A need to correct the behaviour and deeds of people who have been incarcerated has been in the plans of the South African Government for a number of years now. Shifting from being punishment to rehabilitation centres, the correctional places have the aim to rehabilitate and prepare inmates to be included in and accepted by the society beyond their incarceration period. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. The case study design was employed to provide the researcher with the flexibility to gather data after an in-depth study of the LIS in Leeuwkop and Johannesburg correctional centres. The targeted population was the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officials in charge of the LIS, Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), City of Johannesburg (CoJ) municipality LIS Department and offenders from the Leeuwkop and Johannesburg correctional services. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample for the study. Interviews were held with six Leeuwkop and Johannesburg DCS officials, one official from the City of Johannesburg LIS Department responsible for project management, and two officials from the Department of Arts and Culture. Questionnaires were administered to Leeuwkop and Johannesburg offenders. Triangulation was used to provide different views and opinions during the data analysis. The qualitative data was analysed thematically while the quantitative data was analysed numerically with tables and graphs. Ethical considerations were taken into account by acknowledging authors and providing consent forms to the participants. The study established that there was a provisional policy for correctional services libraries in Gauteng. However, most libraries did not utilise it as they rather used other policies. This is due to the fact that libraries are not autonomous but are under the formal authority of the Department of Education and Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (SRAC). Most inmates knew about the LIS facilities in their centres. However, the study found out that the materials stored in the libraries were out-dated and limited. Additionally, most centres did not have programmes to rehabilitate offenders while they are within the correctional facilities and to reintegrate them back into the society after their release. The study recommends that another study be done pertaining to the mandate and development of policies for the DCS libraries. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Decisions made by social workers during the rendering of services play a crucial role in foster care. This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the factors that influence the decisions made by social workers when rendering foster care services, and to develop a matrix to guide decision-making. A collective case study design, informed by the explorative, descriptive and contextual designs, was used. The intuitive, analytic and mixed theories of decision-making served as the conceptual framework of the study. The populations of the study were social workers rendering foster care services in government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and their supervisors. One case file of each social worker sampled, was consulted as an additional data source. The sampling technique was purposively sampling with a set of criteria to enable data optimisation. Triangulation of data collection methods was utilised, namely, case file analysis and semi-structured interviews with social workers and supervisors. Case studies are context-based and the data collection occurred in the natural settings of the participants. Ethical clearance was obtained for the study and before the commencement of data collection participants were fully briefed about the study and informed consent was obtained. The data collection instruments, a guide of case file analysis and two interview guides, were piloted twice in both government and NGOs. The data collection was audio recorded and an independent transcriber was used to transcribe the data to control for researcher-influence on the manipulation of the data. Trustworthiness was addressed by ensuring credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability of the data collected. Both the top down or deductive data analysis approach, and the bottom up or inductive approach were adopted to analyse the data. Findings on the social workers’ decision-making processes, decisions made, factors influencing decision-making and the nature of decisions were explored and described in the assessment phase (including the intake, prevention and early intervention, as well as the investigation stages), the placement phase and the supervision phase of foster care services. These findings and the participants’ suggestions on what a decision-making matrix should address, were synthesised and the matrix to guide the decision-making of social workers rendering foster care services was developed. / Social Work / D. Phil (Social Work)

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / There is a high rate of gender-based violence in South Africa. The study aimed at examining the effectiveness of Ikhaya Lethemba as a community based organisation in empowering victims of gender-based violence in Gauteng province of the republic. In ensuring that the objectives of this study used predominantly qualitative research approach. The study method has been a case study. Representative of the study were selected purposively and participants were ten staff members including principals of Ikhaya Lethemba along with twenty-four respondents. The sample consisted of thirty-four participants. As this was predominantly qualitative study, data collection was using semi structured in-depth interviews. The narrative data from the interview guide was analysed qualitatively through open-ended questions. Data was also collected by using closed-ended questions for responding to semi-structured questions. Patterns of experiences were noted from the emerged themes. Those emerged themes were then grouped together. The main findings indicated that Ikhaya Lethemba played a significant role in empowering gender-based violence victims in Gauteng province, South Africa. The study discussed the nature of gender based violence experienced by the respondents, the legislative and policy framework in responding to gender based violence within the Republic of South Africa, and to examine the effectiveness of Ikhaya Lethemba as a community based organisation in empowering victims of gender based violence.

In the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, welfare organisations in Vryheid situated in northern KwaZulu-Natal have noted dramatic increases in requests for foster care placements for orphaned children. In many instances, orphans have lived by private arrangement with extended families for several years. However, families are increasingly overwhelmed with the burden of overextending scarce resources, forcing them to seek welfare assistance. Community-based responses to the crisis are regarded as top priority. This study examines literature regarding child care alternatives for orphans, focussing on foster care as the primary option. A study was conducted which explored community perceptions towards the local orphan crisis and foster care in particular. Findings revealed that although the adage 'Blood is thicker than water' still applies, foster care cannot stand alone. Alternate forms of care-giving need to be found to avoid plunging orphan care into further crisis. / Social work / M.A.(Social Science (Mental Health))

Social Work / D.Phil.(Social work)

Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have many devastating impacts, including the growing number of AIDS-orphans left without care. In the study, semi-structured interviews, incomplete sentences and Kinetic family drawings were used to explore the life-experiences and perceptions of AIDS-orphans living in kinship foster care, from a Gestalt perspective. The study revealed that the majority of the AIDS-orphans included were making good contact at the contact boundary and all the respondents were not familiar with the term 'foster care'. The researcher therefore recommended that children are educated about foster care at school, thus possibly increasing the awareness of foster care in South Africa, thus possibly increasing the provision of homes for the vastly growing numbers of AIDS-orphans in our country and perhaps make a difference in society. / Sociology / M. Diac. (Play therapy)

In the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, welfare organisations in Vryheid situated in northern KwaZulu-Natal have noted dramatic increases in requests for foster care placements for orphaned children. In many instances, orphans have lived by private arrangement with extended families for several years. However, families are increasingly overwhelmed with the burden of overextending scarce resources, forcing them to seek welfare assistance. Community-based responses to the crisis are regarded as top priority. This study examines literature regarding child care alternatives for orphans, focussing on foster care as the primary option. A study was conducted which explored community perceptions towards the local orphan crisis and foster care in particular. Findings revealed that although the adage 'Blood is thicker than water' still applies, foster care cannot stand alone. Alternate forms of care-giving need to be found to avoid plunging orphan care into further crisis. / Social work / M.A.(Social Science (Mental Health))

Social Work / D. Phil.(Social work)

Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have many devastating impacts, including the growing number of AIDS-orphans left without care. In the study, semi-structured interviews, incomplete sentences and Kinetic family drawings were used to explore the life-experiences and perceptions of AIDS-orphans living in kinship foster care, from a Gestalt perspective. The study revealed that the majority of the AIDS-orphans included were making good contact at the contact boundary and all the respondents were not familiar with the term 'foster care'. The researcher therefore recommended that children are educated about foster care at school, thus possibly increasing the awareness of foster care in South Africa, thus possibly increasing the provision of homes for the vastly growing numbers of AIDS-orphans in our country and perhaps make a difference in society. / Sociology / M. Diac. (Play therapy)

A group of eight mothers of differently abled children undertook a research journey, reflecting on the sorrow and pain, as well as the hope and humour of our lives. Narrative pastoral practices guided our conversations, and prophetic and political challenges our actions to bring about change in our lived reality. Reflective and summarising letters after each group meeting played a central part In the research. The letters were structured to make visible the "taken-for-granted truths", which informed us about who and what we are. The alternative stories of preferred mothering practices that emerged during and between sessions were centralised in the letters. The group compiled letters of appeal to the faith community, doctors, nursing staff, therapists and teachers in order to make them more sensitive towards differently abled people and their families. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)