Social Worker

Remuneration:	basic salary
Benefits:	None
Location:	Cape Town, Plumstead
Education level:	Degree
Job level:	Senior
Own transport required:	Yes
Type:	Permanent
Company:	Constantiaberg Haematology

We are looking for a social worker. This is a 1/2-day permanent position based at a busy haematology practice in the southern suburbs of Cape Town,Western Cape.

Key purpose:

• To provide counselling and psycho-social support to patients diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders and their families.
• To coordinate additional support services and resources offered by internal and external stakeholders to the haematology unit.
• To be responsible for the accurate management of the administrative function.

Duties:

Counselling:

• Facilitate the counselling of and support to the family at the time of breaking bad news.
• Provide ongoing individual and/or group counselling to the patient and family from diagnosis onward
• Prepare the patient and/or parent/family for the medical and treatment procedures.
• Provide end-of-life palliative care and support to the patient and family.
• Provide counselling and/or crisis intervention at the time of the patient`s death.
• Provide bereavement support to the families.
• Ensure appropriate discharge planning is conducted.

Assessments:

• Undertake accurate and comprehensive psychological assessments of families and plan intervention accordingly. 
• Assess, consult and refer any cases that require statutory intervention.

Networking and liaison:

• Network with internal and external bodies to enhance support services to the patients in the wards and bone marrow transplant unit as well as their families.
• Assess and prepare and facilitate stem cell transplant patients ahead of their transplants.

Meetings:

• Regularly attend hand-over, ward and team meetings

Interventions:

• Consult with the hospital and patient's post discharge reintegration into home, work and community.

Administration:

• Update and maintain the patient database regularly with psychological support services data.
• Complete and submit monthly reports-basic statistics on patients seen, wards versus outpatient, stem cell transplant.
• Administer and record accurately the practical support services according to policies and procedures.

Required:

Qualification:

• A recognised BA social work degree (honours) with majors in social work and psychology.
• Up to date proof of registration with the SA Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP).

Experience:

• Minimum three years of experience as a qualified social worker in the health sector with experience working within an interdisciplinary team.

Language proficiency:

• Proficiency in both written and spoken English and Afrikaans

Recommendation:

• Experience of collaborating with patients diagnosed with blood disorders, and their families compromised by life-threatening illnesses or other life traumas. 

Skills and attributes:

• High level of professional integrity, maturity, high stress tolerance, comfortable in the field of loss, death and dying.
• The ability to work independently and yet within the broader multidisciplinary team.

Company Description

Haematology

Posted on 02 Aug 11:08, Closing date 26 Sep