessment Framework)Training
  • Direct Work with children and how to deal with Trauma
  • MARAC training (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences)
  • Keeping Safe – Dealing with Aggression and Violence
  • Life Story Work ( published by BAAF)
  • Managing Risk – Internet Safety Training
  • Working and engaging with difficult youth
  • Management Performance and Budgeting
  • Staff appraisals; Performance Development
  • Capability and Sickness Trent’s; Policies and Procedure
  • Financial Auditing and Budget Changes
  • Effective Management Toolkit
  • Extensive Supervision Training          
  • Preparing for Care and Supervision Proceedings
  • The effect of the Public Law Outline on Social work Practice and the Care Proceedings Court Process
  • New Assessment Framework
  • Conflict Management
  • Case Conferences
  • Courtroom skills and Training
  • Mental Health Problems in Children & their Families-training in near future
  • Video Interview skills and training of vulnerable witnesses with the Police
  • Court Room Skills in Criminal Hearings provided by UK Police
  • Child Development
  • Child and Young Person Related Theories
  • Course in Children’s participation in Child Protection Conferences.
  • Completed ‘Enabling Others’ Course at London Metropolitan University- empowering and enabling myself to become more efficient in management.
  • Systemic Practise in supervision and staff development- 5-day Training
  • Single Assessment Training
  • SEX MARAC’S- Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences and MASE – Multi Agency Sexual Exploitation Training and Implementation on an operational level
  • Serious Gangs and understanding their behaviour Training
  • Understanding Gangs, Gang Activity & Serious Youth Violence. 
  • Systemic Supervision
  • Local Safeguarding Board training around Faith and Culture child abuse practises
  • Signs of Safety by Dr. Turnell- overall Training and usage of Tools.
  • Using the Signs of Safety and Wellbeing approach in TAC meetings at specialist level.
  • Identifying those at risk of engaging in terrorism, unaccompanied minors and child trafficking cases, connecting with Interpol and MI6.
  • Faith Community Child Protection Champions, through being part of London’s Safeguarding Board.
  • Working knowledge of: –
  • Abuse linked to a belief in spirit possession/ witchcraft – practise guidance for social workers
  • The principles and requirements of the Children Act (1989) and 2009 and 2014
  • The Education Act (1981)
  • Working Together; Adoption Act 2004
  • Mental Health Act 1983
  • Nationality, Asylum& Immigration Act 2002
  • Every Child Matters
  • Government Green Paper on Children at Risk
  • Recommendations of Lord Lemming and Dr Munroe
  • Social Work Task Force
  • Council for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) –
  • National Minimum Standards for Service Providers;
  • Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000,
  • The new Race Relations (Amended Act) 2000,
  • Assessment Framework
  • Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
  • Common Assessment Framework & Local Authorities Performance Indicators
  •  Human Rights Act and New Adoption Act 2002
  • Managing Information
  • Health, Safety and Wellbeing Awareness
  • South African Child Care Act
  • Establishing an NPO called: ‘ Best For Children & Families’ (BFC)NPO REG NO: 182-011. Also see www.best-for-children.com, now functioning under the banner of my Sole Propriety as an Independant Social Worker.
  • I have providing several Workshops to Teachers and Pupils at several Senior Primary and Primary Schools in South Africa
  • Providing a Workshop on the awareness of Human Trafficking with banks, hospitals, justice department, ‘Open Doors’, with the South African Police Force, and within different spheres of Government and Health Sectors.
  • Providing workshops wellness Events with Public Organisations
  • At the request of the South African Police Force I provided a workshop on domestic violence and human trafficking at a very Large Government Organisation.
  • BFC provided workshops to Senior Management Police at their Crime Awareness meeting and was then also asked to conduct a Workshop to several Cluster/ areas and to all Provincial Police Communication Officers with National Officers being present.
  • BFC conducted further workshops at Victim Friendly Support Centres on Drug Awareness and Human Trafficking
  • Traffic Wise Seminar and Training In South Africa:
  • – Chain of Human Trafficking and Statistics
  • – Global Slavery Index
  • – The Trafficking in Persons Law
  • – Trauma Counselling
  • – Government Resources available for Schools in working with children of all ages eg ‘Traffic Proof’.
  • Certificate in Conducting Moderation of Outcomes- based Assessment – being a Qualified Assessor and Approved Trainer with SAQA, Unit Standard 115759
  • Situation in South Africa and the New Law for Human Trafficking
  • United Nation’s Statistics and their Crime Office Indicators for all matters of Human Trafficking, as such pertaining to General Indicators; Children; Domestic Servitude; Sexual Exploitation; Labour Exploitation; Begging and Petty Crime.
  • A Parent’s Guide to Human Trafficking
  • An Introduction to the Child Justice Act No.75 of 2008
  • Qualification of Family Mediators: Mediation and Parenting
  • Policing Forum – Brighton Beach in South Africa- Chairman’s Report 2014-2015
  • Research and Readings from Various Resources and articles example, not being all inclusive – The Daily Maverick- ‘The Human Trafficking Act: Is it doing the job?’
  • Further Research and Readings on International and National Networking Agencies being utilised from within South Africa and partnering with them in working within a multi-disciplinary and professional approach.
  • Studying the Trafficking In Persons Rapports and related Articles.
  • Studies on Statistics in South Africa on All Forms of Crime and Intelligence and Government Response
  • Portfolio of many Anti Human Trafficking Workshops presented to the South African Police Force at their Senior Management Level as well as on Provincial level.
  • Portfolio of many Anti Human Trafficking Workshops presented to Schools, the Public Sector and Private Sector.
  • Modern Day Slavery
  • The Nature and Future of Human Trafficking in South Africa
  • ION (International Organisation for Migration) – In the Continent of Africa- Breaking the Cycle of Vulnerability
  • Cannabis Families in the UK, by IOM
  • Research and Articles on – Child Ritual Killings Alarm
  • Research and Articles on Online Trafficking, also known as ‘CYBER CRIME’.
  • US Trafficking In Persons Global Raport (1. Country Raport 2.Introductory Material 3. Raport on Heroes 4. The journey of a Survivor 5. Tier Placements 6. Victim’s Stories
  • Article on: ‘ Does legalized Prostitution increase Human Trafficking?’
  •  Writing to the Department of State in the USA
  •  Further Research and Articles on Forced Child Marriages Practiced under the pretext of customary marriage in South Africa- Dept of Criminology and Security Services. 

 
THIS, NOT BEING EXCLUSIVE THEREOF, IN HAVING BEEN BOTH AN INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORKER AND SENIOR COURT MANAGER FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND SOUTH AFRICA, HAVING A SURMOUNTABLE EXPERIENCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL HIGH COURTS TO INTERNATIONAL MAGISTRATE COURTS, ANY MATTERS CAN BE REFERRED TO ME, IN ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN, ADULTS AND FAMILIES.