This study is about social workers work with domestic violence. The aim of this study was to describe social workers work with domestic violence and to understand, from a gender perspective, differences in how social workers work with men exposed to violence respectively women exposed to violence. We have used a qualitative vignette study with eight social workers that work with, but not exclusively with, domestic violence. Four of them got a vignette with a case where a man was exposed to violence and four of them got a vignette with a case where a woman was exposed to violence. The only difference between the two vignettes was the sex of the person exposed to violence. Then we compared the answers we got from interviewees that got the case where a man was exposed to violence with the answers we got from the interviewees that got the case where a woman was exposed to violence in order to find differences in the answers. The main conclusions of this study was that the differences we found in the interviewees work with domestic violence, depending on the gender of the person exposed to violence, to a large extent can be understood through gender theory.

Thesis (MA (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / A study combining the explanatory and exploratory research methodologies was undertaken relating to the value base of social work and the application of social work values by social workers at a Government Department. An interest of the history, development and importance of the value base of social work, as well as the relative absence of specific South African literature and research results concerning the application of social work values in the South African context, prompted this particular study as a contribution to both the social work profession in the South African context and the service agency involved. An empirical study based on the literature study was performed on a test sample comprising 20 social workers at a District office of a Government Department in the Western Cape. The literature study investigated and explored the history and development of the value base of social work both as a profession and specifically in the South African context. The empirical study, by means of a questionnaire investigated the participants’ understanding of certain values as well as the nature, objectives and functions of social work. It also explores their application of basic social work values in their daily practice situation, together with obstacles faced by them in applying these values.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1995. / Een kopie mikrofiche. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The application of the support function in supervision of undergraduate students in social work liberates the students' emotional energy in order to contribute to the success of the students. To be a source of support to the students, the supervisor must be aware of the possible causes of stress, the students' reaction thereto and methods in which they could deal with it. This exploratory study endeavours to create a scientifically based framework for the application of the support function in supervision of undergraduate students in social work in order to deal with stress. The causes of, reaction towards and ways in which undergraduate students in social work deal with stress were determined by means of questionnaires and described in terms of the students' personalities and their unique circumstances, their contact with the client system and supervision of the students. The respondents were 60 undergraduate students in social work. Conclusions and recommendations were made which focussed, amongst others, on the development of knowledge regarding the application of the support function in supervision, pro-active support, communication during support and application of the support function with regard to the practice education of the students. The framework of this research can be utilised by supervisors for effective supervision of undergraduate students in social work. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie aan voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente stel die studente se emosionele energie vry ten einde tot suksesvolle studente by te dra. Om 'n bron van ondersteuning vir studente te wees, moet die supervisor bewus wees van die moontlike oorsake van stres, die studente se reaksies daarop en die wyses waarop stres hanteer kan word. Hierdie verkennende studie het ten doel om 'n wetenskaplik gefundeerde raamwerk daar te stel vir die toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie aan voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente ten einde stres te hanteer. Die oorsake, reaksies en hantering van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente se stres is deur middel van vraelyste bepaal en in terme van die studente se persoonlikheid en omstandighede, hulle kontak met die klientsisteem en supervisie aan die studente beskryf. Die respondente het uit 60 voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente bestaan. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings is gemaak wat onder andere gefokus het op ontwikkeling van kennis oor die toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie, pro-aktiewe ondersteuning, kommunikasie tydens ondersteuning en toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie met betrekking tot studente se praktykopleiding. Die raamwerk van hierdie navorsingsverslag sal deur supervisors vir effektiewe supervisie aan voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente benut kan word.

Sick leave due to mental illness has increased dramatically in recent decades and is today one of the main reasons why individuals become long-term sick. Social workers job situation within social service has in recent years attracted an increasing attention and the debate has largely been about the high workload in the profession. Mental illness for social workers is a growing problem and there are no signs of a positive trend shift. The purpose of this study was to create a wider understanding of why social workers are prevented to work due to mental illness, goes on medical leave, and find out if it is possible to identify which common factors in these social workers stories. To answer the study's purpose, two issues have been considered. Partly which factors long-term sick social workers identified as the reason for their mental illness that led to long-term illness, and how the long-term sick social workers describe their individual experiences before, during and after their sick leave. The methodology has been a qualitative design where eight long-term sick social workers scattered around the country conducted interviews via e-mail through a semi-structured interview guide. The result will be divided and presented in three themes; Social workers practical work which concerns the social workers descriptions of their work place in the social services and the factors of the organization that has affected their work situation. It also presents the social workers perception of the impact of political decisions concerning the field of social work. The theme of social workers profession presents the results that have emerged and concerns how social workers perceive and identify their professional role. The third theme of individual experiences by social workers presents the results concerning the personal reflections that social workers have about themselves and their future role as a professional social worker. The study results show that job related factors largely affected the individual's mental health. It is clear that the structures upon an organisational level, the complexity of the professional role contra individual ideals have affected and led to the social workers present situation of long-term sick due to mental illness. The concluding section of this paper discusses several components with potential for development as possible contributing solutions to the problematic situation that made these social workers sick. Social work education, leadership and skills development are areas that are challenged in our discussion. / Sjukskrivning på grund av psykisk ohälsa har ökat drastiskt de senaste decennierna och är idag en av de främsta anledningarna till varför individer blir långtidssjukskrivna. Socialsekreterares arbetssituation har under de senaste åren uppmärksammats allt mer och debatten har till stor del kommit att handla om den höga arbetsbelastningen inom yrket. Psykisk ohälsa för socialsekreterare är ett växande problem och trenden tycks vara svår att bryta. Syftet med den här studien har varit att skapa en ökad förståelse kring varför socialsekreterare blivit sjukskrivna på grund av psykisk ohälsa samt ta reda på om det går att urskilja gemensamma faktorer i socialsekreterarnas berättelser. För att besvara studiens syfte har två frågeställningar varit aktuella. Dels vilka faktorer som sjukskrivna socialsekreterare identifierat föranlett deras psykiska ohälsa som lett till långtidssjukskrivning och dels hur långtidssjukskrivna socialsekreterare beskriver sina individuella upplevelser innan, under och efter sin sjukskrivning. Metodvalet har varit av kvalitativ design där åtta långtidssjukskrivna socialsekreterare spridda över hela landet genomförde intervjuer via mail genom en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Resultatet delas upp och presenteras i tre teman; socialsekreterarens arbete som berör socialsekreterarnas beskrivning sin arbetsplats på socialtjänsten och de faktorer i organisationen som påverkat deras arbetssituation. Här presenteras även socialsekreterarnas bild av hur de ser på socialpolitikens påverkan av deras arbete. I temat socialsekreterarens yrkesroll presenteras de resultat som berör hur socialsekreterarna upplever och identifierar sin yrkesroll. I det tredje temat socialsekreterarens individuella upplevelser presenteras de resultat som berör de personliga reflektioner som socialsekreterarna har kring sig själva och sin framtida roll som yrkesverksam socialsekreterare. Studiens resultat visar att faktorer på arbetsplatsen i stor utsträckning påverkat individens psykiska ohälsa. Det framgår tydligt att organisatoriska strukturer, yrkesrollens komplexitet och individuella ideal har påverkat och föranlett att socialsekreterarna blivit långtidssjukskrivna på grund av psykisk ohälsa. I uppsatsens avslutande del diskuteras flera komponenter med utvecklingspotential som möjliga bidragande lösningar på den problematiska situationen som gjort dessa socialsekreterare sjuka. Socionomutbildningen, ledarskap och kompetensutveckling är områden som utmanas i vår diskussion.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur socialsekreterare upplever att de kan tillgodose barns behov vid familjehemsplaceringar. För att nå syftet har fem kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med socialsekreterare anställda på socialtjänsten vars arbete är kopplat till placeringsförfaranden. Resultaten visar att socialsekreterare upplever att de inte kan tillgodose barnens alla behov, utan man behöver göra en bedömning om vad som är viktigast. Barns åsikter och önskemål blir lyssnade på men faller ofta bort då andra behov bedöms vara viktigare. Resultaten visar även att det är stor brist på familjehem vilket får socialsekreterarna att uppleva att de måste nöja sig med en matchning som är ”good enough” och hoppas på att placeringen blir bra ändå. Viljan att tillgodose barns behov finns medan möjligheten att göra det är begränsad. / The purpose of this study was to investigate how social workers experience their possibility to meet children’s needs in the work with foster home placement. Five qualitative interviews have been held with social workers within the social services, whose work is related to foster care placements. The results show that social workers experience that they are not able to meet all children’s needs, and therefore they have to value what need is more important than other. Children’s voice and requests are being listened to but are not always being considered as important as the other needs. The result also shows that there is a great shortage of foster homes which makes social workers feel that they have to settle for a match that is “good enough” and hope that everything goes well. The desire to meet every child’s needs is there, but the possibility to do that is limited.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work