The overall purpose of this research was to develop an inter-agency reporting protocol
for the child protection system in the Free State. The aim was to integrate current
legislation and policy into this inter-agency reporting protocol to create standardised
reporting procedures to ensure effective access to and response from the child
protection system for the child in need of care and protection. The thesis comprises
six sections:
SECTION A:
This section comprises the problem statement, the research purpose statement and
objectives, the central theoretical statement, the approach to the research, the
research methodology, as well as the limitations and restrictions of the research.
Furthermore, key words are defined and an explanation of the research report is
provided.
The problem statement shows that problems have been experienced for quite some
time regarding the way reports are being handled within the child protection system.
The result is that children in need of care and protection do not have effective access
to the child protection system and they don’t get effective response when their cases
are reported. Although the rights, interests and wants of the child in need of care and
protection are addressed in existing legislation and policy, there is still a problem with
the implementation and enforcement of said legislation and policy.
SECTION B:
This section comprises four consecutive articles: Article 1:
Legislation and policy for reporting within the child protection system of South
Africa
In this article, Phase 1 (problem analysis and project planning) of the intervention
model was used. An analysis was made of the existing legislation and policy
regulations currently in use in South Africa during reporting at the child protection
system. This was done by means of literature analysis.
Article 2:
Agents, cases, persons and response during reporting at the child protection
system
In this article, Phase 2 (information gathering) of the intervention model was used. An
analysis was made of the stipulations of current legislation and policy in South Africa
regarding agents, cases, persons and response that should be kept in mind when
developing an interagency reporting protocol for the child protection system. It was
done by means of literature analysis.
Article 3:
Reporting procedures and protocols from abroad applicable to an inter-agency
reporting protocol for the child protection system
In this article, Phase 2 (information gathering) of the intervention model was used.
The contents of foreign reporting procedures and protocols were analised in an effort
to determine what contribution such procedures and protocols can make to the
development of an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system. It
was done by means of literature analysis.
Article 4:
An inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection system in the Free
State
In this article, Phases 3 (design), 5 (evaluation and advanced development) and 6
(dissemination) of the intervention model were used. The researcher used the
information that came to the fore during the literature analysis in Phases 1 and 2 of the
intervention model, to design an inter-agency reporting protocol and flow charts for the
child protection system in the Free State. The suitability of this protocol was tested by means of semi-structured interviews with the agents responsible for handling reports
within the child protection system. The qualitative data obtained from this was used
for the further development of an inter-agency reporting protocol for the child
protection system in the Free State.
SECTION C:
This section comprises a summary of the collective findings and conclusions that
came to the fore during the research, whereafter recommendations were being made.
SECTION D:
This section comprises the various appendices used during the research.
SECTION E:
This section comprises a complete list of references.
SECTION F:
This section comprises the final inter-agency reporting protocol for the child protection
system in the Free State. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/12062 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Van der Schyff, Martha Levina |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | other |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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