<p>The purpose of this essay was to enhance the understanding and knowledge about phenomenon access support. Access support means that a third person (contact person) must be present during access visits between a child and its parent, if it is necessary for the child’s security or because the child needs support. The study was based on qualitative interviews with four contact persons and two professional social workers, whose main task have been to support and, partially, coordinate the work of contact persons. During the interviews I put the focus on participant’s experiences and thoughts about the phenomenon access support. Two theoretical perspectives were used to analyze the empirical material. These were an experiential perspective and role perspective. The results showed that being a contact person required certain personal qualities and strategies for managing different situations during access. Generally, the access situations are often affected by problems between divorced parents and the lack of cooperation with other institutions, especially with the court. Parents and children can have different expectations of access support. Nevertheless, participants find the work as access support meaningful and valuable in terms of life experience.</p>

The purpose of this essay was to enhance the understanding and knowledge about phenomenon access support. Access support means that a third person (contact person) must be present during access visits between a child and its parent, if it is necessary for the child’s security or because the child needs support. The study was based on qualitative interviews with four contact persons and two professional social workers, whose main task have been to support and, partially, coordinate the work of contact persons. During the interviews I put the focus on participant’s experiences and thoughts about the phenomenon access support. Two theoretical perspectives were used to analyze the empirical material. These were an experiential perspective and role perspective. The results showed that being a contact person required certain personal qualities and strategies for managing different situations during access. Generally, the access situations are often affected by problems between divorced parents and the lack of cooperation with other institutions, especially with the court. Parents and children can have different expectations of access support. Nevertheless, participants find the work as access support meaningful and valuable in terms of life experience.

South Africa is currently facing a severe shortage of trained and competent social workers. Case loads have reached proportions of such magnitude that social workers in the field are battling to meet the needs of the people they serve, while still maintaining high ethical and professional standards. The impact of HIV/AIDS on the field of social work has currently redirected a major part of the focus of the profession on meeting the needs of child-headed households, to find and train foster parents for these children and generally to assist the poorest of the poor to access various grants applicable to their circumstances. This redirection appears also to have changed the emphasis regarding social work training requirements. Whereas in the past the newly qualified social worker was able to acquire additional skills in the workplace, under the guidance of experienced social workers, today it would seem that the demands of the work place are such that the social worker needs to take on significant responsibilities on entering the field. At the same time the Department of Social Services in South Africa is encouraging universities to increase the intake of social work students, in an attempt to meet this rising need for personnel trained to meet the current requirements of the clients of social work services. This exploratory research will focus on the applicability of UNISA (University of South Africa) social work training to these current requirements of social work by tapping into three different frames of reference: 1) The experiences and perceptions of the final year social work student in their placement setting, and particularly on whether they have felt their UNISA training equipped them for the work they are required to do. 2) The way the UNISA student is perceived by the practice setting personnel (contact person), and whether they meet the requirements of the field setting. 3) Input from the UNISA appointed supervisors responsible for the final year social work students' professional development in the field.The person-centred approach and the developmental approach have been briefly discussed in relation to social work in South Africa in the literature review and form the backdrop to this research, guiding the researcher in the exploration of the perceptions of the three different types of respondents. Post-modern theory is also at the root of the researcher's attempt to find fit between the different perceptions and the implications for social work training at a distance learning institute in South Africa today. / Social Work / M. A. (Mental Health)

South Africa is currently facing a severe shortage of trained and competent social workers. Case loads have reached proportions of such magnitude that social workers in the field are battling to meet the needs of the people they serve, while still maintaining high ethical and professional standards. The impact of HIV/AIDS on the field of social work has currently redirected a major part of the focus of the profession on meeting the needs of child-headed households, to find and train foster parents for these children and generally to assist the poorest of the poor to access various grants applicable to their circumstances. This redirection appears also to have changed the emphasis regarding social work training requirements. Whereas in the past the newly qualified social worker was able to acquire additional skills in the workplace, under the guidance of experienced social workers, today it would seem that the demands of the work place are such that the social worker needs to take on significant responsibilities on entering the field. At the same time the Department of Social Services in South Africa is encouraging universities to increase the intake of social work students, in an attempt to meet this rising need for personnel trained to meet the current requirements of the clients of social work services. This exploratory research will focus on the applicability of UNISA (University of South Africa) social work training to these current requirements of social work by tapping into three different frames of reference: 1) The experiences and perceptions of the final year social work student in their placement setting, and particularly on whether they have felt their UNISA training equipped them for the work they are required to do. 2) The way the UNISA student is perceived by the practice setting personnel (contact person), and whether they meet the requirements of the field setting. 3) Input from the UNISA appointed supervisors responsible for the final year social work students' professional development in the field.The person-centred approach and the developmental approach have been briefly discussed in relation to social work in South Africa in the literature review and form the backdrop to this research, guiding the researcher in the exploration of the perceptions of the three different types of respondents. Post-modern theory is also at the root of the researcher's attempt to find fit between the different perceptions and the implications for social work training at a distance learning institute in South Africa today. / Social Work / M. A. (Mental Health)