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Thesis (M. Dev. (Development in Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Since transition from the system of apartheid to democratic rule, South Africa became the destination for many migrants and refugees from across the African continent. Many children are travelling alone or become separated from their care givers or parents once they reach the country. The migration of residents of other African countries, particularly Zimbabwe, into the Limpopo province has resulted in the increase in the number of unaccompanied minors within the province, in Polokwane and the child protection system, and it requires collaborative intervention. The child protection system, particularly in the Child and Youth Care Centres, has unaccompanied minors who remain in the system for more than the stipulated time in relation to the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. The aim of the study was to explore the challenges faced by social workers in managing the cases of unaccompanied minors in Child and Youth Care Centers in Polokwane. This study employed a qualitative case study research design and one-on-one interview as a primary data collection method. The qualitative data was analysed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study indicate that most of unaccompanied minors were in dire situation and lack proper documentation. The findings also revealed that there were a number of critical child protection challenges that existed in the management of the cases of unaccompanied minors by government officials. The study further highlighted that social workers were not adequately capacitated and there was lack of intersectoral collaboration and insufficient resources to deal with the multiple issues that affect unaccompanied minors in Polokwane. It is therefore recommended that the social worker should also be capacitated regarding different items of legislation that deal with unaccompanied and foreign children in order to ensure proper implementation of the Acts. Department of Social Development must also popularise and provide training to social workers and all relevant stakeholders on the guidelines on separated and unaccompanied minors living outside their country of origin. DSD should make an amendment of the Children’s Act to include unaccompanied minors and also ensure that all stakeholders are trained. The researcher also recommends coordination of service among government departments in order to ensure an effective and integrated child protection system

The aim of this thesis has been to investigate how social workers work with the reunification process at child and youth care centres in South Africa. The intention has been to explore what is important to accomplish a reunification and what challenges the social workers face in the process. A qualitative method was used and included 7 semi-structured interviews with social workers in South Africa. The conducted data was coded and categorized, using an inductive thematic analysis. In this study, the second phase of the ecological systems theory by Bronfenbrenner has been used, which includes the micro-, meso-, exo-, macro- and chrono levels. The theory has served as a framework in the analysis to explain the development of the child. Through the interviews three main fundamental components in the reunification process were distinguished, that overlap. The components are the 90-day assessment period, the time period of placement and the reunification. The time of placement has been categorized into three subthemes including the role of child and parent, the role of social workers and the role of resources. The findings show that the social workers regard the relationship between child and parent, collaboration between the external and CYCC social worker including resources, as crucial factors for reunification. Through the analyses, factors at each level in the ecological systems theory have been identified that affect the reunification process and thereby the child. Consequently, for a reunification to take place efforts need to address several areas around the child. / Syftet med den här studien har varit att undersöka hur socialarbetare arbetar med återföreningsprocessen på boenden för barn och unga i Sydafrika. Intentionen har varit att undersöka vad som är viktigt för att åstadkomma en återförening och vilka utmaningar socialarbetarna står inför i den processen. I studien användes en kvalitativ metod där 7 semistrukturerade intervjuer med socialarbetare i Sydafrika genomfördes digitalt. Den insamlade datan har kodats och kategoriserats med hjälp av en induktiv tematisk analys. I studien har den andra fasen av Bronfenbrenners ekologiska systemteori använts, vilken inkluderar mikro-, meso-, exo-, makro- och krono-nivåerna. Teorin har fungerat som ett ramverk i analysen för att förklara ett barns utveckling. Genom intervjuerna urskildes tre grundläggande komponenter i återföreningsprocessen, vilka överlappar varandra. Komponenterna som urskildes är den 90 dagar långa bedömningsperioden, den tidsperiod som ett barn är placerat på ett boende samt själva återföreningen. Den tidsperiod som ett barn är placerat på ett boende har kategoriserats i tre underteman, vilka består av barnens och föräldrarnas roll, socialarbetarnas roll och resursernas roll. Resultaten visar att socialarbetarna betraktar förhållandet mellan barn och förälder, samarbetet mellan de externa socialarbetarna och socialarbetarna på barn- och ungdomsboendena samt resurser som avgörande faktorer för att en återförening ska ske. Analysen i den här studien visar att faktorer på varje nivå i den ekologiska systemteorin påverkar återföreningsprocessen och därmed barnet. För att möjliggöra en återförening måste därför det sociala arbetet inriktas på flera områden runt barnet.

In this study, we examined how social workers through committee described the young person in secure care of youths, and whether there ere any differences between the sexes. The theoretical starting point was the gender perspective and social workers discretion. The aim of our study was to analyze how social workers through committee were describing the youths in law, and if they produced and reproduced eventual gender constructions and norms. Our empirical work was based on 20 LVU court cases, 10 girls and 10 boys. These court cases were examined by using Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis to find keywords and eventual patterns in writing. The results and the analysis consist of five different themes with some examples from the court cases related to previous research and theories. The results showed differences in the discourses between the sexes. One of the discourses we found was ’victim or perpetrator’, which manifested itself in girls being described as more responsible for their actions rather than having control of their situations, while boys were described as more responsible for their actions. Our ambition was to stimulate interest for upcoming further research. We found that social workers possess a great room for action through regarding the way they chose to write about youths. Therefore, it was important to shed light on the role of the discourse and how it can affect legal certainty.

The abuse of substances by South African young people has led to the development of specialised residential treatment programmes. This qualitative and phenomenological study sought to explore child and youth care interventions which contributes towards children’s recovery from substance abuse/dependency. Data was collected through purposive sampling, with face -to -face interviews with a broad interview guide and it’s analysis was influenced by Patton and Creswell’s eight steps for qualitative data analysis and interpretation. The study confirmed the involvement of South African child and youth care workers in substance abuse programmes for young people. Specific interventions such as an existence of a therapeutic relationship between child and youth care workers, the use of the relationship as a model for other relationships, the availability and presence of the child and youth care worker, the adolescent development programme and young people’s involvement in their individual development programme that contributed to recovery from substance dependency were identified. / Social Work / M. Tech. (Child and Youth Care)

Many child and youth care organisations in South Africa struggle to implement adequate supervision structures for their child and youth care workers. If supervisors in this field had adequate knowledge and skills, they could enable child and youth care workers to grow and develop competently and provide more professional services to troubled young people in South Africa, This qualitative research sought to identify what knowledge and skills supervisors need in child and youth care settings in South Africa to provide effective supervision to workers. This research confirmed that there are specific skills and knowledge required by supervisors in child and youth care settings in South Africa and while there is an awareness of these in some settings, they are not being fully utilised in organised supervision structures. / Social Work / M.Tech. (Child and Youth Care)

The abuse of substances by South African young people has led to the development of specialised residential treatment programmes. This qualitative and phenomenological study sought to explore child and youth care interventions which contributes towards children’s recovery from substance abuse/dependency. Data was collected through purposive sampling, with face -to -face interviews with a broad interview guide and it’s analysis was influenced by Patton and Creswell’s eight steps for qualitative data analysis and interpretation. The study confirmed the involvement of South African child and youth care workers in substance abuse programmes for young people. Specific interventions such as an existence of a therapeutic relationship between child and youth care workers, the use of the relationship as a model for other relationships, the availability and presence of the child and youth care worker, the adolescent development programme and young people’s involvement in their individual development programme that contributed to recovery from substance dependency were identified. / Social Work / M. Tech. (Child and Youth Care)

Many child and youth care organisations in South Africa struggle to implement adequate supervision structures for their child and youth care workers. If supervisors in this field had adequate knowledge and skills, they could enable child and youth care workers to grow and develop competently and provide more professional services to troubled young people in South Africa, This qualitative research sought to identify what knowledge and skills supervisors need in child and youth care settings in South Africa to provide effective supervision to workers. This research confirmed that there are specific skills and knowledge required by supervisors in child and youth care settings in South Africa and while there is an awareness of these in some settings, they are not being fully utilised in organised supervision structures. / Social Work / M.Tech. (Child and Youth Care)

Child and youth care workers (CYCWs) provide intervention and support to children and youth in child and youth care centres (CYCCs) The purpose of this study was to investigate CYCWs’ knowledge and perceptions of attachment difficulties of children residing in CYCCs and to provide suggestions for social work support. The study adopted the Attachment Theory and Circle of Courage Theory. Drawing on qualitative methodology, 16 participants employed in CYCCs in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan region, South Africa were purposively selected for in-depth, qualitative interviews. The eight-step data analysis method by Tesch (in Creswell, 2014:198) was used. To ensure trustworthiness of the findings, the researcher mainly used Guba’s model cited in Krefting (1990:214–222).The researcher adhered to prescribed ethical considerations. The study recommended that child and youth care as a profession should be recognised and supported to ensure quality services to children with attachment difficulties living in CYCCs. / Social Work / M. A. (Social Work)

The qualitative research approach, applying an explorative, descriptive and contextual strategy of enquiry was used to address the research question formulated, - How do child and youth care workers support child-headed households in the community? In this process the needs, relationships, interactions and encounters which occur between child and youth care workers and young people in child-headed households are described. The research was conducted with children from two child-headed households (12 children in all) and three community child and youth care workers from the Isibindi project in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The findings confirm that the integration of child and youth care work characteristics in the daily life events of the children, contributed to services to children that are therapeutically caring, reclaiming and reflective of the African spirit of Ubuntu – demonstrating a relevant and unique South African expression of child and youth care practice. / Sociology / M. Tech. (Child and Youth Care)