Erica Rabe
Caldicot
Summary
Children’s safeguarding practitioner with emerging experience in climate justice and ethical AI. My academic background spans ethics, moral injury, power relations, critical theory, and eco‑social work, complemented by recent study in AI Ethics and the EU AI Act. I focus on how emerging technologies redistribute risk, exacerbate inequities, and create new vulnerabilities — as well as the opportunities they offer for more just and accountable systems.
With over a decade of safeguarding and harm‑reduction experience, I apply trauma‑informed, rights‑based, and justice‑oriented frameworks to questions of socio‑technical risk, environmental justice, and responsible technology. My practice centres social and environmental accountability, ensuring that interventions prioritise the wellbeing of those most affected by structural inequity.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Social Worker
Gloucestershire County Council
Forest of Dean
06.2025 - Current
- Led complex safeguarding and risk assessments across CIN and CP cases, applying a systemic, rights-based approach to high-stakes decision-making.
- Provided calm, relational leadership in crisis situations and chaired multi-agency meetings, ensuring evidence-informed analysis shaped interventions.
- Strengthened accountability processes by integrating structural, contextual, and intersectional factors into assessments and planning.
Social Worker
Bristol City Council
City Of Bristol, England
10.2024 - 05.2025
- Oversaw section 47 and child and family assessments with an emphasis on socio-emotional risks, structural inequalities, and children's rights.
- Coordinated complex caseloads across CIN, CP, and CIC, facilitating urgent safeguarding responses and crisis planning.
- Championed inclusion of children's voices and lived experiences in assessments, interventions, and multi-agency decision-making.
Social Worker
Monmouthshire County Council
Monmouthshire, Wales
08.2023 - 10.2024
- Managed statutory safeguarding caseloads and contributed to PLO processes, providing analytical input for conferences and court proceedings.
- Delivered emotional-wellbeing and safety-planning support to families, integrating systemic, contextual, and environmental factors into assessments.
- Strengthened accountability by ensuring decision-making reflected the complexity of structural and relational risks.
Social Worker
Overstrand Child And Youth Care Centre
Kleinmond
07.2022 - 08.2023
- Provided trauma-informed therapeutic support to children aged 4-14 and supervised child and youth care teams to ensure consistent, high-quality care.
- Facilitated family reunification processes and built partnerships with community stakeholders to expand opportunities for children.
- Embedded reflective, relational, and eco-social principles into daily practice.
Probation Officer
Department of Social Development
Overstrand
07.2017 - 07.2020
- Oversaw court inquiries for youth in conflict with the law and assessed adults for diversion programmes.
- Managed a high-volume caseload and developed multi-disciplinary interventions addressing systemic drivers of harm.
- Recognised for innovative programme development aimed at reducing re-offending and strengthening community accountability structures.
Social Worker
BADISA Caledon
Caledon
04.2016 - 03.2017
- Independently managed statutory social work services, including foster care, community projects, and support for older persons.
- Provided data-driven reporting and contributed to organisational planning, ensuring interventions reflected community needs and structural realities.
Social Worker (Victim Empowerment and Substance Abuse)
RIET ( Rural Institute for Education and Training)
Caledon
02.2015 - 02.2016
- Delivered trauma counselling and empowerment support to victims of crime and violence across multiple rural communities.
- Supported clients experiencing substance-related harms and collaborated on Victim-Offender Dialogue programmes to promote healing, accountability, and restorative justice.
Social Worker
BADISA
08.2013 - 12.2014
- Provided statutory child protection services, including court work, parenting plans, and crisis intervention.
- Delivered community education on children's rights and facilitated preventative programmes for young people.
Social Worker
Child Welfare South Africa
06.2012 - 07.2013
- Delivered statutory services under the Children's Act, established behavioural support groups for boys, and coordinated community programmes.
- Provided after-hours crisis intervention and multi-agency collaboration.
Social Worker
Department of Social Development
01.2011 - 05.2012
- Established a new service delivery office in a rural area, building stakeholder networks and coordinating community programmes.
- Mentored interns and strengthened local service pathways for vulnerable groups.
Education
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree - Advanced Development in Social Work
Université Paris Nanterre/University of Lisbon (ISCSP)/Aalborg University/University of Lincoln/University of Warsaw
06-2022
Bachelor's Degree - Social Work
Stellenbosch University/Universiteit Stellenbosch
01-2010
Skills
- Anti-Oppressive Practice
- Multi-agency collaboration
- Systemic analysis
- Participatory Research
- AI Policy
- Governance
- Risk assessment
Languages
Afrikaans
Proficient
C2
English
Proficient
C2
Publications
The Kempe Center · Oct 5, 2022
An Eco‐Social Approach to Child Welfare – Strengthening the Affected Voice
- I led an online discussion group based on my topics from my master's thesis at the 2022 Kempe Center's international online 'A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare'.
IFSW's Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind The People's Global Summit · Jun 29, 2022
Environmental Rights as Children’s Rights – A More Comprehensive Risk Assessment
- I presented my a discussion focused on my master's thesis at the International Federation of Social Workers' online conference 'Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind The People's Global Summit'.
Certification
- EU AI Act Essentials, KI-Campus
- LinkedIn's AI Academy
- Ethics of AI
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
www.linkedin.com/in/ericarabe85
Timeline
Senior Social Worker
Gloucestershire County Council
06.2025 - Current
Social Worker
Bristol City Council
10.2024 - 05.2025
Social Worker
Monmouthshire County Council
08.2023 - 10.2024
Social Worker
Overstrand Child And Youth Care Centre
07.2022 - 08.2023
Probation Officer
Department of Social Development
07.2017 - 07.2020
Social Worker
BADISA Caledon
04.2016 - 03.2017
Social Worker (Victim Empowerment and Substance Abuse)
RIET ( Rural Institute for Education and Training)
02.2015 - 02.2016
Social Worker
BADISA
08.2013 - 12.2014
Social Worker
Child Welfare South Africa
06.2012 - 07.2013
Social Worker
Department of Social Development
01.2011 - 05.2012
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree - Advanced Development in Social Work
Université Paris Nanterre/University of Lisbon (ISCSP)/Aalborg University/University of Lincoln/University of Warsaw
Bachelor's Degree - Social Work
Stellenbosch University/Universiteit Stellenbosch