The utilisation of group work by social workers at NGOs in the implementation of family preservation services
Van Huyssteen, Josane (2015-04)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Social workers that render child protection services are, according to The White Paper for Social Welfare (Ministry of Welfare and Population Development, 1997) and the Integrated Service Delivery Model (Department of Social Development, 2006), required to render family preservation services through mainly preventive services and early intervention services. This implies that during the implementation of family preservation services, the social worker should focus on preventing the unnecessary alternative placement of children through immediate intervention that defuses the crisis situation, stabilizes the family, and teaches family members new problem-resolution skills, so they can avoid future crisis.
A social work intervention method that could effectively enhance family preservation services is group work. Social workers rendering family preservation services, however make limited use of group work. Various studies done with regards to group work showed a definite decrease in the utilisation of group work by social workers at child and family welfare organisations, possible reasons for the decrease in the utilisation of group work were noted but no definite conclusions were drawn. Therefore a gap exists within research on the view of social workers with regards to the utilisation of group work during the rendering of family preservation services. The research study therefore investigated the perspective of social workers on the utilisation of group work during implementation of family preservation services.
A combined quantitative and qualitative research methodology was used to involve social workers employed at non-governmental organizations in the Western Cape Metropole area in the study that was based on both an explorative and descriptive research design. For the aim of the research study, the researcher used purposeful non-probability sampling. Twenty social workers that met the inclusion criteria of the research study were selected according to their willingness to participate. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect the data during the empirical investigation and a pilot study was implemented to test the measuring instrument with two participants.
A literature study aimed at describing the role and function of the social worker with regards the implementation of family preservation services as well the nature of group work when rendering family preservation services was completed. Thereafter an empirical investigation was done and the results from the empirical investigation were purposefully processed and analysed. Through processing and analysing the results the researcher was able to conclude with certain conclusions and recommendations with regards to the utilisation of group work during the implementation of family preservation services.
The most important conclusion resulting from the research study indicate that child and family welfare organisations are struggling to effectively utilise the group work method during the implementation of family preservation services. The research study therefore recommends that social workers should receive thorough in-service training with regards to the possible ways of utilising the group work method more effectively during the delivery of family preservation services. Furthermore it is recommended that appropriate group work programmes be developed that are specifically aimed at family preservation services, in order to ensure that group work is effectively utilised by social workers when implementing family preservation services.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Maatskaplike werkers wat kinderbeskermingsdienste lewer word, volgens die Witskrif vir Maatskaplike Welsyn (Ministry of Welfare and Population Development, 1997) en die Geïntegreerde Diensleweringsmodel (Department of Social Development, 2006), vereis om gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste te lewer deur hoofsaaklik te fokus op voorkomende dienste en vroeë intervensie dienste. Dit beteken dat tydens die implementering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste moet die maatskaplike werker fokus op die voorkoming van die onnodige alternatiewe plasing van kinders deur middel van onmiddellike ingryping wat die krisis situasie ontlont, die familie stabiliseer, en familielede nuwe probleemoplossings vaardighede aanleer ten einde toekomstige krisisse te verhoed.
‘n Maatskaplike werk intervensie metode wat effektief kan bydra tot die bevordering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste is groepwerk. Maatskaplike werkers wat gesinsinstandhoudings-dienste lewer maak egter beperkte gebruik van groepwerk. Verskeie studies wat gedoen is met betrekking tot groepwerk in maatskaplike werk dui ‘n definitiewe afname in die benutting van groepwerk deur maatskaplike werkers by kinder- en gesinsorg welsynsorganisasies aan, moontlike redes vir die afname in die benutting van groepwerk is opgemerk, maar geen definitiewe gevolgtrekkings is gemaak nie. Dus bestaan daar ‘n definitiewe gaping in navorsing rondom die sienings van maatskaplike werkers rakende die benutting van groepwerk in die lewering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste. Daarom is die perspektief van maatskaplike werkers rakende die benutting van groepwerk tydens die implementering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste in die navorsingstudie ondersoek.
‘n Gesamentlike kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is gebruik om maatskaplike werkers in diens by nie-regeringsorganisasies in die Wes-Kaap Metropool area in die navorsingsstudie, gebassseer op ‘n verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp, te betrek. Vir die doel van die navorsingstudie het die navorser gebruik gemaak van ‘n doelgerigte nie-waarskynlikheids steekproefneming. Twintig maatskaplike werkers wat aan die insluitingskriteria van die navorsingstudie voldoen het is dus volgens hul bereidwilligheid om deel te neem gekies. Tydens die empiriese ondersoek is ‘n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule gebruik om die data in te samel en ‘n loodsstudie is geïmplementeer om die meetinstrument met twee deelnemers te toets.
‘n Literatuurstudie wat daarop gemik was om die rol en funksie van die maatskaplike werker te beskryf met betrekking tot die implementering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste asook die aard van groep werk tydens die lewering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste is voltooi. Daarna is ‘n empiriese ondersoek gedoen en die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek is doelbewus verwerk en ontleed. Deur verwerking en ontleding van die resultate was die navorser daartoe in staat om sekere gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings met betrekking tot die benutting van groepwerk tydens die implementering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste te maak.
Die belangrikste gevolgtrekking uit die navorsingstudie dui daarop dat kinder en gesins welsynsorganisasies sukkel om effektief gebruik te maak van die groepwerk metode tydens die implementering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste. Die navorsingstudie beveel dus aan dat maatskaplike werkers deeglike in-diens opleiding ontvang met betrekking tot die moontlike maniere waarop die groepwerk metode meer effektief tydens die lewering van gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste benut kan word. Verder word daar aanbeveel dat toepaslike groepwerk programme spesifiek gemik op gesinsinstandhoudingsdienste ontwikkel word ten einde te verseker dat groepwerk effektief benut word deur maatskaplike werkers tydens die implementering van gesinsinstandhoudings-dienste.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96794