WESTERN CAPE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Specialised Support Services
This video was compiled by the Provincial DISES: Sub Directorate Specialised Support Services to promote and support the week of the 30 May - 6 June 2021 which is National Child Protection Week. This week is commemorated in the country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the RSA and Children's Act (Act 38 of 2005). We encourage all district officials to partake and promote the theme "Let us all Protect Children during Covid-19 and Beyond"
Psycho-Social Support Package for post-COVID-19 school lock-down
click on image to access the resource material or click here
WCED Specialised Support Services
The Directorate: Inclusive and Specialised Education Support offers a range of services for learners who experience barriers to learning/require additional support/are vulnerable, as well as capacity building for educators to provide for these learners. These services include:
psychological, social work, education therapy, learning support, positive behaviour programmes and clinical services.
education programmes in ordinary schools (including full-service/inclusive schools) and special schools.
The directorate manages 71 special schools. Specialised Support Services are also based at district offices in all 8 education districts of the Western Cape. Four of the district offices are in the metro region of Cape Town and 4 are in the rural areas. Each circuit in a district has a team comprising a social worker, psychologist and learning support advisor. Other services at district level include a manager for specialised support services, senior therapist, senior psychologist, senior social worker, learning support coordinator and an HIV Care and Support Coordinator.
The WCED policy is to provide support to the learners in the ordinary schools as far as possible, taking the support to the learners rather than the learner to the support. Itinerant learning support teachers provide support in ordinary schools. Selected ordinary schools, have been developed into full-service/inclusive schools to provide moderate level support. Only learners with high support needs are placed at special schools. Designated special school resource centres have outreach teams that support ordinary schools, particularly full-service/inclusive schools.
Learners access services according to their level of need via the WCED support pathway which incorporates the national Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support protocol. Applications for high level support are via school-based support teams to the district-based support team.
There is collaboration with the departments of health and social development to access supplementary services and to implement the integrated school health programme.
The directorate with other role-players is striving to develop an inclusive education system with support available in a range of settings for all those learners who require this.
SPECIALISED SUPPORT SERVICE CHARTER.pdfSpecialised Support Services
The SSS Team at your service:
Hylton Harris: Chief Education Specialist for Specialised Support Services.
Rochshana Kemp (PhD): Provincial Manager for School Social Work.
Patricia Arendse: Provincial Manager for Therapy Services.
Dianne Williams: Provincial Manager for Learning Support & Full-service Schools.
Provincial Manager for Clinical Services (Vacant)
Neville Goliath: Provincial Manager for Positive Behaviour Programmes.
Ewald Crause (PhD): Provincial Manager for Psychology
Eunice Njani: Administration
16 days of Activism against Gender-based violence and violence against children.
The WCED Specialised Support Services promote the 16 days of activism for no violence against women, children and no gender-based violence. The 16 days starts from 25 November 2020 to 10 December 2020 and will take place under the 2020 global theme: "Orange the World”
[English] "Ek en my kind' is a talk show that gives guidance to parents about child development and child care from an education perspective. It allows parents to gain perspective into Education issues and concerns that has impact on their responsibilities to their children and their well-being in the classroom and on the school playground. Education issues about public ordinary and special education that is important for the public to know. The programme focuses essentially on education support and to gain parents as active partners to education. "Ek en my kind' aims to repair the valuable relationships between parents and their children.
[Afrikaans]“Ek en my kind” is gespreksprogram wat vanuit ‘n onderwysperspektief ouerleiding bied ten opsigte van kinderontwikkeling en kindersorg. Dit gee ouers perspektief oor Onderwyssake en brandpunte wat impak kan hê op hul rol en verantwoordelikheid ten opsigte van hul kind se welstand in die klaskamer en op die speelgrond. Sake binne openbare gewone en spesiale onderwys waaroor ouers en die breë publiek moet van kennis dra. Die program fokus essensieël op onderwysondersteuning om ouers as vennoot tot onderwys te bemagtig. “Ek en my kind” het ten doel om die verhouding tussen ouer en kind tot die regmatige verwantskap te herstel.
