This study focuses on social workers‟ perceptions regarding life story work with children in child and youth care centres in South Africa. Life story work is an established form of intervention utilized by social workers with children in care mostly in the United Kingdom. Limited research has been conducted on the subject in South Africa. The research hoped to discover how social workers perceive life story work as a therapeutic intervention technique to be utilized with children in child and youth care centres. Qualitative descriptive design was conducted inductively, through semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion. A total of six registered social workers at registered child and youth care centres in the Northern and Southern suburbs of Cape Town in the Western Province of South Africa were purposefully selected to participate in this study. All of the interviews and the focus group were audiorecorded. Recordings were transcribed by the researcher to ascertain certain emerging themes and categories. Thematic data analysis was utilized to transform the transcribed data into meaningful information. The principles and strategies for enhancing the trustworthiness of the data were done through crystallisation. The findings of the study revealed that social workers initially perceive life story work as time-consuming and are unaware of what the concept truly entails, but once examples were shown to the social workers, they recognised that they were using some of the activities already and perceived life story work as valuable, effective and essential in child and youth care centres. Life story work was perceived as useful for identity formation, a sense of belonging, relationship-building and family reunification services, for example. It was discovered that the social workers were utilising aspects of life story work, but that there is a shortage of social workers to act as facilitators to possibly complete life story work processes with each child in child and youth care centres. The recommendation was, therefore, made that childcare workers be trained in life story work in order for it to be implemented in child and youth care centres effectively. Further research studies were, therefore, recommended to ascertain how life story work could be practically implemented as a holistic programme with the children in child and youth care centres. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Statutory social work is a mode of intervention within social work which poses many emotional and physical challenges to social workers. Social workers execute the implementing of the Children's Act (Act 38 of 2005) through the statutory removal process and they are the primary facilitators of this process. The goal of the statutory removal process is to protect children from abuse, neglect and exploitation by their biological parents or carers. Although research has been done previously about the experiences of social workers with regards to the statutory removal process, the research was limited to studies in America and England. The goal of this study was to explore the experiences of social workers concerning the statutory removal process in South Africa in order to determine what the influences of these experiences were on the implementation of the statutory removal process. The research study is a qualitative study and a phenomenological strategy was followed to determine the social workers' experiences of the statutory removal process. The researcher made use of non-probability sampling through purposeful sampling to select participants for the study. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 26 social workers who are directly involved with the statutory removal of children. Interviewing took place until a saturation point was reached in the study. All interviews were transcribed for the purpose of data analyses, after which themes and sub-themes were identified. The themes and sub-themes were verified against existing literature, after which conclusions and recommendations were made. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Surgical face masks have been designed to protect health care professionals from the splashes of the patients’ blood or body fluids and also to minimise the transmission of oro- and nasopharyngeal bacteria from the surgical team to the patient’s wounds, thereby decreasing the likelihood of postoperative surgical site infections during a surgical procedure. However, there are several ways in which surgical face masks could potentially contribute to contamination of the wound during a surgical procedure in the operating room. The objectives of this study were to explore and describe the effectiveness of surgical face masks as a protective barrier during a surgical procedure in the operating room in the public hospitals in the North West Province, South Africa and to formulate recommendations regarding surgical face masks worn by health care professionals during a surgical procedure in the operating rooms. A systematic review was conducted, followed by a quantitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual approach. The motivation for a systematic review was to search evidence on surgical face mask efficiency. A search strategy was conducted in February and March 2012 and the total initial search was 9,933 research articles. Screening of articles on effectiveness of surgical face masks during a surgical procedure was done. After six months the search was updated and the final sample of six relevant articles (n=6) was obtained. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were critically appraised based on the scores using standardised critical appraisal tools. The findings of this research project were synthesised and evaluated in order to come to conclusions. Conclusions were integrated and synthesised as the basis of developing a clear overview of the best quality empirical evidence about effectiveness of surgical face masks during a surgical procedure in the operating room. Recommendations were formulated for the nursing practice, education and research focussing on wearing a surgical face mask during a surgical procedure in the operating room. Reviewer’s conclusion: From the limited results it is unclear whether wearing surgical face masks during a surgical procedure in the operating room serve as a protective device for both surgical team and the patient. There is a need for further research. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The roles of females have changed significantly over the past years as females increasingly are entering the labour market in South Africa. This resulted in females having to fulfil multiple roles simultaneously, for example being mother, wife and employee. Therefore the statement can be made that females have a work life and a family life to contend with. This can be enriching, seeing that these domains can generate experiences and resources, which females can use in other domains to enhance the quality. The general objective of this study was to explore various relationships that females experience between work resources, home resources, work engagement, family engagement and work-family enrichment. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. A combined purposive and convenience non-probability sample of female workers (N = 420) was taken across the spectrum of several industries in South Africa. Measuring instruments were used for biographical characteristics, work resources (self-developed), home resources (self-developed), work-family enrichment (MACE Work-Family Enrichment Instrument), work engagement (Utrecht Engagement Scale) and family engagement (adapted Utrecht Work Engagement Scale). Omegas and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were used to determine the reliability of the findings, while correlations were employed to identify significant relationships between the constructs. The dual work-family enrichment models and the mediating effect of the various dimensions of work-to-family enrichment, as well as family-to-work enrichment, were also tested by the Mplus statistical programme. Two models in which work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment act as mediators were also tested. The results indicated a positive statistical significant relationship between work resources, and work-family enrichment; also between home resources, and family-work enrichment; and between work-family enrichment and work engagement. However, a very small, but statistical significant, relationship was shown to exist between family-work enrichment and family engagement. Work-family enrichment also mediated the relationship, with a large effect, between work resources, with work engagement as outcome and family-work enrichment mediated the relationship, with a small effect, between home resources, with family engagement as outcome. Recommendations were made for organisations to follow up and for future research on the topic. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The roles of females have changed significantly over the past years as females increasingly are entering the labour market in South Africa. This resulted in females having to fulfil multiple roles simultaneously, for example being mother, wife and employee. Therefore the statement can be made that females have a work life and a family life to contend with. This can be enriching, seeing that these domains can generate experiences and resources, which females can use in other domains to enhance the quality. The general objective of this study was to explore various relationships that females experience between work resources, home resources, work engagement, family engagement and work-family enrichment. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. A combined purposive and convenience non-probability sample of female workers (N = 420) was taken across the spectrum of several industries in South Africa. Measuring instruments were used for biographical characteristics, work resources (self-developed), home resources (self-developed), work-family enrichment (MACE Work-Family Enrichment Instrument), work engagement (Utrecht Engagement Scale) and family engagement (adapted Utrecht Work Engagement Scale). Omegas and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were used to determine the reliability of the findings, while correlations were employed to identify significant relationships between the constructs. The dual work-family enrichment models and the mediating effect of the various dimensions of work-to-family enrichment, as well as family-to-work enrichment, were also tested by the Mplus statistical programme. Two models in which work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment act as mediators were also tested. The results indicated a positive statistical significant relationship between work resources, and work-family enrichment; also between home resources, and family-work enrichment; and between work-family enrichment and work engagement. However, a very small, but statistical significant, relationship was shown to exist between family-work enrichment and family engagement. Work-family enrichment also mediated the relationship, with a large effect, between work resources, with work engagement as outcome and family-work enrichment mediated the relationship, with a small effect, between home resources, with family engagement as outcome. Recommendations were made for organisations to follow up and for future research on the topic. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study focuses on the skills and needs of forensic social workers, working with alleged child sexual abuse in the Western Cape. Forensic social work is based on specialised knowledge drawn from established principles and their application within proven methodology of training, familiarity with the law, evaluation and objective criteria associated with treatment outcomes. The scope of forensic social work thus includes a specialised skill where human service systems communicate the language in the context of legal systems. This means that the forensic process must withstand critical review and rebuttal from opposing parties in a legal system. It is evident that a forensic social worker needs to have specialised training and specific skills, focusing on forensic investigative interviews, all aspects of child sexual abuse and how the South African justice system operates. Without these skills, the legal process may not be successful and the prevention of child sexual abuse not as successful as it might otherwise be. The general aim of the study was to analyse the skills and needs of social workers assessing allegations of child sexual abuse in order to assist organisations working in the field of forensic social work by improving their support training practices in forensic social work. The researcher used a quantitative descriptive design also known as a survey design. This design usually makes use of a questionnaire as a data collection method and nineteen (19) respondents were selected according to a randomised method of sampling. The findings form part of a list of recommendations to participating welfare organisations. / Thesis (MSc (Physiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This study focuses on the skills and needs of forensic social workers, working with alleged child sexual abuse in the Western Cape. Forensic social work is based on specialised knowledge drawn from established principles and their application within proven methodology of training, familiarity with the law, evaluation and objective criteria associated with treatment outcomes. The scope of forensic social work thus includes a specialised skill where human service systems communicate the language in the context of legal systems. This means that the forensic process must withstand critical review and rebuttal from opposing parties in a legal system. It is evident that a forensic social worker needs to have specialised training and specific skills, focusing on forensic investigative interviews, all aspects of child sexual abuse and how the South African justice system operates. Without these skills, the legal process may not be successful and the prevention of child sexual abuse not as successful as it might otherwise be. The general aim of the study was to analyse the skills and needs of social workers assessing allegations of child sexual abuse in order to assist organisations working in the field of forensic social work by improving their support training practices in forensic social work. The researcher used a quantitative descriptive design also known as a survey design. This design usually makes use of a questionnaire as a data collection method and nineteen (19) respondents were selected according to a randomised method of sampling. The findings form part of a list of recommendations to participating welfare organisations. / Thesis (MSc (Physiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

It is important that organisations are aware of factors that might affect the levels of well-being of employees, as employees are instrumental to the achievement of organisational goals. Well-being of employees can be conceptualised in terms of burnout and engagement. Studies have shown that different factors contribute to the employee experience of burnout and engagement. These factors include job demands and resources and psychological conditions (psychological meaningfulness, psychological availability and psychological safety). Although various studies regarding burnout and engagement can be found in literature, three research gaps have been identified from the studies. First, a reliable and valid instrument is needed to measure job demands and resources in a specific organisation. Second, given the cost of some measures of burnout, inadequacies in conceptualisation of the burnout construct and the inadequate psychometric properties of others, an inexpensive measure is needed which can be used to measure burnout in a valid and reliable way. Third, no studies seem to be found which focus on the effects of job demands and resources on burnout and engagement via specific psychological conditions (i.e. psychological meaningfulness, availability and safety). The general objective of this research therefore was to investigate the well-being of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. It focused on job demands, job resources, burnout, work engagement and psychological conditions. The objective of the first study was to investigate the job demands and resources of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. The study specifically examined the validity and reliability of a scale adapted to measure job demands and resources of the employees and established the prevalent job demands and resources of the employees. Differences that may exist based on the employees‟ demographic variables were also investigated. The aim of the second study was to provide an overview of current burnout measures that are used in the literature. From the literature, gaps were identified and used to develop a new Burnout Scale for use with employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research then examined the construct validity, reliability, construct equivalence and item bias of the newly-developed Burnout Scale. The research also investigated whether any differences in burnout existed in relation to the employees‟ demographic variables. The third study investigated the relationships between specific job demands, job resources, psychological conditions, burnout, and work engagement by testing a structural model of burnout and engagement in a sample of employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research method for each of the three articles consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A non-probability availability sample of 443 agricultural employees was used. A cross-sectional design, with a survey as the data collection technique, was used. Measuring instruments that were utilised included an adapted Job Demands-Resources scale (AJDRS), a self-developed Burnout Scale (BS), a self-developed Work Engagement Scale (WES), an adapted Psychological Conditions Questionnaire (PCQ), and a biographical questionnaire. The statistical analyses were carried out with the help of the SPSS programme (IBM SPSS statistics, version 21) and MPLUS version 7.11 (Muthén, & Muthén 1998-2013). The statistical methods utilised in the three articles included descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, principal factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, MANOVA, ANOVA, differential item functioning (DIF), and structural equation modelling. Evidence was established for the factorial validity and reliability of the AJDRS. The results indicate that the job demands experienced by employees in an agricultural research organisation are: overload and job insecurity; while job resources were: organisational support, growth opportunities, control, rewards, and physical resources (equipment). It was furthermore found that there were differences in the perceived job demands and resources of employees. In addition, the BS was found to consist of three reliable factors, i.e. fatigue, emotional exhaustion/withdrawal, and cognitive weariness. The results also showed construct equivalence for the Burnout construct, and no item bias for the language groups examined. Age was found to affect the level of perceived burnout of the employees. Furthermore, job resources (growth opportunities, control, and organisational support) were found to be positively associated with engagement, while lack of resources and job demands (overload) are positively associated with burnout of employees. Psychological meaningfulness, safety and availability are positively associated with work engagement, and negatively associated with burnout. The psychological conditions of availability, safety, and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job resources and work engagement, as well as between lack of job resources and burnout. Psychological availability and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout; however, the mediation effect of psychological safety on the relationship between job demands and burnout could not be established. Recommendations are made for practice, as well as future research. / PhD (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Problem statement Due to HIV and AIDS impacting on communities, devastating consequences have been predicted. The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in need of care is escalating, causing social workers’ caseloads to become unmanageable. These OVC who lost their parents through death are suffering multiple losses due to being orphaned. The material, protection and affection needs have to be addressed in a holistic, eco-systematic, multidisciplinary team approach. In practice social workers tend to focus mainly on the material and protection needs of OVC due to high caseloads and staff turnover, neglecting their affection needs. Social workers need to work with foster parents and children in identifying potential risk factors that could lead to risk behaviour in foster children who have lost their parents through death. The researcher designed an assessment tool that could enable social workers in practice to do an effective risk assessment of OVC in foster care. Intervention could be planned accordingly by setting goals to address risk factors timeously in an attempt to prevent future problem behaviour in OVC placed in foster care. Aim To develop an assessment tool for social workers to identify risk behaviour in foster children who have experienced multiple losses such as the loss of one or both parents. Method A mixed methods design was used, specifically the sequential and explanatory design which involved collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data. These obtained data were then connected and integrated. Results It was proved that a Risk assessment tool helped social workers to identify risk factors in a team effort between social workers, foster parents and children. Meeting the psychosocial needs of OVC placed in foster care more effectively is important in order to prevent the development of negative behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

It is important that organisations are aware of factors that might affect the levels of well-being of employees, as employees are instrumental to the achievement of organisational goals. Well-being of employees can be conceptualised in terms of burnout and engagement. Studies have shown that different factors contribute to the employee experience of burnout and engagement. These factors include job demands and resources and psychological conditions (psychological meaningfulness, psychological availability and psychological safety). Although various studies regarding burnout and engagement can be found in literature, three research gaps have been identified from the studies. First, a reliable and valid instrument is needed to measure job demands and resources in a specific organisation. Second, given the cost of some measures of burnout, inadequacies in conceptualisation of the burnout construct and the inadequate psychometric properties of others, an inexpensive measure is needed which can be used to measure burnout in a valid and reliable way. Third, no studies seem to be found which focus on the effects of job demands and resources on burnout and engagement via specific psychological conditions (i.e. psychological meaningfulness, availability and safety). The general objective of this research therefore was to investigate the well-being of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. It focused on job demands, job resources, burnout, work engagement and psychological conditions. The objective of the first study was to investigate the job demands and resources of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. The study specifically examined the validity and reliability of a scale adapted to measure job demands and resources of the employees and established the prevalent job demands and resources of the employees. Differences that may exist based on the employees‟ demographic variables were also investigated. The aim of the second study was to provide an overview of current burnout measures that are used in the literature. From the literature, gaps were identified and used to develop a new Burnout Scale for use with employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research then examined the construct validity, reliability, construct equivalence and item bias of the newly-developed Burnout Scale. The research also investigated whether any differences in burnout existed in relation to the employees‟ demographic variables. The third study investigated the relationships between specific job demands, job resources, psychological conditions, burnout, and work engagement by testing a structural model of burnout and engagement in a sample of employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research method for each of the three articles consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A non-probability availability sample of 443 agricultural employees was used. A cross-sectional design, with a survey as the data collection technique, was used. Measuring instruments that were utilised included an adapted Job Demands-Resources scale (AJDRS), a self-developed Burnout Scale (BS), a self-developed Work Engagement Scale (WES), an adapted Psychological Conditions Questionnaire (PCQ), and a biographical questionnaire. The statistical analyses were carried out with the help of the SPSS programme (IBM SPSS statistics, version 21) and MPLUS version 7.11 (Muthén, & Muthén 1998-2013). The statistical methods utilised in the three articles included descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, principal factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, MANOVA, ANOVA, differential item functioning (DIF), and structural equation modelling. Evidence was established for the factorial validity and reliability of the AJDRS. The results indicate that the job demands experienced by employees in an agricultural research organisation are: overload and job insecurity; while job resources were: organisational support, growth opportunities, control, rewards, and physical resources (equipment). It was furthermore found that there were differences in the perceived job demands and resources of employees. In addition, the BS was found to consist of three reliable factors, i.e. fatigue, emotional exhaustion/withdrawal, and cognitive weariness. The results also showed construct equivalence for the Burnout construct, and no item bias for the language groups examined. Age was found to affect the level of perceived burnout of the employees. Furthermore, job resources (growth opportunities, control, and organisational support) were found to be positively associated with engagement, while lack of resources and job demands (overload) are positively associated with burnout of employees. Psychological meaningfulness, safety and availability are positively associated with work engagement, and negatively associated with burnout. The psychological conditions of availability, safety, and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job resources and work engagement, as well as between lack of job resources and burnout. Psychological availability and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout; however, the mediation effect of psychological safety on the relationship between job demands and burnout could not be established. Recommendations are made for practice, as well as future research. / PhD (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014