D.Cur. / The occupation of the SOS mother, which involves long-term care for orphaned and abandoned children under the SOS Children's Villages organisation, is unique and peculiar in many respects. She is expected to play a dual role of being a foster parent and a childcare professional, at the same time. The latter presents challenges of its own because the professional status is only recognised internally by the organisation. In one way or another, most of the children for which the SOS mother is responsible, have been exposed to some form of trauma. The problems of caring and parenting such children are well documented in the literature. These include learning and behaviour problems. For this reason, the mental health of the SOS mother, who is the focus of this study, should be of special interest to mental health practitioner. The motivation for this study arises out of a change that the organisation is trying to enforce in the work of the SOS mother. This change comes with the release of the new quality standards to guide village work. One of these standards, the SOS mother's autonomy, requires the SOS mother, like any mother in the community to take full responsibility for her SOS family, including the development of the children under her care. When she needs help, she seeks expert advice from village co-workers and from the community. In addition, the career of the SOS mother has to be developed so that she functions like a childcare professional and that her training is recognised by the government and other training institutions. This represents a big change from how most SOS villages have been operating. Up to this point, village co-workers made important decisions about the SOS family and the children while the SOS mother did the caring part. The change is expected to affect the interactions between SOS mothers and their co-workers and consequently, their mental health. For this reason, it was felt that there was a need to facilitate the implementation of the SOS mother's autonomy standard, which would also promote the mental health of the SOS mothers. The purpose of this research was, therefore, to develop and describe a model that would serve as a framework for the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner to promote the mental health of SOS mothers by facilitating the implementation of the SOS mother's autonomy within SOS Children's Villages of Southern Africa Region 11. The research also focused on developing guidelines for the implementation of the model in practice.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This research study focused on wilderness-based interventions utilised within two, pilot (four-month) diversion rehabilitation programmes in 2006. Participants were at-risk youth, aged fourteen to seventeen years who had been referred by the local magistrate’s court for minor criminal offences. The diversion programme is run under the auspices of the Usiko Stellenbosch Youth Development Project, an NGO specialising in the psycho-social development of male and female youth at-risk from disadvantaged communities. Central to Usiko’s diversion programme is an emphasis on utilising wilderness as an integral part of the rehabilitation process. The diversion programme includes two different types of four-day wilderness-based interventions. The first wilderness intervention is a camp-based, programme in the Franschhoek mountains, while the second is a hiking expedition-based in the Cederberg mountains. The study assesses the significance of how wilderness was construed, implemented and experienced by the team of five facilitators, who conducted the diversion programme. A description is given of the meta-theoretical model underpinning the diversion programme. Using a qualitative methodology as a participant-observer to the diversion programme, the researcher analysed the facilitators’ evaluations of the wilderness interventions as part of a restorative justice approach. Recommendations were proposed to enhance the programmatic implementation of wilderness interventions as a platform for rehabilitation and psycho-social development.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis focused on the provision of economic support to improve the outcomes of patients on TB treatment. Although the association between poverty and tuberculosis is generally acknowledged, there is little evidence to guide the use of economic interventions to improve tuberculosis control. In South Africa, a high burden country with extensive poverty, such evidence is particularly important. The first part of this thesis is a Cochrane systematic review of evidence from randomized controlled trials regarding the effectiveness of economic support among patients with tuberculosis. Eleven trials were included: ten conducted among marginalised groups in the United States on economic support for people on prophylactic treatment for latent TB; and one from Timor-Leste on economic support for patients with active TB. The review found that the use of economic interventions in patients with latent TB may increase the return rate for reading tuberculin skin test results, probably improves clinic re-attendance for initiation or continuation of prophylaxis and may improve completion of prophylaxis, compared to normal care. However, it is uncertain if economic support improves treatment completion in patients with active TB (low quality evidence). The second part of the thesis reports the findings of a pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering economic support to patients on treatment for active TB in South Africa. Patients with drug sensitive pulmonary TB were offered a monthly voucher valued at ZAR120 until completion of treatment or a maximum of eight months. Patients in control clinics received usual TB care. A parallel process evaluation provided contextual information to explain the trial findings. The qualitative component of this evaluation consisted of in-depth interviews with a sample of trial participants, including patients, nurses and health managers, to assess responses to the voucher and its administration. The quantitative component included a survey of patients’ household expenditure to assess patients’ levels of poverty and the effects of the voucher on these, and an analysis of the goods on which patients spent their vouchers. 4091 patients were included in the trial: 1984 in the control arm (10 clinics) and 2107 in the intervention arm (10 clinics). Intention to treat analysis showed a small but non-significant improvement in treatment success rates in intervention clinics (intervention 76.2%; control 70.7%; risk difference 5.6% (-1.2; 12.3%), p = 0.107). Fidelity to the intervention was low, partly because nurses preferred to issue vouchers based on perceived financial need, rather than on eligibility. Logistical difficulties in delivering vouchers to clinics also undermined fidelity. The vouchers did not significantly increase patients’ household expenditure, but were experienced by patients as helpful, especially in providing more food with which to take their tablets. Factors related to the administration of economic support may undermine its effectiveness in improving TB treatment outcomes. Further research is needed to explore how best to deliver such economic support to those eligible to receive it, particularly in low and middle income countries where the burden of tuberculosis is highest. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis was toegespits op die verlening van ekonomiese steun om die uitkomste van pasiënte op tuberkulose- (TB-) behandeling te verbeter. Hoewel die verband tussen armoede en TB in die algemeen erken word, is daar nie veel bewyse om die gebruik van ekonomiese intervensies ter verbetering van TB-beheer te staaf nie. In Suid-Afrika – ’n land met ’n hoë TB-las en wydverspreide armoede – is sulke bewyse veral belangrik. Die eerste deel van hierdie tesis behels ’n sistematiese Cochrane-oorweging van bewysmateriaal afkomstig van verewekansigde, gekontroleerde proewe oor die doeltreffendheid van ekonomiese steun aan pasiënte met tuberkulose. Altesame 11 proewe is ingesluit: Tien is gedoen onder gemarginaliseerde groepe in die Verenigde State met die fokus op ekonomiese ondersteuning aan mense wat profilaktiese behandeling vir latente TB ontvang het. Een, van Timor-Leste, was gefokus op ekonomiese ondersteuning aan pasiënte met aktiewe tuberkulose. Die ondersoek het aan die lig gebring dat, vergeleke met normale sorg, die gebruik van ekonomiese intervensies by pasiënte met latente tuberkulose tog die omdraaikoers vir die lees van tuberkulien-veltoetsresultate kan verhoog, waarskynlik hertoelating tot klinieke vir die inisiëring of voortsetting van profilakse verbeter, en die voltooiing van profilakse kan verbeter. Die tweede gedeelte van die tesis behels ’n verslag oor die bevindings van ’n pragmatiese, trosverewekansigde gekontroleerde proef, om te bepaal hoe doenlik en doeltreffend dit sou wees om ekonomiese steun te verleen aan pasiënte wat in Suid-Afrika vir aktiewe tuberkulose behandel word. Pasiënte met middelsensitiewe pulmonêre tuberkulose het tot en met die voltooiing van hul behandeling, of tot ’n maksimum van agt maande, ’n maandelikse koopbewys ter waarde van ZAR120 ontvang. Pasiënte in kontroleklinieke het die gewone TB-sorg ontvang. ’n Parallelle prosesevaluering het kontekstuele inligting voorsien ter verklaring van die bevindinge van die proef. Die kwalitatiewe komponent van hierdie evaluering het bestaan uit diepte-onderhoude met ’n steekproef van alle deelnemers aan die proefneming, insluitend pasiënte, verpleegpersoneel en gesondheidsbestuurders, om hul reaksies te bepaal op die koopbewys self sowel as op die administrasie daarvan. Die kwantitatiewe komponent het ’n opname oor pasiënte se huishoudelike besteding ingesluit, ter vasstelling van hul armoedevlak en die moontlike uitwerking van die koopbewys daarop, asook ’n ontleding van die goedere waarop pasiënte hul koopbewyse bestee het. Altesame 4 091 pasiënte is by die proef ingesluit – 1 984 in die kontrole-afdeling (10 klinieke) en 2 107 in die intervensie-afdeling (10 klinieke). ’n Voorneme-om-te-behandel- (ITT-) ontleding toon ’n klein dog nie-betekenisvolle verbetering in behandelingsuksessyfers in intervensieklinieke (intervensie 76,2%; kontrole 70,7%; risikoverskil 5,6% (-1,2; 12,3%), p = 0.107). Getrouheid aan die intervensie was laag – deels omdat verpleegkundiges verkies het om die koopbewyse op grond van veronderstelde finansiële behoeftigheid eerder as volgens die studiekriteria uit te deel. Die koopbewyse het nie pasiënte se huishoudelike besteding beduidend verhoog nie, maar pasiënte het dit wél as nuttig ervaar, veral omdat hulle daarmee meer kos kon koop om saam met hul pille in te neem. Faktore wat verband hou met die administrasie van ekonomiese ondersteuning kan die doeltreffendheid van sodanige steun in die verbetering van TB-behandelingsuitkomste ondermyn. Verdere navorsing word vereis om te verken wat die beste manier sou wees om sodanige ekonomiese steun te bied aan diegene wat daarvoor in aanmerking kom, veral in lae- en middel-inkomstelande, waar die TB-las die hoogste is.

Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Until recently, learners with intellectual disability were legislatively marginalised from participation in mainstream education in South Africa. Since the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, legislation has been passed and education policy developed which supports the inclusion of learners with intellectual disability in mainstream secondary schools. This research was prompted by a problem situation which occurred in the Western Cape of South Africa when it became apparent that many learners described as having mild intellectual disability could not be accommodated within the School of Skills (previously a Special Secondary School) to which they had applied. The purpose of the research has been to evaluate the implementation of a programme of support developed collaboratively between various stakeholders to allow for the inclusion of these learners within six urban mainstream secondary schools. Through its guiding transformative theoretical framework and its evolving design, the evaluation of the programme has attempted to be as inclusive as possible. It has used qualitative research methods in order to seek out the views and encourage the participation of diverse stakeholders; from the learners whose social and academic wellbeing and advancement have been the central focus of this study, to individuals representing various systems surrounding these learners. In order to do justice to the complexity of the programme implementation and evaluation process and to identify and accurately represent common themes and categories which emerged over time, data transformation has been emphasised in three different ways; namely a description, an analysis and an interpretation. The observations and themes which have emerged from this evaluation have highlighted various factors which were seen to advance or impede the inclusion of learners with mild intellectual disability in the six secondary schools; the extent to which the learners' social and academic wellbeing had been advanced by the programme; and the degree to which problem solving was evident in the participating secondary schools and the local education authority. Prolonged and sustained engagement in a process of programme development, implementation and evaluation suggests that positive educational and social transformation is enabled when stakeholders are given the time and space to reflect upon their intentions and practice.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are an estimated 10 000 children in and around the streets of South Africa, with the speculation that this could be higher, given the difficulties surrounding the counting of the street children. Not all street children live on the streets permanently: many spend their days there mainly for economic reasons earning an income, then spend their nights at their homes or those of friends and relatives. Others go to the street as an alternative to going to school or, in an effort to avoid parents or caregivers who show little interest in their lives, or who force them onto the street to earn money. It is particularly children that have not become permanent residents of the street and that are part of community-based home schools, that are the focus of this study. A· qualitative approach is used to establish the experiences of these children in a residential area in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. The study revealed the following: • Community-based home schools provide children with basic needs like food, clothing and importantly, a trusting relationship with an adult. • Children's lives are restored in a non-threatening environment, assisting them to regain their dignity, establish healthier selfconcepts as well as higher self-esteem. Once these basic needs are fulfilled, it became evident that children are able to return to the experience of mainstream school and in so doing face the world with renewed fervour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na beraming is daar omtrent 10 000 straatkinders in Suid Afrika. Daar word gespekuleer dat die getal hoër kan wees as gevolg van die probleme met die tel van straatkinders. Nie alle straatkinders leef permanent op die strate nie. Baie spandeer hul dae op straat slegs vir ekonomiese gewin waar hulle 'n inkomste verdien, en slaap snags by hul huise óf by vriende óf familie. Ander leef op die straat as 'n alternatief om skool toe te gaan. Hulle doen dit ook om hulouers of voogde te vermy wat min aandag aan hulle skenk of wie die kinders forseer om geld op die straat te verdien. Dit is veral kinders wat nie permanent op die straat lewe nie, en deel is van huisskole, wat die fokus is van hierdie studie. 'n Kwalitatiewe benadering is gebruik om die ervarings van hierdie kinders in 'n gemeenskap in die noordelike voorstede te bewerkstellig. Die studie het die volgende getoon: • Gemeenskapsgebaseerde huisskole voorsien kinders met die basiese benodighede soos kos, klere en baie belangrik, die vertroue van 'n verhouding met' n volwassene. • Die kinders se lewens word herstel in 'n omgewing wat nie bedreigend is nie en wat hulle help om hul waardigheid te herwin en om 'n gesonde selfkonsep en hoër selfbeeld te vestig. • Wanneer hierdie basiese benodighede vervul is, het dit duidelik geword dat hierdie kinders kon terugkeer na die hoofstroom-skool ervaring en op hierdie manier kon hulle die wêreld met hernuwe ywer aanpak.

<p>Despite the unpleasant living conditions in prison, recidivism seems to be an uncontrollable phenomenon. It is evident that prison life is harsh with inmates having to sleep on the floors due to overpopulation, frequently subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and overpopulation leading to numerous communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Prison should therefore, be the least favourable ecosystem in which to be incorporated. However, research indicates that thousands of youth return to prison habitually. This study aimed to explore juvenile inmates perceptions of their return to prison. Although recidivism is often measured in terms of the success of rehabilitation programmes, this study focused on eliciting socio-economic factors influencing recidivism.</p>

The goal of this research was to explore and describe child and youth care workers lived experiences of life space therapeutic care in a residential setting. Life space refers to the daily living environment, context and situation of children.

Thesis (MScMedSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This was an investigation into the needs of people with physical disabilities in the district of Butterworth, and their accessibility to available resources, conducted with the aim of improving service delivery in the area. As a physiotherapist the researcher has always been in close contact with people with physical disabilities, and could see the problems they had. The researcher then embarked on conducting this study with the aim of helping them. The study was conducted in three areas, a rural area called Zangwa Administrative Area, Bika, a township, and Skiti, an informal settlement. The research methodology used was qualitative research. Participants in this research included people with physical disabilities, caregivers of people with physical disabilities, and service providers dealing with people with physical disabilities in the district of Butterworth. Methods of data collection used were focus group interviews for people with physical disabilities and caregivers, and questionnaires for service providers. The reason why service providers were given questionnaires, and not interviewed in focus groups, was that they were from different government departments and it was not possible for them to be part of a focus group due to the commitments they had. Questions in the questionnaires and in the interview schedules used in the focus group interviews were similar to each other, and were open ended. A total of 24 people with physical disabilities were recruited to take part in the focus group interviews in identified locations. Nine caregivers of people with physical disabilities, drawn from two of the above locations participated in this study. Focus group interviews were tape recorded, with the informed consents of the participants. The response rate to the questionnaires was 81%: 13 of the 16 service providers returned completed forms. Data analysis was done through a process of listening to the tapes, together with other students, to ensure the trustworthiness of the data, taking detailed notes, translating the interviews from Xhosa to English, coding the data and putting them into categories, with similar categories building up into themes. In the case of the questionnaires, similar responses were grouped together, and those showing the same responses from participants were prioritised. The results of the research indicated that the primary needs of people with physical disabilities were housing, employment, skills‟ development - emphasising training in those skills which could bring them an income - assistance with income generating projects, suitable public transport, accessibility of buildings and facilities, driving schools catering for people with physical disabilities, and Primary Health Care. They needed Primary Health Care to not only address their basic health needs, but to include preventative care, the promotion of effective care, curative and rehabilitative care. At a personal level they required disability grants, caregivers, intimate relationships and marriage. While caregivers placed greater emphasis on assistive devices and Day Care Centres to give them some respite time, service providers emphasised on education for children with disabilities, which neither people with physical disabilities nor caregivers had mentioned. The service providers also said nothing about the need for caregivers and housing. These disparities in the needs mentioned by these three groups of participants showed that needs that may seem important to professionals and other service providers, may not be important to people with disabilities, therefore it is important to consult with the consumers first, before planning for service delivery. It was clear that services were not easily accessible, due to transport and financial problems, as travelling for people with physical disabilities meant additional expenses in terms of hiring special vehicles. Another barrier to accessing resources was lack of knowledge about the availability of those resources, and how they could be accessed. On the basis of this study, recommendations have been made to relevant service providers for the planning and improvement of service delivery. These include more accessible buildings, good roads, and the appointment of suitable individuals to fill vacant posts in different government departments so as to be able to reach all people with physical disabilities in the district of Butterworth. Finally, the researcher emphasizes the need for outreach programmes to raise awareness about available services. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek ten opsigte van die behoeftes van mense met fisiese gestremdhede in die Butterworth distrik en hul toegang tot die beskikbare hulpbronne is gedoen met die oog daarop om dienslewering in die omgewing te verbeter. Die navorser het die studie in drie areas naamlik: Zangwa Administratiewe Area,`n landelike gebied, Bika, „n dorp en Skiti, „n informele nedersetting gedoen. Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes is gebruik. Studie deelnemers het bestaan uit mense met fisiese gestremdhede, versorgers van mense met fisiese gestremdhede en diensverskaffers aan mense met fisiese gestremdhede in die Butterworth distrik. Fokus groep besprekings met mense met fisiese gestremdhede en hulle versorgers is gebruik om data in te samel. Voorts is data verkry vanaf vraelyste wat deur diensverskaffers voltooi is. Vier en twintig persone met fisiese gestremdhede, uit bogenoemde drie areas, is geselekteer om aan die fokusgroep besprekings deel te neem. Nege versorgers van persone met fisiese gestremdhede, uit twee van bogedoemde areas, het ook aan die studie deelgeneem. Fokusgroep besprekings is op band opgeneem, met die toestemming van die deelnemers. Dertien van die sestien diensverskaffers (81%) het voltooide vraelyste ingehandig. Volgens die resultate het persone met fisiese gestremdhede `n behoefte aan behuising, werk, vaardigheidsontwikkeling, projekte wat inkomste genereer, geskikte openbare vervoer, toegang tot geboue en fasiliteite, bestuurskole wat voorsiening maak vir mense met fisiese gestremdhede en primêre gesondheidsorg. Die volgende persoonlike behoeftes is geidentifiseer: ongeskiktheidstoelae, versorgers, intieme verhoudings en huwelike. Die versorgers het meer klem geplaas op hulpmiddels en dagsorgsentrums. Die behoefte aan dagsorgsentrums kan aanduidend wees daarvan dat versorgings verligting van die sorg las nodig het.. Diensverskaffers het op hulle beurt klem gelê op `n behoefgte aan onderwys vir kinders met gestremdhede. Dit is nie deur of persone met fisiese gestremdhede of versorgers genoem nie. Die diensverskaffers het niks oor versorgers gesê nie. Die verskille tussen die behoeftes wat deur die drie groepe deelnemers uitgelig is dui daarop dat behoeftes wat as belangrik voorkom vir proffesionele persone en ander diensverskaffers nie noodwendig belangrik is vir mense met gestremdhede nie. Dit is dus belangrik om eers die klient te raadpleeg voordat dienslewering beplan word. Vervoer en finansiele probleme het daartoe gelei dat dienste ontoeganklik was. Vervoer vir mense met fisiese gestremdhede bring addisionele onkostes mee omdat `n spesiale voertuig gehuur moet word. „n Verdere struikelblok met betrekking tot toegang tot hulpbronne was `n gebrek aan kennis oor die beskikbaarheid van hulpbronne in die studie area. Aanbevelings na aanleiding van die studie sluit in: groter toeganklikheid tot geboue, goeie paaie en die aanstelling van geskikte individue om vakante poste in die verskillende staatsdepartemente te vul om sodoende die mense met fisiese gestremdhede in die Butterworth distrik te bedien. Ten slotte, wil die navorser klem lê op die behoefte aan uitreikprogramme om mense bewus te maak van beskikbare dienste.

M.Ed. / Orphans living in child-headed households within underprivileged communities are amongst the most vulnerable children, and protection of their rights deserves to be the main focus of all individuals, governments and agencies dealing with such children. There is a need to stimulate broad-based discussion, heightened awareness of, and sensitivity to their plight, special needs and ... rights.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Management, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the Degree of Masters of Management (in Public and Management Development) February 2017 / Accessibility in the built environment has always created barriers for persons with disabilities. Accessibility in public buildings is a key factor for persons with disabilities in achieving livelihoods and independence. However, inaccessible public buildings limits the rights of persons with disabilities to equal participation and prevents them from being equal citizens. Persons with disabilities are often faced with barriers that limit them from actively participating in social and economic life. Many of these barriers are related to accessibility in the built environment. This research report looked into the Department of Public Works’ Accessibility Programme. The accessibility programme intends to make all state-owned buildings accessible for persons with disabilities. The participants of the study were mostly implementers of the accessibility programme and participants from organisations of persons with disabilities. Most of the participants acknowledged the work the Department of Public Works has done. However, they also noted shortcomings in implementing the accessibility programme. The lack of knowledge on disability issues and understanding on how to address accessibility in the built environment was a contributing factor to the ineffective and efficient accessibility programme. The recommendations of the study include inclusive disability programmes in the built environment in the planning, policy development, designing and completion stages. Education and advocacy are highly recommended at all stages of the implementation of the accessibility programme. / MT2017