Text in English / Child-headed households are a reality in South Africa, and extensive research has advanced its causes and the children’s coping mechanisms. Social workers identify children in need, refer them to SASSA for social grants, facilitate foster care placements and offer psychosocial support services. This study sought to determine the nature of social work services rendered to children in such households in Virginia in the Free State. Qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research was used to reach the goal of the study. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen participants who were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected was analysed using the eight steps of Tesch (in Creswell, 2009) and verified through Guba’s method of trustworthiness (Krefting, 1991). The services rendered to child-headed households (CHHs) through individual, group and community work were inadequate due to lack of resources including a shortage of social workers due to a general dissatisfaction with salaries. Participants suggested the need to build the capacity of the available staff through staff training and improved access to available resources in order to strengthen the nature of services rendered to CHHs. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Family resilience is the ability of a family to rebound from adversities, often stronger than before. To be knowledgeable on the characteristics and processes that render individuals and their families resilient, contribute to family well-being. Using a qualitative research approach and an interview guide, the researcher focused on developing a better understanding of the manifestation of family resilience as part of a family’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances and life in its dynamic form. Family resilience as an interactive process over time, normalizes resilience as part of the day to day living of the family and its members, including the young and the old. The domains of family resilience are, organizational patterns, adaptability, protective processes (including family risks, family strengths and protective/buffering factors), communication processes and family belief systems that, in synergy with one another, render families resilient. The research results confirmed the presence of characteristics and processes of family resilience amongst social work client families in South Africa. Depending on the challenges families my face, all families are either more resilient or less resilient. The latter most often needing additional support, such as social work intervention. South African policies should be family-focused and urge for a strengths-based approach towards enhancing family resilience and ultimately family well-being. Service providers need to give recognition to the fact that all families have challenges that need to be faced, but that families also have strengths to be drawn-upon to address and overcome these challenges. This implies that social work interventions that impact on the lives of families, should be rendered from a family resilience perspective and strengths-based approach, with the family as focal point for service delivery. / Social Science / M.A. (Social Work)