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Social Worker

Social Worker CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Social workers in South Africa work for the provincial Departments of Social Development (DSD), for child welfare societies and other child protection organisations, for NGOs such as Badisa, ACVV, FAMSA, NICRO and SANCA, and in hospitals, correctional services, the SANDF and company wellness programmes. Under the Social Service Professions Act, you may only practise as a social worker if you are registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) and renew your registration every year. A supervisor reading your CV checks your SACSSP registration first, then your Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), a four-year degree at NQF level 8, and then the field you have worked in, such as child protection and foster care, substance abuse, probation, older persons or medical social work.

The example below is for a social worker in Soweto with six years in child protection and foster care, first at a child welfare society and now at the Gauteng Department of Social Development. It shows how to describe your caseload, home visits, Children's Act reports and children's court work in plain numbers. If you have just qualified, list your fourth-year fieldwork placement as a job, with the agency, the kind of cases you handled under supervision and any groups or community projects you ran. Say if you have a code B driving licence and your own car, because most posts need you to do home visits.

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Social Worker CV example

Palesa Motaung

SACSSP-registered social worker with 6 years in child protection and foster care

071 555 0187 · palesa.motaung@example.co.za · Soweto, Gauteng

Profile

SACSSP-registered social worker with six years in child protection and foster care in Johannesburg and Soweto, first at Johannesburg Child Welfare Society and now at the Gauteng Department of Social Development. Manages a caseload of about 110 foster care and child protection files, writes section 155 children's court reports and foster care extension reports, and does home visits, family reunification and parenting groups. Holds a BSW (NQF 8), a code B licence and own car. Looking for a senior social worker or social work supervisor post.

Work experience

Social Worker (Child Protection and Foster Care)

Gauteng Department of Social Development, Soweto | Apr 2023 – Present

Manage a caseload of about 110 foster care and child protection files
Investigate reports of abuse and neglect and arrange temporary safe care when a child is in danger
Write section 155 reports within 90 days and give evidence in the children's court
Submit foster care extension reports before orders lapse, with no grants stopped in 2025
Do 30 to 40 home visits a month and write process notes after every contact
Complete Form 22 abuse reports for the National Child Protection Register

Social Worker (Foster Care)

Johannesburg Child Welfare Society, Johannesburg | Feb 2020 – Mar 2023

Supervised about 90 foster placements with regular home visits and school checks
Screened and trained prospective foster parents and wrote their assessment reports
Ran an eight-week parenting skills group for 12 foster parents and relatives caring for children
Worked with Home Affairs and SASSA to get birth certificates and foster child grants for children in care

Student Social Worker (Fourth-Year Placement)

Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Social Work Department, Soweto | Feb 2019 – Oct 2019

Did intake interviews and counselling with patients and families under a supervising social worker
Helped trace families of abandoned babies and referred cases to child protection organisations

Education

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

University of Johannesburg, 2019, NQF level 8

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Morris Isaacson High School, 2015, NQF level 4

Subjects: English Home Language, Sesotho First Additional Language, Mathematical Literacy, Life Sciences, Geography, History, Life Orientation

Skills

Child protection investigations
Foster care supervision and extensions
Section 155 children's court reports
Home visits and family assessments
Process notes and case management
Counselling and trauma containment
Parenting and support groups

Certificates

SACSSP registration, Social Worker, South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP), 2020
Children's Court Procedures and Report Writing (CPD workshop), SACSSP-accredited CPD provider, 2024
Trauma Counselling (short course), SACSSP-accredited CPD provider, 2022

Achievements

No foster care orders in my caseload lapsed in 2025
Led the service office's Child Protection Week talks at six schools, reaching about 1,200 learners in 2024

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Own transport:: Yes
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: Sesotho (Home language), English (Fluent), isiZulu (Fluent), Setswana (Good)
Notice period:: One month
Availability:: Full-time, including after-hours standby duty for child protection emergencies

References

Mrs Dikeledi Mokwena

Social Work Supervisor, Gauteng Department of Social Development, Soweto

011 555 0174

Ms Fikile Ndaba

Foster Care Unit Supervisor, Johannesburg Child Welfare Society

011 555 0126

Social Worker CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

SACSSP-registered social worker with six years in child protection and foster care in Johannesburg and Soweto, first at Johannesburg Child Welfare Society and now at the Gauteng Department of Social Development. Manages a caseload of about 110 foster care and child protection files, writes section 155 children's court reports and foster care extension reports, and does home visits, family reunification and parenting groups. Holds a BSW (NQF 8), a code B licence and own car. Looking for a senior social worker or social work supervisor post.

Skills to list on your Social Worker CV

Child protection investigations and risk assessments
Foster care placement, supervision and extension of court orders
Writing children's court reports under section 155 of the Children's Act (Form 38)
Giving evidence in the children's court
Home visits and family assessments
Writing process notes (notes on every contact with a client) and keeping case files up to date
Managing a caseload of more than 100 files and meeting court deadlines
Individual counselling and trauma containment
Running parenting, support and life skills groups
Family preservation and reunification services
Reporting abuse on Form 22 for the National Child Protection Register
Working with SAPS, SASSA, Home Affairs, schools and clinics
Community awareness work, such as Child Protection Week school talks
Using regular supervision and debriefing to manage a heavy workload

Duties written as strong bullet points

Managed a caseload of about 110 foster care and child protection files at a Gauteng DSD service office in Soweto
Investigated reports of abuse and neglect, completed risk assessments and arranged temporary safe care for children in danger
Compiled section 155 reports for the children's court within the 90-day limit and gave evidence at hearings
Submitted foster care extension reports before court orders lapsed after two years, so that no foster child grant in the caseload stopped in 2025
Did 30 to 40 home visits a month to check foster placements, family conditions and children's progress at school
Wrote process notes after every contact and kept case files ready for supervisor and audit checks
Ran an eight-week parenting skills group for 12 foster parents and relatives caring for children
Completed Form 22 abuse reports and sent the details on for the National Child Protection Register
Worked with SAPS, schools, clinics, SASSA and Home Affairs to arrange medical examinations, school placement, birth certificates and grants
Attended monthly supervision with a senior social worker and earned at least 20 SACSSP CPD points every year

Tips for a stronger Social Worker CV

Put your SACSSP registration at the top

Write "SACSSP-registered social worker" in your headline or summary and list the registration, with the year, under certificates. Employers may not appoint an unregistered social worker, and practising without registration is an offence. You do not have to show your registration number; give it when the employer asks for proof.

Show your caseload and court work in numbers

Write how many files you carry, how many home visits you do a month and how many children's court reports or extensions you complete. "About 110 foster care files and 30 to 40 home visits a month" tells a supervisor far more than "managed cases".

Name the laws and processes you know

Child protection posts want the Children's Act 38 of 2005, section 155 reports and foster care extensions. Other fields use the Child Justice Act, the Older Persons Act or the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act. Name the ones you use every day, so the reader sees you can do statutory work straight away.

Keep clients anonymous

Never put a client's name, a child's details or a case story that could identify a family on your CV. Describe the type of case and the result instead, such as "reunified four children with their mother after a family preservation programme". It also shows you understand confidentiality.

List supervision and CPD

SACSSP expects social workers to earn at least 20 CPD points a year (or 40 over two years), counted from 1 April to 31 March. List the workshops and courses you did, such as trauma counselling or forensic interviewing, with the year. If you supervise students or junior social workers, say so.

Questions people ask

Do I have to register with the SACSSP to work as a social worker?

Yes. The Social Service Professions Act requires every social worker to be registered with the SACSSP, and you must renew your registration every year. Social work students must also register while they study. If you are waiting for your registration after graduating, write "SACSSP registration applied for" and the month you applied.

What is a designated social worker?

In the Children's Act, a designated social worker is a social worker employed by the Department of Social Development, a designated child protection organisation or a municipality. Only a designated social worker can do statutory child protection work such as section 155 investigations and children's court reports. If you have done this work, make it clear on your CV.

What is the difference between a social worker and a social auxiliary worker?

A social worker holds the four-year BSW and can work independently and do statutory work. A social auxiliary worker has a shorter qualification and works under the supervision of a social worker, helping with tasks such as intake, home visits and groups. Both must register with the SACSSP in their own category, so use the exact category on your CV.

How do I write a social work CV straight after my degree?

List your fourth-year fieldwork placement as a job, with the organisation, dates and the work you did under supervision, such as intake interviews, home visits, groups and a community project. Add your third-year placement if it was in a different field. Include your SACSSP student or graduate registration and say whether you have a driving licence.

What is a foster care extension and why does it matter on my CV?

A children's court foster care order lapses after two years, and the court can extend it for up to two years at a time. The social worker must write an extension report before the order lapses, otherwise the child's foster child grant from SASSA can stop. Showing that you keep extensions up to date tells an employer you manage deadlines well.