What We Do

Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI)

Therapeutic Intervention

Individual face-to-face counselling services are provided to children between the ages of 3 – 17 years old, who have experienced (sexual) abuse, trauma or bereavement. The individual face-to-face counselling process usually runs over 4 – 8 sessions.

GROUP WORK

Support and lifeskills groups are provided to at-risk children. The same kinds of groups are provided to caregivers when needed. The groupwork process usually runs over 4 – 6 sessions per group.

TOLL-FREE Helpline 116

The Helpline is a toll-free telephone service where trained counsellors provide psychosocial support, counselling, relevant information and referrals for child-related matters. Cases of child abuse are often reported on this line.

As per the Children’s Act (38 of 2005) of South Africa, anyone can report a case of Child Abuse. You don’t have to be a professional in any specific field to report a case of abuse, as long as you make the report in good faith and provide the necessary details (Name, age and address of child; name, address and contact number of caregiver; details of the alleged abuse) to aid in an accurate and prompt referral of the case to a statutory organization for further investigation and intervention. Calls to the helpline are free from all cellular and Telkom networks.

Training Department

We are developing this Department in order to offer accredited training with Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Points for professionals who work with children e.g. Social Workers and Social Auxiliary Workers.

Community Development

Our Community Development programmes focus on education and awareness for children, youth and adults on child protection issues such as child abuse and gender-based violence. Our aim is to create environments that nurture and ensure the safety of children.

We offer talks, workshops and training for children and adults on various topics including:

Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse
Dealing with disclosures of abuse and reporting procedures
Positive Parenting, Parental Rights and Responsibilities
Bullying, Children’s Rights and Responsibilities
Teenage sexuality, including sexual harassment
The pros and cons of social media / online safety
Training workshops to professionals and community members on relevant legislation that affect children

The Peer Supporter Programme (PSP)

The goal of this special project is to empower teenage learners with effective skills that allow them to build on their own experiences, become positive role models and provide appropriate and effective support to their peers, within the school context.

Personal Development, Counselling and Supportive Skills’ training is provided to High School learners so that they can become Peer Supporters and positively influence the lives of their peers.

The programme allows the learners to explore relevant issues that include dealing with teenage sexuality, drug addiction and conflict. In addition, they are equipped with basic counselling and communication skills such as attending and active listening. Peer Supporters become skilled in referring cases appropriately, with the support of an educator or a Childline mentor.

Child Witness Project

The Child Witness Project (CWP) is based in five Sexual Offences Courts across the Western Cape specifically in the Cape Town, Wynberg, Khayelitsha, Atlantis and Paarl courts. The project provides court support and preparation services to child witnesses (child victims of rape or sexual abuse) and their caregivers by:

Providing a warm, supportive and child-friendly environment (providing meals, toys, games and a comfortable, non-threatening space to feel safe)
Ensuring that the child and the caregiver are provided with relevant information about the court and the court process
Providing trauma containment and therapeutic intervention that does not compromise the criminal case
Building the self-confidence of the child witness