Social Services

Social Worker

The school employs the services of a school based social worker.

The following services are rendered to our families:

• Liaise with parents/guardians where financial difficulties influence learner development and support the family by making use of support systems within the school as well as community structures.

• Provides emotional support to learners and their families where trauma in the family (illness, divorce, death, unstable family, etc) hinders scholastic development.

• Investigate all reports of bully behaviour, gives feedback and support.

• Handles all reports of deliberate neglect, abuse and sexual violation by managing the process of reporting to the designated authorities. Follow up and gives support.

• Parental guidance in coordination with the psychologists.

• Provides family therapy when necessary.

• Provides individual therapy to the learner when necessary.

• Support and liaise with social service providers where learner was placed in alternative care.

• Address the issue of substance abuse by the learner by involving the family and referring when necessary.

• Conducts therapeutic groups for learners where emotional and social intelligence are taught.
• Forms part of the multi-disciplinary team in all aspects of learner development and support.

Emotional Support

Paarl School offers a wide network of emotional support services, providing emotional support to learners, staff members and parents.

Examples of these services include the following:

• Reach for a Dream
• Chat sessions for learners – full time person available to chat to learners
• Birthday “surprises”
• Feeding Project
• Second hand clothes Project
• Annual function to thank the donors and benefactors of this faculty
• “Time Out” facility – full time person available to oversee learners in a dedicated area