Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Worker

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to function as an Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Worker. An Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Worker contribute to the provision of holistic therapeutic care and supports the development of children and youth to ensure the appropriate development of the individuals through the application of professional life space interventions and support. The qualification can benefit learners in improving the services rendered; and improve their own personal and professional development. A qualified learner will be able to: • Provide holistic, basic, and developmental care for orphaned, vulnerable, and at-risk children and youth. • Implement life space interventions. • Participate in developmental assessment of children and youth. • Maintain planned environments in child and youth care work. A competent learner shall demonstrate, among others the following attributes: • Honesty. • Integrity. • Punctuality. • Time management. • Self-motivated. • Responsibility. • Critical analysis. • Accountability. • Problem-solving. • Interpersonal relations. • Ethical behaviour. • Well-organised. • Self-confidence. • Confidentiality. • Self-awareness. • Team player. • Assertive. • Administrative skills. • Good communicator. • Conflict resolution.

South Africa, a country known for its rich cultural diversity and natural beauty, is also home to a significant number of poverty-stricken, under-resourced, and marginalized communities. In addressing these social ills, adequately trained Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers are required to meet the holistic and developmental needs of children and families. Moreover, this requires individuals who understand the SA context in social issues relating to children and youth, people who understand the cultural and social context. The legislation, furthermore, requires individuals practicing as Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers to be registered with the Statutory Body for Social Service Professions as trained and qualified. To ensure compliance with this requirement, there is a need for a relevant and updated qualification in place, hence this review process. Considering the above, affected stakeholders, together with the Health and Welfare Sector of Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), initiated the process of reviewing the Child and Youth Care Worker qualification, which expired on 30 June 2023, to ensure the training of learners at the auxiliary level. Registration is compulsory with the Statutory Body for Social Service Professions as it binds the individual to a code of professional ethics. The qualification allows for horizontal career mobility in careers such as Social Auxiliary Worker, and Community Development Worker. Qualified learners can advance their careers by qualifying through a Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Youth Care NQF Level 8 and Bachelor of Child and Youth Care NQF Level 8 or by pursuing careers such as Social Work or Facilitator within the field of Child and Youth Care Work. Although the focus of the learning in both qualifications is on empowering learners who want to practice as Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers, the competencies covered in both. Qualifications are for learners who are already advanced in the field. Emphasis in both qualifications is on research, analysis of life space work with children and youth and families, and intervention strategies. The Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Worker Higher Occupational Certificate cover basic competencies to prepare a qualified learner to practice at an auxiliary level. The sector will benefit from this qualification by having a pool of qualified Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers who will provide quality services to children and young people and families, in compliance with the Statutory Body for Social Service Professions requirements in terms of service delivery, programme content, monitoring, and implementation. Qualified learners will be able to apply holistic therapeutic care and support for the development of children and youth to ensure the appropriate development of the individuals through the application of professional life space interventions and support. Society will benefit from this qualification through the high-quality service rendered to vulnerable children and youth, by practicing individuals who have the requisite skills and qualifications. By doing so, strengthening families and communities. This will in return, increase the level of confidence the society will have towards services rendered by Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers. Qualified Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers stand a better chance of getting employment which in return reduces the level of unemployment in the country. Employed Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers will, moreover, contribute to the growth of the country's economy. Strengthened families will become less reliant on Government resources. This qualification is aimed at the new entrance into the profession and individuals who are currently employed as Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Workers who wish to formalise their learning to meet requirements as stipulated by the Statutory Body for Social Service Professions. Collaboration with relevant stakeholders: • Statutory Body for Social Service Professions. • Department of Social Development. • Department of Justice. • Workplace practitioners. • Education and training providers. • Assessment specialists. • Curriculum development specialists. • Institutions of Higher Education and Training. Collaboration with relevant stakeholders: • Representatives from the Statutory Body for Social Service Professions.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL process to gain access to training opportunities: Learners may use the for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner can display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors. RPL for exemption from modules: For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. RPL for credits: Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded. RPL for access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment Task: A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved. Upon successful completion of the EISA/FISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part- part-qualification is approved by the QCTO. Entry Requirements: An NQF Level 4 qualification.

Exit Level Outcomes: 1. Assess and meet the holistic (physical, emotional, social, cognitive, spiritual) needs of children and youth at different stages of their development. 2. Apply behaviour management and support techniques in routine child and youth care contexts using professionally accepted behaviour management models. 3. Implement life space work including life space counseling and participation in developmental assessment of children and youth. 4. Establish and maintain appropriate relationships that will facilitate the provision of holistic therapeutic care and development for children, youth, and families. 5. Manage the total environment to create a developmental and therapeutic milieu. 6. Improve self-awareness and personal performance as an Auxiliary Child and Youth Care Worker. 7. Participate constructively in a multi-disciplinary team to compile and implement the individual development plan within the life space of children and youth. 8. Implement children's and youth's Rights in the life space. 9. Apply administrative procedures within a child and youth care context to complete the required documents and draft the regulated reports. Associated Assessment Criteria.