National Children and Violence Trust extends counselling hours

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The NCVT aims to spread hope this year by extending its social workers’ hours and uplifting vulnerable communities in Gauteng in need of support. The organisation operates in areas subject to high incidences of violence and trauma such as Diepsloot, Loss My Cherry, Riverband, Lanseria, Musawawa, Thabo Mbeki, Nooitgedacht, Zandspruit, Itsoseng and Cosmo City. The NCVT social workers will now be available from 8am to 4:30pm to help alleviate unforeseen case backlogs and offer further support to vulnerable groups.

Senior social worker at the NCVT, Judith Mthombeni, sheds light on some of the ways people may benefit from the work NCVT does:

• Psycho-social and trauma management programme. NCVT offers counselling and trauma management within its operating communities and empowers victims of abuse through socially engaging activities. Family therapy sessions, psycho-educational assessments and generic social work services are also part of the NCVT’s psycho-social and trauma management programme.
  
• Access to justice and a court support programme. Having access to the justice system and to basic social services is a constitutional right to all. It is important for individuals and their families to know about their rights when seeking justice. The NCVT accompanies vulnerable children and women to court to ensure they receive fair treatment without fear of being further victimised.
  
• School wellness programme. “We engage with children through dialogue and help raise awareness, about children’s rights and responsibilities, child abuse and domestic violence,” shares Mthombeni. Children spend a large portion of each day of their formative years in school, and the adults in these environments have a duty to care for and protect the children entrusted in their care. “Most victims don’t realise that they are being abused until someone explains what abuse is. The more people know, the better equipped they are to make informed choices and speak out,” says Mthombeni.
  
• Capacity building for stakeholders. The NCVT boasts a team of five qualified social workers who form part of the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP). This team is supported by an additional eight auxiliary social workers. These social workers assist in training frontline care workers in victim empowerment and trauma management. “We also provide basic counselling to our stakeholders to help them manage similar trauma or abuse cases that they may encounter,” concludes Mthombeni.