Registered Counsellor/Social Worker

Johannesburg, South Africa

Full Time

2025 School-based Support (South Africa)

Mid Level

Nova Pioneer is looking for a Registered Counsellor or Social Worker to provide social wellness, psychological, and learning support to students across our Nova Pioneer South Africa schools. They will continue to develop a comprehensive school wellness program in collaboration with teachers and Deans that addresses the academic and personal development needs of our students.

ABOUT NOVA PIONEER

Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast! We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students. “Novaneers” work harder and work longer hours than most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary. We offer consistent and ongoing personal development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best. Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life. We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions!). We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better. There is no problem too big for us! We work hard but we also have a lot of fun together. We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels the hardest work and learning. Read more about our culture principles here.

Apprentice teachers support instruction and classroom management and are responsible for helping to drive a rigorous, enquiry-based learning environment the Nova Pioneer way. Apprentice teachers are supported by Resident teachers who partner with them in their growth journey - observing lessons, providing feedback and coaching.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Nova Pioneer is looking for a registered counsellor or social worker to start in January 2025! In this position, you will have the opportunity to help craft a vision and strategy for student wellness and academic counselling development in our schools. You will be required to travel to the different campuses in the Nova Pioneer South Africa network.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

Counselling Service:

Provide short to medium-term individual therapeutic interventions to students from Grade R to 13
Provide parent consultations, including intake and feedback sessions, to parents in the primary school who are referred to you
Keep accurate clinical records of all interventions provided to students
Be available to consult with teachers in classroom-based support of students who are been referred to you
Provide support in times of crisis (students, family or school)
Provide preventative and health health-promoting and emotional learning opportunities to groups of students

Team Management:

Manage all members of the Nova Pioneer South African psychosocial team, including coaching, mentorship, and performance reviews
Manage the hiring process for new psychosocial team members when the need arises
Manage the hiring process for intern psychologists on an annual basis with support from external psycholgists.
Provide regular opportunities for professional development of psychosocial team members, as well as opportunities for team and connection across campuses
Manage the psychosocial team budget, ensuring adequate assessment and play therapy equipment and clinical recording keeping stationery
Participate in professional development activities to improve knowledge and skills as team leader and professional

Organisational Leadership:

Model, live, and lead the Nova Pioneer Culture
Work closely with School Leaders and Deans of Students in identifying and monitoring students in need of psychosocial support
Work closely with School Leaders and Deans of Students in promoting whole school wellness and in promoting mental health among teachers and students
Provide leadership and collaborate with other educators in the school-wide integration of best practices in counselling and guidance
Implement appropriate and prevention-oriented group activities to meet student needs and school goals
Plug-into the life skills program as guided by the Director of Schools, Heads of Schools, and Deans
Assist teachers, parents/guardians, and other stakeholders in interpreting and understanding student wellness data
Provide workshops to teachers on topics of student wellness
Adhere to laws, policies, procedures, and ethical standards of the school counselling profession
Conduct a yearly audit to review the counselling needs and trends in the school, and the extent to which the program in the school is effective in its implementation, based on the data collected and analysed
Prepare the results of such analysis in a manner that makes it possible to share the information with different stakeholders: pupils, teachers, network, parents, and guardians

ABOUT YOU

1. You are an HPCSA-registered counsellor or SACSSP-registered social worker

2. You are passionate about students' welfare and want to help them tackle life's different challenges

3. You have 3+ years of experience in school-based counselling

4. You have experience in school counselling children and young adults

5. You are deeply care about the welfare of young people and are able to demonstrate empathy and understanding of their challenges inside and outside of the classroom

6. You are adept at communicating with parents and an effort to support them and their children

7. You are results-driven, goal-orientated, and student-focused and take ownership of your work

HOW TO APPLY

Does working at Nova Pioneer excite you? If so, then apply now!

To apply, please complete the form on the right-hand side of this page. We cannot process applications that are emailed to us.

Please note: Where a copy of your resume is required, copying and pasting from a formatted document e.g. Microsoft Word may not result in the formatting transferring correctly to the final resume. You are encouraged to attach your resume in Microsoft Word® or PDF format to protect formatting.

All applications will be reviewed and applicants notified of the next steps within a week of this closing date. There are a series of stages in the Nova Pioneer interview process and candidates will be moved forward in the process depending on their success in the previous stage. The process is as follows:

Phone interview: a short conversation to understand your skills and experience a little better.
Practical demonstration of what you can do: you will complete a written task or a demonstration related to the role you are applying for.
In-person interviews: at this point, you will visit one of our schools to meet the team and participate in a series of in-person interviews.
Final interview: you’ll have a final conversation with the hiring manager before decisions are made.

WORKING AT NOVA PIONEER
Nova Pioneer is committed to the achievement and maintenance of diversity and equity in employment. Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast! We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students. “Novaneers” work harder and work longer hours than most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary. We offer consistent and ongoing personal development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best. Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life. We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions!). We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better. There is no problem too big for us! We work hard but we also have a lot of fun together. We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels the hardest work and learning. Read more about our culture principles here.

Please Note:

Nova Pioneer may appoint and/or expire the posting of this advertisement at their own discretion.
If you have not been contacted within 30 days of the closing date of this advertisement please consider your application as unsuccessful.

Nova Pioneer, in line with the POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) will attempt to ensure the confidentiality of all applicants for this role. All reasonable measurements will be in place to protect personal information but it will be used for recruitment and employment purposes. By submitting your application with Nova Pioneer, you are recognising and accepting this disclaimer.

Nova Pioneer will never request an application fee from candidates. If you are contacted with a request to pay a fee from someone claiming to be a Nova Pioneer Talent or Recruitment representative, please do not pay them and report it to us immediately on talent.ke@novapioneer.com or talent.sa@novapioneer.com.

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