Although the White Paper on Families (2013) stipulates that family resilience should be strengthened in family preservation services, no guidelines exist for social workers in the South African context to do so. A need for practice guidelines for social workers in rendering services to families to strengthen family resilience was identified. The following central research question was formulated: How and by doing what, can social workers foster and sustain family resilience? The Intervention Design and Development (IDD) model of Rothman and Thomas (1994) was adapted for the study which included qualitative research to explore and describe the understanding, experiences and suggestions of social workers on family resilience for informing the family resilience intervention guidelines. Data was collected through focus- group and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with social workers employed by the Department of Social Development, and the NGOs from Gauteng, North West and Limpopo province. Tesch’s steps (cited in Creswell 2009:186) were used to analyse the data systematically and data was verified by Guba’s model (cited in Krefting 1991:214–222). Implementing steps 1–5 of phase 1, steps 1–3 of phase 2, step 2 of phase 3 and steps 1–3 of phase 4 of the IDD model, “Practice Guidelines for Social Workers to foster and sustain Family Resilience” (“The Guidelines”) were developed by translating the family resilience theory into practice to guide social workers to be able to develop and implement a family resilience intervention. The content of “The Guidelines” include an introduction containing the social work service delivery principles, the theoretical approaches of service delivery to families and the legislative and policy framework for services to families that would underpin a family resilience intervention. Section 1 of “The Guidelines” was developed and structured around the understanding of the family resilience construct and the family resilience process model on how family resilience operates. Section 2 of “The Guidelines” is presented in a question and answer format. This section provides practical guidelines on how to identify the target group for family resilience interventions, the reciprocal relationship between individual resilience and family resilience, family resilience interventions following the social work intervention process (i.e. intake, developmental assessment, a family developmental plan, and intervention strategies in accordance with the basket of services for families and monitoring and evaluation), how to integrate the domains of family resilience into the family resilience intervention, the need for education of both the social worker and client family on family resilience, the multi-dimensional aspects of the family requiring a multi-disciplinary approach and the role that the safety of family members play when rendering a family resilience intervention. / Social Work / D. Phil. (Social Work)

This study explored social workers’ perceptions of their role in providing palliative care to patients with life-limiting illnesses in six hospitals across Namibia. A qualitative grounded theory approach was use in which in-depth interviews were conduct with twenty (20) social workers. Several key findings are presented: First, the emerging constructivist grounded theory of social workers’ multi-dimensional roles in providing palliative include identities of advocate, assessor, broker, counsellor, educator, facilitator, patient liaison, mediator, discharge planner and manager of in-country referrals. Second, several participants’ uncertainties of what palliative care entails offered insight that they are in need of palliative care education and training. Third, healthcare professionals do not understand the role of the social workers and therefore social workers receive inadequate support from them. Fourth, there is a lack of in-service training and continuous education in palliative care. Fifth, there are inadequate practice opportunities in palliative care for undergraduate social work students. Finally, the well-being of social workers is another concern with limited debriefing opportunities available. Further research needs to be conducted and policy guidelines established to identify ways to improve the field of palliative care social work. In achieving this, formal education and palliative care practice opportunities for social workers need to be established, providing continuing education and establishing a Centre of Excellence on palliative care provision. This study argues that the social work profession is well positioned to draw upon its values, culture and experiences (particularly from their clients) to get involved in creating a constructivist grounded theory of social workers’ roles in providing palliative care. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

Violence against women is a global phenomenon and it has over the past three decades occupied a central position in international discourse. Despite the extensive literature, little has been documented about the social support services offered to the abused women in shelters. A qualitative research approach was employed in this study to explore, describe, and contextualise the experiences and challenges of social workers in the social support services rendered to abused women in shelters. The participants were selected using purposive sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with social workers involved in rendering services to abused women in shelters in Gauteng. Ethical issues were taken into consideration. Data were analysed using Tesch’s eight steps (in Creswell, 2009) and verified using Guba and Lincoln’s model (in Krefting, 2003) to test the trustworthiness of the data. The key findings of the study highlight the important role that social workers who provide social services to abused women in shelters play in the process of empowerment and protection of these women, who benefit from the social support service programmes that the shelters render on a daily basis. These findings also reveal that due to limited resources, the social workers cannot provide these social support services effectively without assistance. This study also reflects the need for a multidisciplinary approach, and emphasises the need for other stakeholders such as the SAPS, Health, Home Affairs, Department of Social Development, and the embassies of foreign countries to play a more significant role within the sheltering services in order to provide a comprehensive service to abused women. It is clear that social workers have limited professional support and experience many challenges in rendering social services. / Social Work / M.S.W. (Social Work)

The topic of this work - social work in palliative care - is very up-to-date because in the last three years, thanks to the "Together until the end" program of the Avast Foundation Fund, specialized palliative care has been introduced in eighteen Czech hospitals, which is a response to the fact that 78% of the citizens of the Czech Republic die in healthcare facilities. The goal of the thesis was to answer the research question: "How do social workers at the Central Military Hospital in Prague who have experience with clients in the terminal stage of illness describe the means to achieve the goals of social work in palliative care in the hospital?" To find out the answer to this question, we have used the Grounded theory research method and realized a research in the CMH in Prague. The main findings of the research consist in describing the objectives of social work in palliative care in the hospital as understood by the respondents, and in the description of the means used to achieve these goals and the links between them. These objectives are: the client's wishes and the quality of life with dignified dying and among the means is the relationship between the social worker, the client and the family; social counselling and family care. Other findings include a description of the needs of those...

The purpose of the research is to explore social workers' listening skills pertaining to listening as communication skill during an experimental social work interview. The research methodology comprised unique application of a social work interview. A sample of five participating social workers was invited to listen to a video recording of a social work interview requesting them to identify information presented by the client through observation and listening by applying a set of predetermined theoretical conversation elements. The participation and involvement of participating social workers during the listening experiment was video recorded for subsequent evaluation. The conclusion reached from research findings indicates that the unique approach adopted by participating social workers' achieved mixed results towards hypothetic assistance offered to the experimental client. The researcher recommends that social workers be developed and trained in the art of maintaining effective listening skills during social work interviews to improve assistance to clients. / Social Work / M. A. (Social Work)

This study addresses the effectiveness of communication between the team (doctors, sisters and social workers) and patients at the Breast Cancer Clinic of the Johannesburg Hospital. Tue needs of patients were highlighted, as well as the role of care-giver, both as a group and in their separate disciplines, in attempting to meet these needs. Tue empirical survey was carried out through the use of questionnaires as well as interview schedules. Patients, doctors, nurses and social workers were used as respondents. Results indicated that the majority of patients' needs for information and support were met by the team in general; however, a need for further social work intervention seemed to be apparent. In addition, several barriers were found to inhibit both team-patient and inter-team communication. Tue researcher used the information gathered in this study to make recommendations that will facilitate improved communication in the clinic, with specific reference to the role of the social worker. / Social Work / M.A.(Social Science: Mental Health)

The diploma thesis deals with an analysis of a concept of a value on the basis of the selected literature. It tries to point out a connection of ethical theories with a practical human behaviour. It has been structured from an explanation of key concepts as ethics, morality, manners; it examines a word of the value and fundamental philosophical theories which are associated with values. In detail it analyses the values in terms of so called philosophy of the material and formal subjectivism. It focuses on representatives of the phenomenology - Max Scheler, Nikolai Hartmann and Dietrich von Hildebrand. It specifies approaches to the values as well as in terms of a human personality, especially from a perspective of the analytical psychology. The thesis shows an importance of the values in the practical application - in the professional ethics of social work, where ethical codes provide an orientation for employees. Caritas Czech Republic was chosen as a model organization. That is also why a theological perspective on the values has been mentioned and basic values and principles of the Code of Caritas Czech Republic as well. This study should be a stimulus for a further exploration of the concept of the value and its significance for human beings. It considers the values to be a fundamental motivation that will lead mankind to a good behaviour (virtues) in the future.

This work deals with professional ethical reflection and analysis of the code of ethics of social workers to join in the broader context of the social work profession and human rights principles. The introduction deals with disabilities, the basic concepts of ethics and social work with regard to the specifics of the social work profession and the requirements of professional social worker. Based on professional ethical reflection theoretical work also analyzes the document Code of Ethics of Social Workers of the Czech Republic in comparison with the International Social Work Code of Ethics and the Code of Charity Czech Republic with an emphasis on the interpretation of the principles of human rights and social justice. At the end of the work in relation to analysis tries to summarize the importance of criticism and also updated the Code of Conduct, including an indication of other possible paths to explore this issue.

This thesis aims to introduce the basic problems of social status and internet consulting services to the reader. Here the service is seen in the ethical and psychological context because an internet counselor cannot do without these points of view when he tries to provide a customer service in the highest possible quality. I focus on the e-mail form of providing online advice as it is the most commonly used type of e-communication between a client and an advisor. Psychological and ethical determinants of the whole process are complementary, intersect, there are no single boundaries between them, whether from the point of view of ethics they are values on which to build human rights or the Code of Ethics for social workers, hence iKodex valid for social services in the online environment or from psychology perspective it is a virtual communication process between a counselor and a client, in which the art of communication, the changing identity of a man, manifested aggression, transference and countertransference and the actual on-line environment play role. The aim is to highlight the complex and ambiguous status of online counseling services.

The objective of this Thesis is to outline the role of social work and social worker when accompanying a man in dying. The Thesis focuses on defining the social work and, at the same time, it points to the enormous diversity of the social work. The Thesis thus deals with the unclear definition of the field of social work as a particular helping profession, with the competency of social workers and with the current discussion about the need for a law on social workers. The Thesis also treats the phenomena of death and dying and how these issues are viewed from the perspective of social work. In the Thesis, these questions are highlighted in the context of the impact of the postmodern society. A large part of the Thesis is dedicated to finding the role of social work and social worker in hospice environment. Interest in dying clients and their loved ones represents an integral part of the Thesis, which also points out their needs, wishes and troubles. The Thesis outlines the issue of advisory for bereaved persons as well. Furthermore, it analyzes the ethical dimension of death and dying, especially with regard to human dignity. Critique of professional literature is confronted with author's own practical experience and with the output from an interview with a social worker.