Browsing by Author "Chibaya, Nyasha Hillary"
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- ItemThe execution of individual reflective supervision sessions: Experiences of intermediate frontline social workers(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Chibaya, Nyasha Hillary; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Existing literature on supervision has failed to make provision for comprehensive information in regard to social work individual reflective supervision sessions and how to subsequently execute them. Reflective supervision has over the years received less and less attention on a global scale. This has been a consequence of neoliberalism with its sole focus on effectiveness and efficiency of management. Social workers all over the world have increasingly expressed concerns about the diminishing availability and poor quality of supervision inter alia. Consequently, protests by social work professionals have been witnessed in different parts of the world, demanding better working conditions inter alia. Against this background, this research study was aimed at understanding the experiences of intermediate frontline social workers in regard to the execution of social work individual reflective supervision sessions in South Africa. A qualitative research approach was utilized in order to capture detailed accounts of intermediate frontline social workers in regard to their experiences of the execution of individual reflective supervision sessions. Descriptive and exploratory research designs were used to substantiate the capturing of various narratives from the participants. A snow-ball sampling method was utilized for the purpose of this study. Twenty participants were interviewed utilizing semi-structured interviews. Data gathered was analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. This research document contains two literature chapters. The first literature chapter attempts to formulate a conceptual framework for individual supervision of intermediate frontline social workers. The second literature chapter details various reflection tools and techniques that can be used in executing individual reflective supervision sessions. Chapter four of this research study contains the empirical study. The results from data collected from participants and literature are presented in an integrated manner. Chapter five contains the conclusions and recommendations of the research study. The main conclusions drawn from the findings established that social work professionals are working under unfavourable conditions where they are expected to continuously meet organisational targets and manage heavy caseloads. Social work professionals continue to receive less frequent and poor quality individual supervision. Alternatively, "on the run" supervision which is only available for urgent matters that require the supervisor's attention has become more common in social service organisations. There is little to no practice of reflective individual supervision in the present social work context which consequently thwarts the professional and personal development of supervisees. In light of the prior mentioned conclusions, it is recommended that supervision, as a specialist field in social service organisations, be specifically and substantially subsidized by the South African government; and that the practice of reflection in supervision be promoted through workshops as part of supervisors' Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- ItemVoices of social workers on their perceived roles in social protest actions(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) Chibaya, Nyasha Hillary; Engelbrecht, L. K.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: From its infancy and throughout its historical development, social work has always been synonymous with the pursuit of human rights and social justice for the most vulnerable. Human rights and social justice are complex and discursive concepts, however, and their interpretation is seldom uniform. Indeed, historically as at present, contention between problem solving and broader social activism persists in the social work arena. This split is best characterised by those who view social work as technical and apolitical, and those who engage with contextual questions. Radical perspectives in social work, unlike conservatives, suggest that social issues should be viewed together within social, political, economic and historical contexts. Proponents of radical social work endorse the development of a critical consciousness that allows for the perception of social and political contradictions. Critical analysis considers social problems experienced by the poor to be a product of unresponsive structures and discriminatory systems. The Global definition of social work acknowledges this, and mandates social workers to engage in social action to attain social change for the vulnerable. Social workers across the globe have been engaging in collective action to defend welfare states for the vulnerable. In South Africa, despite being dubbed the world’s protest capital, and being host to extreme inequality and poverty amongst the poor majority, similar actions by social workers have been scant, if undertaken at all. This has raised serious questions regarding the perceptions of social workers on their roles in social protest actions within South Africa’s social development context. A qualitative research approach was followed to gain an informed understanding of the opinions of social workers regarding their roles in social protest actions. Descriptive, exploratory and instrumental case study research designs were implemented to elicit invaluable reflections from participants. Snowball and purposive sampling was utilised to recruit 27 participants from four sampling cohorts, who were interviewed via semi-structured online and telephonic interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to examine the collected data that is presented under three key themes. Notwithstanding the progress that social work has achieved to date in South Africa, the study highlights the need for more and far reaching social work interventions for the poor majority. Macro interventions aimed at untangling the systemic and structural sources of social problems are key to attain social transformation in South Africa. For authentic engagement in social activism for social change, the relationship between social work and the state needs to be reconsidered. Further, because of the inevitability of conflict in efforts towards change, social work institutions need to provide clear protection and support systems that promote the legal and ethical mandate for social workers to engage in activism for the poor majority’s human rights and social justice. Key conclusions and implications for practice suggest that, in determining an informed course of action and role of social workers in social protest actions, they must critically and continually engage with the contextual realities of the poor and vulnerable, the discursive concepts of human rights and social justice, and social work ethics.