1. Street work
The street work programme ensures that Field workers are able to identify children living on the street of Central Business District of Cape Town. The field worker gathers information relevant to the process of assessment. This assessment would assist in developing an individual development plan of each child when he or she makes the choice to access services available for children living on the street.
Our organisation has identified that those living or begging on the street are children that originated from dysfunctional homes within previous disadvantage communities. Every child is unique and so therefore the many challenges faced differs from child to child.
our programmes
The challenges identified are hunger, early school drop out, over populated homes, single parents, child headed homes, lapsing of foster homes, peer pressure, lack of family involvement, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc. Our first attempt is to reunify the child with his or her family. The family is then referred to the social work agency in the child?s community. It has been assessed that many children shortly return back to the streets. Cape Town Multi Service Centre believes that family reunification is a process. It is impossible to place a child back into a dysfunctional family or to place a child with behavioural problems into a healthy family. Therefore to ensure a successful reunification process Cape Town Multi Service Centre works with the child holistically. Further to this process would be that boys would be referred to our residential facility and girls referred to alternative places of safety pending finalization of the Children Court proceedings.
2. Assessment and referrals
An assessment is done on all individuals to ensure that all options are explored and a unique plan is implemented. Cape Town Multi Service Centre is registered as a drop in centre and a shelter where children and youth can access the basic services i.e. shower, meals, day programs such as arts and crafts, life skills, group work and accessing of information to assist with skills development and personal development.
Those involved with the assessment of the children and youth are a registered social worker, a fieldworker and development workers. The social worker is responsible for all statutory intervention to ensure a sustainable service.
An assessment is done on all individuals to ensure that all options are explored and a unique plan is implemented. Cape Town Multi Service Centre is registered as a drop in centre and a shelter where children and youth can access the basic services i.e. shower, meals, day programs such as arts and crafts, life skills, group work and accessing of information to assist with skills development and personal development.
Those involved with the assessment of the children and youth are a registered social worker, a fieldworker and development workers. The social worker is responsible for all statutory intervention to ensure a sustainable service.
Once the child is willing to come off the street we will refer the child back home if possible or to other community projects such as Places of Safety, Shelters, Skills Based Projects, etc. In cases where the child is a child in need of care and need a place of safety we would refer girls to alternative places. Boys would be referred to Cape Town Multi Service Centre’s shelter via the Children Court
3. Residential facility
Cape Town Multi Service Centre is registered with social development as a shelter for boys between the ages of 10 to 18years old. The facility serves as an emergency placement for the interim or until the children court inquiry is finalized. Once the social worker has explored and assessed all the options available to the child in the community, the social worker will then open a Children Court Inquiry and recommend the child be referred to a place of safety pending finalization of placement.
During the process of the finalization of placement the matter is referred to the social work agency in the child’s community.
Cape Town Multi Service Centre is registered with social development as a shelter for boys between the ages of 10 to 18years old. The facility serves as an emergency placement for the interim or until the children court inquiry is finalized. Once the social worker has explored and assessed all the options available to the child in the community, the social worker will then open a Children Court Inquiry and recommend the child be referred to a place of safety pending finalization of placement.
During the process of the finalization of placement the matter is referred to the social work agency in the child’s community.
This agency should render the re unification services to the child and his family. Cape Town Multi Service Centre will work with the agency to ensure a sustainable outcome for he child. In more than 90% of cases the child that the organisation engages with has a bad scholastic background due to the child’s anti social behaviour in the school setting, lack of school attendance, dysfunctional homes, etc. Children are faced with emotional challenges due to low self worth, low self esteem and lack of motivation in the challenging environment. Our aim is to integrate the child back to the community and back to an educational structure to improve on his current circumstances. Children participate in various programs in the shelter to ensure that children develop the ability to function in a healthy environment.
3.1. Group work:
The social worker facilitates groups with children. The objective of this technique is to allow the child to reflect on his experiences. Children are able to empathise with one another’s pain and so find coping skills in creating positive outcomes. In this environment the child has an opportunity to talk about hurt and pain and understand what had happen in the past. The child collectively looks at possibilities that the world has to offer and develops the ability to take responsibility for change.
3.1. Group work:
The social worker facilitates groups with children. The objective of this technique is to allow the child to reflect on his experiences. Children are able to empathise with one another’s pain and so find coping skills in creating positive outcomes. In this environment the child has an opportunity to talk about hurt and pain and understand what had happen in the past. The child collectively looks at possibilities that the world has to offer and develops the ability to take responsibility for change.
3.2. Education:
It is compulsory for every boy who is referred to our organisation to be placed in an educational structure i.e. in the year 2007, 95% of our children who entered the shelter was referred back to a Children who are unable to immediately attend he mainstream schools are placed in a ABET learning facility where the child can catch up and prepare for mainstream school. In the first three months of 2008 we have ten children in ABET learning, three children in primary school, five children in high school and one child at a special needs school.
3.3. Other projects:
These projects are used as a tool to assist with the child’s personal development. Projects are arts and crafts, basic chores responsibilities, individual counseling, life skills, experiential learning through outings and referrals to access specialized services.
4. Clark Estate Community Contact Office
It was identified by the organisation that most children we interact with originate from the community of Clark Estate. The vision of the launch of this project was to make services available and accessible in the community with the community. One of the services provided is to render preventative and support services for social challenges to the school community. We thus engage in intense networking with educators, caregivers and other community based projects.
It was identified by the organisation that most children we interact with originate from the community of Clark Estate. The vision of the launch of this project was to make services available and accessible in the community with the community. One of the services provided is to render preventative and support services for social challenges to the school community. We thus engage in intense networking with educators, caregivers and other community based projects.
Prevention Work:
The team engages in holiday programs in the community hall of Clark Estate where more that 350 children attend per day. The children participate in their age group activities. Stakeholders has the opportunity to address the children i.e. South African Police Services, Health Department, Hero’s in the community, etc. Networking with the City ofCape Town
5. Basic income generating projects
Unemployed parents are trained to recycle their own bottles to glasses. They receive financial support for a period of three months. Currently the organisation have active unemployed parents in Clark Estate and a satellite in Bridgetown Youth Care Centre.
The team engages in holiday programs in the community hall of Clark Estate where more that 350 children attend per day. The children participate in their age group activities. Stakeholders has the opportunity to address the children i.e. South African Police Services, Health Department, Hero’s in the community, etc. Networking with the City of
5. Basic income generating projects
Unemployed parents are trained to recycle their own bottles to glasses. They receive financial support for a period of three months. Currently the organisation have active unemployed parents in Clark Estate and a satellite in Bridgetown Youth Care Centre.
6. Social Work intervention
This programme is aligned with the ethics of the social work profession and encompasses the holistic objective of the organisation.
7. Urban Rural Exchange Programme
Cape Town Multi Service Centre in partnership with the Oudsthoorn Community is launching a project whereby the organisation gives a group of children the opportunity to experience life outside of the communities the children originate from. The objective of this initiative is to develop the child’s ability to understand diversity and to engage in activities such as abseiling, rock climbing, caving, hiking, etc, which will enhance self worth, self esteem and motivate the child to experience his world through a different lense.
