<p><font size="3"> <p>The significant increase of social problems experienced by youth such as, teenage pregnancy, child abuse, child sexual offenses, substance abuse and violence impacted adversely on optimal development including learning, retention and throughput within the school context. These social and psychological barriers to learning are commonly addressed by social workers in the course of their work with individuals, families and communities. Therefore it was a natural progression to consider the appointment of social workers in the Western Cape Education System to address the challenges presented by these problems. The practice of school social work has subsequently become essential within the Department of Education. Service delivery in the Western Cape Education Department is centralized and school social workers fall under the auspices of circuit teams with school psychologists, learning support advisors, curriculum advisors and other education officials. This multidisciplinary team is managed by circuit team managers who do not necessarily have training in the disciplines of the respective professionals in their team. This system is called the matrix management system and implies a dual management approach in which health professionals e.g. school social workers, also report to the Head of Specialized Learner and Educator Support (HSLES). The dual or matrix management of school social workers includes a circuit team manager and an &quot / acting senior school social worker.&quot / This study focused on assessing the realities of school social workers being managed under this system and sought to develop guidelines for the management of school social workers. To this end, the present study was conceptualized as Intervention Research within a modified Design and Development model. This form of applied research is used to design and develop interventions to improve social problems using participatory methods. The modification entailed four phases where each phase consisted of operational steps. The first phase focused on project planning that included problem analysis and information gathering as operational steps. This phase aimed to formulate the core problem or focus of the research through rigorous contextualization within the current body of literature on School Social Work and empirical validation using key informants including school social workers. Subsequently document analysis of literature and policies / as well as thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups were conducted. The results informed the core problem or focus for the research. The resultant finding was that dual management impacted negatively on staff morale, professional development, coordination of services, effective service delivery and more broadly posed ethical dilemmas where practices were not aligned to statutory requirements and policy prescriptions of the South Africa Council of Social Workers. The second phase, Design and development, focused on developing a set of management guidelines that would address the problems reported in the experiences of school social workers, specifically related to the dual or matrix management. During this phase data collection included a survey of SSWs, and interviews to inform the management guidelines along with the findings from Phase one. The third phase, Development and Evaluation, focused on testing the proposed guidelines for feasibility and relevance to the problems encountered in a focus group with SSWs. The core findings suggested that SSWs welcomed the statutory base for their work or scope and the explicit recommendations for line management. The participants also responded favorably to the intention, content and recommendations included in the draft guidelines. Clear recommendations were made that were incorporated into a revision of the management guidelines. The evaluation was participatory and resulted in valuable feedback that refined and modified the management guidelines for school social workers. The fourth phase, Dissemination, focused on presenting the iterative process of the research and how the core findings in each phase culminated in the management guidelines. For the purposes of the thesis, dissemination entails the formalized presentation of the development and evaluation process of the guidelines in the form of a doctoral dissertation. Appropriate summative comments are made with clear recommendations for the possible adoption of the guidelines in practice that would enable advanced evaluation in field testing.</p> </font></p>

The main purpose of this study is to explore and gain insight into the nature, extent and characteristics of educational supervision as implemented in the Department of Health and Welfare in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. Objectives of the study were to conceptualise social work supervision with a specific focus on the educational function; to investigate the nature, extent, and characteristics of the educational function of supervision in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province and finally to make recommendations regarding educational supervision in the Department of Health and Welfare in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. The study was guided by a research question which was formulated as follows: What is the nature, extent and characteristics of the educational function of supervision in the Department of Health and Welfare in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province? Therefore, this study was conducted to provide answers to this research question. Quantitative research approach was used in this study, since the researcher explored and described the nature, extent and characteristics of the educational function of supervision statistically. This research is applied in nature because it focuses on a practical problem (educational supervision) in the social work practice (Department of Health and Welfare in Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province) and the findings will be utilized to solve social work supervision problems in the particular District. A randomised cross-sectional quantitative research design was used, because the researcher investigated social work educational supervision in the Department of Health and Welfare in the Vhembe district of the Limpopo Province using a group administered questionnaire as data collection method. The population for this study was composed of social workers from the Department of Health and Welfare in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. Forty- two social workers (senior and junior social workers) completed a questionnaire during a Vhembe District social workers staff meeting. Those completed questionnaires were collected immediately. Data were analysed statistically through Microsoft excel programme. Tables and Figures were used to illustrate some of the answers. From a literature study it was concluded that the educational function of supervision is the most important function of social work supervision. It plays a vital role in providing social workers with social work knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for delivering qualitative, effective and efficient social work services. Educational supervision gives social workers autonomy to function independently. The study revealed that there are problems regarding the implementation of the educational function of social work supervision in the Department of Health and Welfare in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. The findings proved that some of the social workers do not receive educational supervision and there is no uniformity in implementing this function of supervision. The findings also revealed a obvious knowledge gap regarding social work supervision among social workers in the District. / Dissertation (MSD (Social Work Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / Performance management and performance appraisal plays a crucial role in developing human resources. In the social work profession the social work supervisor is the person responsible to appraise the performance of the social worker because of the excellent position to observe the job performance directly and consistently. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social work supervisors perform their supervisory functions and apply performance appraisal. The researcher used qualitative research for an exploratory and descriptive study. In-depth interviews were use as data collection method. The sample group was social work supervisors in the employment of the Western Cape Department of Social Development. Performance appraisal can be use to encourage professional growth and development of social workers. Performance appraisal is a supervisory duty and thus a component of administrative, educational and supportive supervision. It seems however that supervisors experience problems with performing supervision and to apply performance appraisal. / Thesis (M.A. (Maatskaplike Werk))

Text in Afrikaans / Performance management and performance appraisal plays a crucial role in developing human resources. In the social work profession the social work supervisor is the person responsible to appraise the performance of the social worker because of the excellent position to observe the job performance directly and consistently. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social work supervisors perform their supervisory functions and apply performance appraisal. The researcher used qualitative research for an exploratory and descriptive study. In-depth interviews were use as data collection method. The sample group was social work supervisors in the employment of the Western Cape Department of Social Development. Performance appraisal can be use to encourage professional growth and development of social workers. Performance appraisal is a supervisory duty and thus a component of administrative, educational and supportive supervision. It seems however that supervisors experience problems with performing supervision and to apply performance appraisal. / Thesis (M.A. (Maatskaplike Werk))

In this thesis, I explore the impact and effectiveness of clinical supervision provided by external clinical supervisors, on workers from a variety of practice backgrounds in a residential rehabilitation centre, in the AOD sector. This thesis uses the framework of social work supervision, as defined by Kadushin (1985; 2002), with the administrative, educative and supportive elements. The research focuses closely on the latter two elements. For this purpose, I employ qualitative research methods, via a triangulation of methods, being guided by Participatory Action Research (PAR) and then conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups as well as acting as a participant observer, to gather the data. The data was analysed using grounded theory. This research was based upon a clinical supervision project that was fully funded and provided free clinical supervision by external supervisors, providing both individual and group supervision, for a period of 10 months. There were a total of 16 respondents with varied roles and training backgrounds as well as an additional six supervisors, interviewed throughout different stages of the project. The various roles undertaken by me throughout the research process provided essential viewpoints on supervision, as well as the place of boundaries and need for support. The power of such a large scale intervention is discussed and ultimately highlights and identifies the particular benefits of supervision in this research arena. This thesis places clinical supervision in the context of workforce development in the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) sector. Thus, while this research elucidates a number of benefits and the factors involved with this experience, the clear separation of other modalities such as training, mentoring and Critical Incident debriefing are seen as integral additional avenues of support and professional development. This research concludes also with what the difficulties and hindrances were for people to continue with regular ongoing clinical supervision, and warrants the argument for interminable supervision in this setting. This research points to an overall paucity of literature on efficacy studies, especially in the AOD context in Australia. This research significantly adds to this dearth and examines the factors unique to the AOD sector in Australia, as well as what factors make for effective supervision. The particular impact of external supervisors and group supervision are explored, which underwrites the forwarded concept of a customised supervision for this setting. By making explicit in this research what the efficacy is on those new to supervision, it provides greater clarity for future studies. A number of recommendations are proposed as result of this research. New definitions of the supportive function of supervision and of clinical supervision are forwarded, as is a new look at the evolving history of social work supervision. This thesis highlights the impact of external supervisors and the unique contribution they offer.

The dissertation presents a participatory research process in organisational change with social work supervision. The study was conducted with a group of social work supervisors employed by the Department of Health and Welfare in the Central region of the Northern Province from September 1997 to November 1998. The participatory research process engaged the participants in a consciousness-raising and educational process. They were enabled to identify problems which rendered them ineffective, brought about by the socio-political transformation process in South Africa since 1994, and were strengthened as a collaborative group to work together to bring about change in their situation. Going through the process of dialogue as a group, the participants became empowered and more confident to do participatory supervision, which in tum would empower the supervisees as direct service providers. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

The dissertation presents a participatory research process in organisational change with social work supervision. The study was conducted with a group of social work supervisors employed by the Department of Health and Welfare in the Central region of the Northern Province from September 1997 to November 1998. The participatory research process engaged the participants in a consciousness-raising and educational process. They were enabled to identify problems which rendered them ineffective, brought about by the socio-political transformation process in South Africa since 1994, and were strengthened as a collaborative group to work together to bring about change in their situation. Going through the process of dialogue as a group, the participants became empowered and more confident to do participatory supervision, which in tum would empower the supervisees as direct service providers. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))