Project Officer
Resume:
CRISFORD CHOGUGUDZA
* **** ***** ****, ** Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 0DJ, UK
Telephone: 017********; Mobile: 079********
email: **********@*****.**.**
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
A highly motivated, communicative and conscientious professional with a passion for making a difference through the use of relevant experience, knowledge and organisational skills. More than 15 years combined experience in social care, humanitarian aid planning, advocacy, media and social research. Currently looking for a new and challenging position within social care, social research or media.
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CAREER SUMMARY:
Current Employer: CAFCASS LUTON Office
Position: Family Court Advisor (Children’s Guardian)
Period employed: October 2010 to present
Duties
• Advising the Court where the child intends to appoint his/her own Solicitor
• Safeguard the interests of the child and advise him/her
• Investigating all the circumstances of the case by: Interviewing the child, parents, carers, extended family, professionals involved with the child, any other person with an interest in the child.
• Reading relevant files, records and reports and documents relating to the case.
• Ascertaining the children’s wishes and feelings and report them to the Court
• Attend directions appointments and Court hearings, as required.
• Advising the Court on the time-tabling and allocation of the case and whether the child should attend the hearing.
• Complying with the Court’s directions on time-tabling and other matters
• Receiving documents on behalf of the child and notify any other person who should be party to the proceedings and inform the Court
• Obtaining other professional assistance as is considered appropriate tin the case, and make that assistance available to the Court
• Writing a report setting out the options available to the Court and the suitability of each option, and recommend what order, if any, should be made.
• Filing the report with the Court not less than 7 days before the date of the final hearing
• At the conclusion of the proceedings, consider the child and the child’s Solicitor whether an appeal should be made, and advise the child of his/her rights, where appropriate.
Previous Employment History
London Borough of Waltham Forest
Russell Road, Leyton
E10 7ES
Period Employed: November 2009 to September 2010
Position: Deputy Team Manager
Duties
• Deputising the Team Manager to ensure the efficient functioning of the team
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and support their families and carers in accordance with national occupational standards for social workers.
• Working as a member of the local management team
• Attending Initial Child Protection Conferences
• Chairing Child In Need Reviews and Core Group meetings
• Checking social workers’ reports and court statements ensuring high standards of practice
• Supporting newly qualified social workers in court and meetings
• Making decisions in respect of thresholds for specific services
• Providing professional advice to professionals and other colleagues
• Supporting the Team manager in planning, leading and implementing change
• Supervising social workers and assistants
• Promoting the use of high professional standards and best practice through research and evidence based policy and practice
Buckinghamshire County Council: Care and Protection Team South, High Wycombe March 2009 to November 2009: Assistant Team Manager (ATM):
Duties
• Deputising and providing direction in the absence of the Team Manager to ensure the efficient functioning of the team
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and support their families and carers in accordance with national occupational standards for social workers.
• Working as a member of the local management team
• Attending Initial Child Protection Conferences
• Chairing Child In Need Reviews and Core Group meeting
• Checking social workers’ reports and court statements ensuring high standards of practice
• Supporting inexperienced and newly qualified social workers in court and meetings
• Making decisions in respect of thresholds for specific services
• Providing professional advice to professionals and other colleagues
• Supporting the Team manager in planning, leading and implementing change
• Supervising social workers and professional assistants
• Ensuring service requests are responded to appropriately and timely
• Promoting the use of high professional standards and best practice through research and evidence based policy and practice
• Attending management and practice training
CAREER SUMMARY cont.
Project Consultant (Safeguarding) July 08 –March 09 Essex County Council
Duties
• Undertaking file audit of past and present safeguarding cases (children), identifying deficiencies in safeguarding issues, general case management and recording practice (this includes CP and CIN Plans)
• Providing Coaching and Mentoring to newly qualified and inexperienced social workers on practice issues and procedures
• Reviewing individual social work caseloads and making appropriate recommendations to improve practice where necessary
• Applying professional judgement in the determination of best practice
• Providing support to operational managers and trainers in delivering service improvement objectives
• Ensuring that best value is a consistent factor in all quality assurance work
• Assisting in preparations for regulatory inspections and other auditing exercises
• Recommending improvements on social work practice issues in general
• Reviewing electronic case records on the Swift system
• Compiling regular reports on the state of files and actions completed
• Consulting with management on how to progress outstanding pieces of work on social workers caseloads.
CAREER SUMMARY cont.
Senior Social Worker: April 2008 to July 2008 Kent County Council
Duties
• Receiving and investigating initial referrals
• Conducting Initial and Core Assessments
• Writing Section 7 and 37 Reports for court
• Conducting Child Protection investigations (Section 47s)
• Preparation of reports, statements and other legal documents
• Attending Case Conferences, Initial Reviews, Panels, Family Group Conferences, Multi-disciplinary Meetings and Court
• Attending Relevant Training
Senior Practitioner: 18 February 2008 to April 2008 London Borough of Croydon
Duties
• Receiving and investigating initial referrals
• Conducting Initial and Core Assessments
• Conducting Pre-birth Assessments and Working on complex cases
• Arranging hospital discharge meetings and ward plans
• Conducting Child Protection investigations (Section 47s)
• Preparation of social work reports, statements and other legal documents
• Attending Case Conferences, Initial Reviews, Panels and Family Group Conferences etc
• Assisting newly qualified workers and supervising students
Social Worker: Duty & Asst Team- Aug 07 to 15 Feb 2008 Bedfordshire Council
Duties
• Receiving and investigating initial referrals
• Conducting Initial and Core Assessments
• Conducting Child Protection investigations (Section 47s)
• Preparation of reports, statements and other legal documents
• Attending Case Conferences, Initial Reviews, Panels, Family Group Conferences, Multi-disciplinary meetings and attending duty
Social Worker: Duty Team- April 07 to August 07 London Borough of Camden
Duties
• Receiving and investigating referrals
• Conducting Initial and Core Assessments
• Undertaking training as required
• Undertaking Child Protection investigations (Section 47s)
• Making referrals to other agencies through CAF forms
• Preparation of reports, statements and other legal documents
• Attending Case Conferences, Initial Reviews, Panels, Family Group Conferences, Multi-disciplinary meetings and attending duty
Social Worker: Child Protection Team -June 05-Mar 07 London Borough of Enfield
Duties
• Undertaking Child Protection investigations (Section 47s)
• Implementing Child Protection Plans
• Conducting Core Assessments, Parenting Assessments and Risk Assessments
• Writing Child Permanency Reports and viability assessments
• Writing Court Statements, Care Plans and Social Work Reports
• Arranging Case and Review Conferences, LAC reviews, Family Group Conferences, Core Groups and Multi-disciplinary meetings
• Presenting cases to different panels
• Undertaking statutory Child Protection/LAC Visits
Social Worker (Child Protection Team) July 03- June 05 Sandwell Borough Council
Duties
• Assessing children and families using the Assessment Framework
• Attending to office and home visits as well as duty cases
• Undertaking child protection investigations (Section 47 Inquiries)
• Organising foster care and adoption for disadvantaged children
• Attending court sessions involving vulnerable children
• Writing court and Social Work reports
• Working with children and young people with challenging behaviour and learning difficulties such as ADHD and Autism.
• Attending case conferences, Lac reviews and panels
Social Worker (Duty Team) May 02-June 03 Birmingham City Council Social Care
Duties
• Assessing children in need using the Assessment Framework
• Attending to office and home visits as well duty cases
• Undertaking child protection investigations (section 47 Inquiries)
• Organising foster care and adoption for disadvantaged children
• Providing general counselling to children and families
• Attending court sessions and writing court reports
• Working with other agencies on issues affecting children
• Attending case conferences and panels on children needing protection
Research Officer (Politics Section) 1999- 2002 Embassy of Japan in Zimbabwe
Duties
• Research on General, Political and Economic issues.
• Analysing government policy documents such as the constitution and economic policies.
• Advising the Ambassador on political and economic developments in the country
• Assisting in the organisation of Japanese National Day, Cultural Displays and Exchange Programmes.
• Interviewing leading political and economic analysts on topical issues.
• Dealing with protocol issues, such as accreditation of diplomats.
• Liaison with other major donors in connection with their analysis of current affairs in Zimbabwe.
• Liaising with the State Ministries on diplomatic issues and Writing Note Verb ales Speech writing for special occasions such as National Day celebrations, including press liaison and press releases.
• Disseminating information about Japan i.e. economics, politics and culture
Social Welfare Officer: 1995-1999 National Railways of Zimbabwe
Duties
• General Social Welfare Administration.
• Employee counselling and family casework
• Working with abused, neglected and Aids orphaned children
• Project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Working with micro project holders on various developmental issues.
• Co-ordinating recreational, cultural and sporting activities.
• Working with families with learning difficulties and mental health problems
• Dealing with discipline cases.
• Supervising social workers
• Writing speeches for important functions
Research Assistant: Period: 1993-1995 UNICEF (AIDS Section) Zimbabwe
Duties
• Gathering and coding information about reproductive health services for youths
• Testing Questionnaires through short surveys
• Disseminating information on sexually transmitted infections including HIV/Aids
in designated Growth Points.
• Data Coding/Analysis
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
GCE Cambridge “O” LEVEL: 1986
GCSE Cambridge “A” LEVEL: 1989
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW): University of Zimbabwe (1996)
Diploma in Social Work (Dip SW): University of Zimbabwe (1994)
Diploma in Journalism and News Writing: London School of Journalism (LSJ)
PQ 1 Child Care Award (Birmingham University) 2005
FURTHER SKILLS : Fluent English Speaker, Freelance Journalist (communication skills)
IT Proficiency Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet and Email
Competent in using Swift, Framework 1, Care First and ICS
Computer packages
INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
• Advocacy
• Voluntary work
• Freelance writing on social, political and development issues
• Research on political and social issues
• Organising cultural events
PERSONAL DETAILS
Driving Licence Full
Health Excellent; Non-smoker
Nationality British
Professional membership:
General Social Care Council (GSCC) Current
British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Current
Training Attended
a) Supervising Newly Qualified Social Workers
b) Child Protection Procedures and Investigations
c) Assessment Framework Training
d) Working with parents with learning difficulties
e) Drug Use Screening Tools (DUST) Training
f) Court Work Skills (Achieving Best Evidence in Court)
g) Integrated Working (Common Assessment Framework)
h) Knowledge Exchange and Transfer: Engaging with the Third Sector
i) Use of Qualitative and Quantitative Research methods in post graduate studies
j) Working with children of parents with learning difficulties
k) Public Law Outline
Journal Articles
Cris Chogugudza (2009) "Social Work Education, Training and Employment in Africa: The case of Zimbabwe", Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies: Vol. 35: No. 1, Article 3.
http://repositories.cdlib.org/international/asc/ufahamu/35/1/3
REFERENCES
Julie Penny : Service Manager -Supervisor
CAFCASS
1 Alma Road
Luton
LU1 2PU
Email address: *****.*****@*******.***.***.**
Farida Khan
Team Manager
Community Safeguarding Team
London Borough of Waltham Forest
1 Russell Road
Leyton
UK
E10 7ES
Email: ******.****@*************.***.**
Contact this candidate