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

The aim of this study was to examine how social workers relate to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, regarding their cultural background and potential social issues. In order to achieve a more profound and comprehensive view of the social workers views regarding the separated children, we selected to execute semi structured interviews with social workers. These interviews were aimed at those social workers who performed assessments and investigations concerning unaccompanied children. We completed nine interviews which we recorded and transcribed in a strict manor. When we analyzed the empirical material, certain themes where identified as more protuberant and thus we our selection was based on what we regarded as the most relevant topics, in accordance to the aim of the study. Furthermore, our focus was set upon the social workers views regarding cultural differences between unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and Swedish children. We also decided to focus on which views these social workers portrayed, regarding the unaccompanied asylum-seeking child’s cultural background and how social issues could affect the social workers frame, their assets and formulation of their interventions, concerning separated children. We learned during our study that the social workers are enduring a heavy workload, especially since the numbers of arriving separated children are rapidly increasing. Furthermore, the economical recourses, in forms of personnel, are not increasing the same pace. In recent years, societal attitudes have altered and more negative and separative views regarding separated children are apparent. However, the social workers have applied a more universalistic approach towards the children to show the resemblances rather than differences between unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and Swedish children. Our study makes evident, that underneath this universalistic policy, culturalization of the children took form and this development also affected how the interventions were framed. Conclusively, this study displays how culturalization of the interventions affected the care of the children negatively and resulted in a declining standard of care, as well as differentiation of care.

Hepatitis C is a fast growing infectious disease in Australia and is often associated with related psycho-social and mental health problems. The conventional treatment process for hepatitis C is challenging due to a number of reasons. This study explored social workers’ perceptions of the contribution of their role in hepatitis C treatment centres in relation to the treatment experience of patients. The roles that social workers fulfill, their contribution to the multidisciplinary team and towards a culturally competent service, were explored. Furthermore the knowledge, skills and values required for providing a competent service in a hepatitis C treatment setting was explored. The broad theoretical frameworks that inform social work practice were considered, especially the biopsycho-social model, the strengths perspective, the critically reflexive approach and communications theory. This qualitative study used a semi-structured interview method for data collection. Ten social workers in hepatitis C treatment clinics participated in the study. The findings highlight the needs of patients and how social worker participants described helping to address and meet these needs by employing their knowledge, skills and values through their social work roles and interventions in a team context in a multicultural and multi-faceted work environment. A major challenge that social workers described was to keep patients on treatment despite debilitating side effects that diminish patients' motivation to complete treatment. A shortcoming in the service was described to be the limited psychiatric support available at many treatment centres. The findings lead to a number of recommendations to improve social work services in hepatitis C treatment settings. More research was recommended in areas such as motivational techniques, psychiatric support, and effective group work strategies. The need for increased funding for social work positions in the hepatitis C field was also highlighted. It is anticipated that findings of this study can be applied to hepatitis C treatment in broader settings such as prisons, drug and alcohol settings and general practice. This research will contribute to literature in the field of hepatitis C treatment models and in the field of social work practice in hepatitis C contexts.

This thesis examines the rapport building that occurs between rangatahi Māori whaiora (adolescent Māori who use mental health services) and Māori social workers in the field of community mental health. Six Māori social workers were interviewed to explore how they view and practice rapport building with rangatahi Māori whaiora. The Māori social workers were able to provide valuable perspectives based on years of personal and professional experience. The research was conducted using a social constructionist perspective, informed and guided by Māori-centred research principles. A qualitative research method was used and both Massey University and Māori ethical considerations thoroughly explored. Face to face interviews guided by an integrated practice framework, enabled the voices of the Māori social workers to be heard, eliciting in detail where their views have come from. The findings from the research showed that Māori social workers view rapport as essential in their practice and therefore they practice in a way that facilitates this with rangatahi. The social workers utilise their values and beliefs in their practice, according to their worldview; how they were raised; what they have experienced, and what they have learned. Specifically, Māori social workers identified the importance of practicing with a Māori worldview, therefore enabling physical connection, spiritual connection, and cultural connection with the rangatahi. These all contributed towards rapport building with the rangatahi and also their whānau. The importance of action reflection processes were also highlighted. This is due to the balance required from Māori social workers to fulfil the needs of the rangatahi as aligned with their values and beliefs, while meeting the requirements of the organisation, profession and wider community. This thesis explores these key findings.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 210-223).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Also available in print.

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes final project proposal. Description based on Print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-152, 219-225).

Socialsekreterare verkar vara frånvarande i samhällsdebatten. Det är problematiskt, dels för att det ur en demokratisk aspekt är viktigt med insyn i offentlig förvaltning, dels för vikten av att någon – till exempel den aktör med mest kompetens på området – ger röst åt de utsatta i samhället som kan ha svårt att göra sig själva och sina behov hörda. Syftet med uppsatsen är att visa socialsekreterares syn på eventuella hinder som finns för dem att kommentera och debattera sociala frågor i det offentliga rummet. För att uppnå det genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex stycken personer som jobbar med myndighetsutövning inom socialtjänsten. I intervjuerna kom det fram att det finns saker som hindrar socialsekreterarna att engagera sig i det offentliga samtalet. Dessa hinder verkar grunda sig i en krock mellan myndighetskulturen och idealet av socialarbetarrollen. Socionomen har under sin utbildning fått särskild professionskunskap men måste, när denne kliver in i socialtjänsten, förhålla sig till att förmågan att underordna sig organisationens sätt att arbeta på och att förvalta statlig makt värd­eras högst. Utifrån ett nyinstitutionellt perspektiv kan en förklaring till socialsekreterarnas tystnad vara att det inte ligger i myndighetens intresse att de ska uttala sig offentligt. Det riskerar att skada legitimi­teten vilket är ett hot mot organisationens existens. Därför växer det fram en icke stöttande kultur där rädsla och oro frodas, och där det inte skapas tydlighet kring ifall det ingår i socialsekreterarrollen att främja social förändring även på strukturell nivå. I en rituell socialiseringsprocess internaliserar social­sekreterarna organisationens trosuppfattningar till sina egna. De här sakerna bidrar till att socialsekre­terarna inte ger sig ut för att kommentera och debattera sociala frågor i det offentliga rummet. / Social service workers seem to be silent in public debate. For the sake of democracy, it is important there is transparency in public administration, hence the silence is problematic. It is also problematic because of the importance that someone – for instance the player with the most competence, experi­ence and expertise in the field – functions as a voice for the vulnerable who may have difficulties mak­ing themselves and their needs heard. The aim of this thesis is to show the views of social service workers on potential obstacles for them to comment and debate social issues in public debate. To accomplish this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six persons working with responsi­bility for public authority within the social service. From the interviews it appeared that there are things hindering the social service workers to engage in social debate. These obstacles seem to be based on a clash between the authority culture and the ideal of the social worker role. The social worker has from his or her education gained certain professional knowledge but has to, when entering the social service, relate to that knowledge being valued less than the ability to subserve the organiza­tion’s way of working and to administer government dictat. From a neo-institutionalism perspective, one explanation for the silence of the social workers is that it is not in the organization’s interest that they should speak publicly. That risks hurting the legitimacy which is a threat to the organization’s very existence. Therefor a non-supporting culture grows where fear and anxiety flourish, and no intel­ligibility is created about if it is a part of the social service worker’s role to encourage social change also on a structural level. In a ritual socialization process the social service workers internalize the organization’s beliefs. These things contribute to social service workers not commenting on or debat­ing social issues in public debate.