Masters Degrees (Social Work)

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    Social welfare services available to birth mothers involved in recurrent statutory child removal
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Burger, Jessica; Cornelissen-Nordien, T.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recurrent child removal among birth mothers has become an increasing issue globally with approximately one in every four mothers experiencing the removal of subsequent children within seven years of the removal of their first child. Additionally, many birth mothers facing child removals often have underlying socio-economic challenges, such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness. This distressing experience of child removal, combined with these challenges, often propels mothers toward harmful coping mechanisms, leading to additional pregnancies in a bid to replace removed children. These subsequent pregnancies often result in further removals. However, there is a significant gap in services that focus on the specific needs of birth mothers both before and after child removal. Despite the profound implications of recurrent child removal, there is limited research in this field, especially in the South African context. This study aims to address this gap, shedding light on recurrent child removal in South Africa and understanding the intricate web of factors causing repeated removals. Existing research on recurrent child removals is limited, especially within the South African context. Nevertheless, the few available studies suggest it's a pressing concern with many mothers repeatedly returning for care proceedings. This research study endeavours to provide a deeper understanding of the recurrent child removal phenomenon in South Africa, elucidating the factors contributing to repeated removals and the detrimental cycle ensnaring mothers and their children. The study was qualitative in nature and made use of semi-structured interviews with use of open- and closed questions. Twenty participants took part in the research study and the results demonstrated the need for the provision of specialised services for birth mothers by the government and social welfare service organisations to respond to the contributing factors resulting in recurrent child removal among birth mothers.
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    The role of social workers rendering empowerment services to school-leavers from disadvantaged communities
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03 ) Andrews, Lynn Shanon; Cornelissen-Nordien, Tasneemah ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: School-leavers are deemed a vulnerable group as there are varying factors which impact their lives and functioning, and according to South African policy and legislation, social workers are best placed to address these needs and challenges. Understanding the needs and challenges of school-leavers from disadvantaged communities helps social workers recognise the different roles they need to adopt in rendering empowerment services, to alleviate these needs and challenges. This study aimed to identify the diverse roles that social workers adopt when rendering services to this vulnerable group and how this could alleviate the needs and challenges faced by school-leavers. A clear focus was placed on policy and legislation impacting social work service delivery to school-leavers, as this impacts the provision of empowerment service rendering. In this study, a qualitative research methodology was used to obtain extensive insights into the participants' views and perspectives. The research incorporated both descriptive and exploratory designs, emphasizing the significance of depicting diverse narratives from the participants. Both purposive sampling and snowball sampling techniques was adopted with a predefined set of criteria determining participant inclusion. A total of 20 participants were interviewed with the use of a semi-structured interview schedule. Subsequently, the collected data was transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis. The main conclusion drawn from the results obtained indicated that social workers play diverse roles, varying based on the specific needs and challenges faced by school-leavers. However, services are not always effectively rendered, as a result of inadequate policy implementation and a lack of resources. Caseloads of social workers was also identified to be a factor impacting empowerment service delivery. This is of great concern in South Africa, as there are many school-leavers and not enough social workers. In addition to this, school-leavers are often not aware of social work services, and they therefore cannot access much-needed resources. Empowerment stands out as a recurring theme, particularly in how social workers can aid school-leavers. Empowerment practices, such as providing resources and essential information, are crucial. Equally, social workers themselves need empowerment to effect positive outcomes for these school-leavers.
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    Challenges experienced by kinship foster caregivers
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03 ) Collins, Litiesha Fredlien; Strydom, M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child underscores the importance of a family environment for every child by stating that every child has "the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents". This is a matter of concern, as the quality of the child's upbringing is a determining factor in their well-being and overall emotional and behavioural development. If children are deprived of a stable upbringing in their early years, it could definitely influence their transition into adulthood. The practice of extended family (kin) raising family children who are deprived of their own biological parental care is ancient. However, kinship foster caregivers take on this role or responsibility under different and sometimes difficult circumstances. These circumstances may include neglect by biological parents, parental misuse of alcohol and drugs, incarceration of one or both biological parents, the death of one or both biological parents, HIV Aids, or a family crises situation. The motivation for the study was to investigate the challenges that kinship foster caregivers experience during or after the placement of the family child into their care. This information could be utilised by social workers who are responsible for rendering services to kinship foster carers according to South African policy and legislation. The strengths perspective was utilised as a lens through which the researcher tried to understand the resilience that kinship foster caregivers displayed when taking care of family children. The research document contains three literature chapters, the first of which serves as a methodological framework regarding the execution of the study. In the second chapter, the relevant international, regional, and national policies and legislation relating to foster care are presented. This is followed by the third chapter which outlines the challenges experienced by kinship foster caregivers when taking care of the children of family and the social work services they receive and need. The literature review serves as a framework regarding the conceptualisation of the challenges that kinship foster caregivers typically experience. Relevant international, regional, and national policies and legislation pertaining to foster care as well as challenges experienced in social work service delivery in South Africa are presented. For this research, a qualitative approach was utilised to capture the rich accounts of kinship foster caregivers about the challenges they experience with the placement of a child into their care. Descriptive and exploratory research designs were used to substantiate the capturing of various narratives from the participants. Participants were approached by applying the purposive sampling method and 17 participants were then interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The data gathered was analysed using a thematic content analysis approach. The study highlighted that kinship foster caregivers have many challenges, whether child- or family-related and personal challenges, to deal with. Furthermore, kinship foster caregivers also experience various financial and emotional challenges. It is recommended that social services should be delivered, not only to the children being cared for, but also to the kinship foster caregivers, especially as this form of kinship care is the most widely practised form of substitute care for children in need of care and protection in South Africa. It is also recommended that kinship foster caregivers must have access to professional services.
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    The role of social workers regarding services to older persons in residential care facilities
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03 ) Muller, Wendy Johanelene; Cornelissen-Nordien, Tasneemah; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many countries, including South Africa, are experiencing "population ageing", which means an increase in life expectancy. Therefore by 2030, it is predicted that South Africa will have about fifteen million older persons, thus an increase in need for care, particularly, residential care. Moreover, pandemics such as COVID-19 have highlighted the importance of the need for care of this vulnerable population. Thus, more social workers are needed in South African residential care facilities serving older persons. However, few studies have been conducted regarding the role of social workers with older persons residing in residential care facilities in South Africa. The research study therefore aimed to investigate the views of social workers regarding their role in service rendering to older persons in residential care facilities. A qualitative approach in conjunction with an exploratory and descriptive research design, was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 participants, including the two pilot participants from the pilot study. The first chapter of the study presented the introduction which discussed the preliminary rationale, problem statement, research question, objectives, theoretical point of departure and the research methodology of the study. The study also presented two chapters on the review of the literature. The second chapter delved into policy and legislation related to the needs and circumstances of older persons in residential care facilities from an ecological perspective. The third chapter explored the provision of social work services for older persons in residential care facilities. An empirical study based on data collected from participants confirmed that older persons in residential care facilities have physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation needs. However, some of these needs are not sufficiently met due to reasons such as limited funding for residential care facilities and the insufficiency of the older person’s grant. The study also highlighted the important contributions made by social workers, who work at micro, meso and macro levels to address the needs of older persons in residential care facilities. Despite their commendable efforts, social workers face many obstacles, such as a shortage of social workers, limited funding, and substantial administrative duties. Finally, a conclusions and recommendations chapter was presented which indicates that more funding is needed to support residential care facilities and older persons, ensuring their basic needs are met. It is advised that more social workers and social auxiliary workers are hired in residential care facilities to lessen the workload on social workers and enable them to better serve the needs of older persons and their families. There is also a need to prioritise group work services and mental healthcare services for older persons in residential care facilities. Equally important is the need for more opportunities for older persons residing in residential care facilities to interact with society in order to give them a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.
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    The views of social service providers on the social support available to immigrant and refugee children: a human rights perspective
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03 ) Songore, Irene; Slabbert, Ilze; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Migration is a growing phenomenon and there is also an increase in children that migrate. This increase has captured the need to ensure understanding of the social support available to migrant children within the host country. South Africa has become the most popular destination hub for migrant populations on the African continent. Immigrant and refugee groups in particular have been identified to travel from all over the world, probed by pull and push factors that include wars, poverty, violence, violations of human rights, as well as the need to seek greater social and economic opportunities. The social support available to immigrant and refugee children within a host country such as south Africa is vaguely researched. Moreso there is a greater dearth of study on the views of social service providers on the social support available to these children. Accordingly, this study aimed at gaining a better understanding of the needs and circumstances of immigrant and refugee children, as well as to explore the social support available to them within the Western Cape, South Africa. In terms of the research methodology, the study adopted the qualitative research approach. This approach enabled the researcher to capture the social service providers views and experiences of the social support available to immigrant and refugee children. In combination, exploratory and descriptive research designs were utilised. These designs were utilised as a way to capture the in-depth narratives of the participants. Accordingly, fifteen social service providers who have experience with these children in practice were interviewed in the study. Permission was acquired from organisations around the Western Cape, South Africa and informed consent was acquired from the participants to conduct this study. Thereafter, semi-structured interviews were conducted via online platforms such as Microsoft teams, skype and zoom, as well as telephonically. The data gathered from the interviews was analysed through thematic analysis, with considerations made on the theoretical underpinnings of the human rights perspective and the ecological perspective. The findings of this study concluded that immigrant and refugee children in South Africa existed in precarious situations that made the need for social support of paramount importance. It was also brought to light that traditional social support systems such as family were less involved in supporting these children, although these systems were identified as playing crucial roles in their development. Other support systems such as welfare organisations and social service providers who take on humanitarian roles in providing support to these children were identified as being more involved in addressing their needs. Moreover, further findings concluded that efforts to amend legislation and policy frameworks had been made within South Africa in order to accommodate the complex nature and experiences of these children. However, it was concluded that there was a need to address and ensure the execution and application of these frameworks for service providers identified the gaps that increased ambiguity in addressing the human rights of these children.