Text in Afrikaans / In die verhandeling word daar gepoog om vas te stel of selfdeterminasie wel as 'n beginsel in maatskaplike werk, deur die maatskaplike werkers van die Hoeveldstreek in Mpumalanga, erken en toegepas word. Die ondersoek het ten doel om te bepaal vanuit watter teoretiese raamwerk die maatskaplike werkers hulle dienslewering rig en hoe die beginsel selfdeterminasie binne die werkers se teoretiese raamwerk geakkommodeer en aangespreek word. Die ekosistemiese benadering is deur navorser gebruik as teoretiese raamwerk. Die inhoud word weergegee in terme van 'n literatuurstudie, waarin die beginsel selfdeterminasie, as sodanig aangespreek word, dan die epistemologie van die maatskaplike werker, asook die uitwerking van selfdeterminasie op dienslewering aan kliente. Inligting is verkry deur middel van 'n vraelys wat deur maatskaplike werkers in die praktyk voltooi is. Die gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gee 'n aanduiding van hoe selfdeterminasie erken en toegepas word en hoe die maatskaplike werkers die beginsel akkommodeer met betrekking tot hulle epistemologie. / In this dissertation the attempt is made to establish whether selfdetermination as a principle in social work is acknowledged and applied by the social workers of the Highveld region in Mpumalanga. The aims of the research were to establish the theoretical frame of reference which directs the social workers services and how the principle of self-determination within the social workers frame of reference is accommodated and applied in practice. The researcher has used as her theoretical frame of reference the ecosystemic approach. The contents of the dissertation is presented in terms of a literature study, in which the principle and the effect of self-determination on the services of the social worker to her clients, as well as her theoretical frame of reference is addressed. Information was obtained by means of a questionnaire which was completed by social workers in the field. The conclusions and recommendations give an indication of how selfdetermination is acknowledged and applied and if the social workers accommodated the principle of self-determination with their epitemology. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

No abstract available / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

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))

Many South African families are beset by social, psychological and economic challenges placing children at risk. Family preservation services, capitalising on families’ strengths to resolve their problems, are crucial to avoid the removal of children from their homes. Using a qualitative approach, this study reveals the experiences and perceptions of twelve social workers providing family preservation services in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan of Gauteng Province. These social workers articulate their understanding of and experiences with the Children’s Act (Act No. 38) of 2005. They are generally optimistic that family preservation services can offer a helping process with the potential to improve family functioning. Nevertheless, there are stumbling blocks to effective service delivery, such as the kinds of social problems experienced by families, lack of funding, high caseloads, lack of resources and little co-operation from other disciplines and agencies. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for practice, policy and further research. / Social Work / MA (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie is gepoog om insig in die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers te verkry. Om dit te kon bereik, is eerstens 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie onderneem en is die aard van beroepsmobiliteit, faktore wat 'n invloed op die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers kan he en die gevolge daarvan op maatskaplikewerkdienslewering, die maatskaplike werker en die maatskaplikewerkorganisasie verken en beskryf. Tweedens is 'n empiriese studie onderneem en is inligting oor die navorsingsonderwerp deur middel van posvraelyste as data-insamelingsinstrument by maatskaplike werkers en maatskaplikewerkorganisasies verkry. Die empiriese studie het aangedui dat maatskaplike werkers meestal aan onrealisties hoe roleise in die werksituasie en hul persoonlike lewens blootgestel is en dat die omgewings waarin hul figureer, soos die werksomgewing en persoonlike omgewings, dikwels as onvriendelik beleef word en dat dit 'n stabiele arbeidsmag verhinder. Faktore wat met die werksomstandighede van maatskaplike werkers verband hou, dra by tot die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers, sowel as faktore wat met persoonlike omstandighede verband hou, terwyl oorplasings en bevorderings ook 'n rol in die werksomset van maatskaplike werkers speel. Interaksie en wedersydse beinvloeding tussen die verskillende faktore vind voortdurend plaas. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die maatskaplike werker, deur beroepsmobiel te wees, poog om 'n passing tussen roldruk en omgewingsdruk te bewerkstellig. Met betrekking tot die gevolge van die werksomset van maatskaplike werkers, is bevind dat maatskaplikewerkdienslewering, die maatskaplike werker en die maatskaplikewerkorganisasie positief en negatief beinvloed word wanneer maatskaplike werkers van werk verwissel of ophou om beroepsarbeid te verrig. Tendense kon deur die ondersoek vasgestel word en dit kan hydra tot die ontwikkeling van 'n teorie oor die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers. Aanbevelings is gemaak ten einde die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers te verminder en/of te voorkom / This study attempts to gain insight into the occupational mobility of social workers. In order to achieve this, an· extensive literature study was undertaken and the nature of occupational mobility, factors that could affect the occupational mobility of social workers and the consequences thereof on the delivery of social work, the social worker and the social work organisation were explored and described. Secondly, an empirical study was undertaken and information on the research topic was obtained from social workers and social work organisations through postal questionnaires as data gathering instruments. The empirical study indicated that social workers are mostly exposed to unrealistically high role demands in the work situation and in their personal lives and that the environments in which they figure, such as the work and personal environments, are often experienced as unfriendly and that these hinder a stable labour force. Factors related to the working conditions as well as to the personal situations of social workers contribute to the occupational mobility of social workers while transfers and promotions also play a part in the work turnover of social workers. Interaction and mutual influencing between the various factors take place constantly. It is concluded that occupational mobility is the result of the social workers' efforts to bring about a harmony between role and environmental pressures. With regard to the work turnover of social workers, it was found that the delivery of social work service, the social worker and the social work organisation are affected positively and negatively when social workers change jobs or cease to perform professional work. The study was able to pinpoint trends and this can contribute to the development of a theory on the occupational mobility of social workers. Recommendations were made to reduce and/or prevent the occupational mobility of social workers / Social Work / D. Phil. (Maatskaplike Werk)

Social work / M.A. (Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Prestasiebeoordeling is van kritiese belang vir die effektiewe bestuur van 'n welsynsorganisasie. Prestasiebeoordeling van maatskaplike werkers word dikwels afgeskeep, foutiewelik uitgevoer en met groot negatiwiteit bejeen. Hierdie verkennend-beskrywende studie het ten doel om wetenskaplik gefundeerde riglyne daar te stel vir die implementering van prestasiebeoordeling ten opsigte van maatskaplike werkers. Die doel is nie om volledige riglyne vir elke aspek van prestasiebeoordeling daar te stel nie, maar om probleme en leemtes vir toekomstige navorsing te identifiseer. Agt en dertig maatskaplike werkers en vier maatskaplikewerkbestuurders se belewenisse van prestasiebeoordeling is deur middel van vraelyste getoets en beskryf. Dit het geblyk dat prestasiebeoordeling van maatskaplike werkers ontwikkelingsgerig is en dat die maatskaplike werkers en maatskaplikewerkbestuurders baat vind by prestasiebeoordeling. Die maatskaplike werkers is van mening dat prestasiebeoordeling aangewend behoort te word vir die identifisering van leemtes en ontwikkelingsareas in die professionele toerusting van maatskaplike werkers. Aanbevelings ten opsigte van aspekte wat vir verdere navorsing oorweeg kan word, is gemaak. / Performance appraisal is critical to the effective management of a welfare organisation. Performance appraisal of social workers are often neglected, implemented incorrectly or regarded within a negative light. This exploratory/ descriptive study aims to set scientifically grounded guidelines for the implementation of performance appraisal with regard to social workers. The aim is not to provide comprehensive guidelines regarding every aspect of perforance appraisal, but to identify gaps and problems which may be studied in future research. Through questionnaires the perceptions of performance appraisal by 38 social workers and four social work managers were tested and described. It seemed that performance appraisal of social workers is geared towards development, and that social workers and social work managers do benefit from performance appraisal. Social workers were of the opinion that performance appraisal should be employed to identify gaps and development areas in equipping social workers professionally. Recommendations are made regarding aspects for further research / Social Work / M. Diac. (Maatskaplike Werk-rigting)

Organisasieverwante stres onder maatskaplike werkers is ‘n internasionale verskynsel (Shweta & Siebert, 2007). Maatskaplike dienslewering gaan gewoonlik gepaard met organisasieverwante eise wat ‘n negatiewe uitwerking op die maatskaplike werker sowel as die kwaliteit van dienslewering kan hê indien dit nie vroegtydig geïdentifiseer en voorkom word nie (Werner, 2007:320). Ten spyte van die feit dat maatskaplike werk as een van die mees stresvolle beroepe beskryf word, het organisasieverwante stres binne die maatskaplike diensveld eers in die laaste paar jaar aandag begin geniet (Dillenburger, 2004:213). In die literatuur word daar na drie vlakke van intervensie verwys, naamlik primêre, sekondêre en tersiêre intervensie (Departement van Arbeid, 2003:14; Cooper, Dewe & O’Driscoll, 2001:189). Sekondêre en tersiêre intervensies word as die mees algemene strategieë vir die bestuur van stres in ‘n organisasie geïdentifiseer (Cooper et al., 2001:190; Grobler, Wärnich, Carrell, Elbert & Hatfield, 2002:441). Kritiek op die genoemde vlakke van intervensie sluit in dat die verantwoordelikheid op die maatskaplike werker alleen geplaas word om sy/haar stres te hanteer. Primêre intervensie behels dat die oorsprong van die probleem voorkom word, in plaas daarvan dat die simptome behandel word nadat dit reeds voorgekom het (Satcher, 1999). Hierdie navorsingstudie plaas die fokus op die primêre-intervensiestrategie, nadat daar ‘n leemte in die literatuur in hierdie verband geïdentifseer was. Die doel van die navorsing was om die aard van voorkoming van organisasieverwante stres onder maatskaplike werkers, deur middel van primêre-intervensiestrategieë deur maatskaplikewerkbestuurders, te verken en te beskryf ten einde ‘n voorkomingsriglyn te ontwikkel. Ten einde die navorsingsdoel te kon bereik is die kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering in hierdie studie gebruik, aangesien dit die mees geskikte wyse sou wees om die verkennende en beskrywende aard van die studie te ondersteun (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007:12). Die populasies vir hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was: • Alle maatskaplikewerkbestuurders wat by regerings- of nie-regeringsorganisasies werksaam is. • Alle maatskaplike werkers wat by regerings- of nie-regeringsorganisasies werksaam is. Binne die raamwerk van die kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is daar van ‘n nie-waarskynlikheidsteekproefmetode en die doelgerigte en sneeubal steekproeftegnieke gebruik gemaak. Die navorser wou gebruik maak van haar eie oordeel oor wie die navorsingsvraag die beste sou kon beantwoord. Die steekproefgrootte was bepaal deur data-versadiging wat waargeneem was na nege onderhoude met maatskaplike werkers en nege onderhoude met maatskaplikewerkbestuurders. Die navorser het by beide populasies semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude as die metode van data-insameling benut. Tesch soos aangehaal in Creswell (2009:186), se agt stappe vir kwalitatiewe data-analise het die navorser ondersteun om die data op ‘n sistematiese wyse tot temas en sub-temas te kodeer. Die data is na afloop van die identifisering van die temas en sub-temas beskryf en gekontroleer met bestaande literatuur. Guba het (in Krefting, 1991:214-222) ‘n model saamgestel om met die verifikasie van kwalitatiewe data te help. Hierdie model is op die volgende vier aspekte gegrond en in hierdie studie benut: geldigheid van die waarheid, toepasbaarheid, bestendigheid en neutraliteit. Die volgende etiese aspekte is tydens die beplanning en uitvoering van hierdie studie in ag geneem: Vermyding van skade; vrywillige deelname; ingeligte toestemming en anonimiteit en konfidensialiteit. Die benutting van bovermelde metodologie het die navorser in staat gestel om voorkomingsriglyne te ontwerp en om gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings te maak. / The goal of this research was to explore and describe the nature of prevention of organisation-related stress among social workers through primary intervention strategies by social work managers to develop a prevention guideline. The qualitative research approach, together with the case study, contextual, explorative and descriptive research designs were used in the study. The two populations included a) all social work managers and b) all social workers that work for government or non-government organisations. Samples from the populations were obtained through the non-probability sampling method and the purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Tesch’s framework for qualitative research analysis supported the researcher to identify themes and sub-themes, while Guba’s model was used to assist with the verification of qualitative data. The empirical findings provided the foundation for the development of a prevention guideline. / Prevention of organisation-related stress amongst social workers by social work managers / Prevention of organisation related stress amongst social workers by social work managers / Text in Afrikaans, with abstract and title in Afrikaans and English / Department of Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)

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)

No abstract available / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)