Thesi (DPhil (Social Work))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / According to South African policy documents social workers are encouraged to implement a
developmental-focused policy regarding social work service delivery. This implies that social
work service delivery should focus firstly on preventive services, then on early intervention
services and lastly on statutory services. In terms of the delivery of family preservation
services this prerequisite requires that preventive services should be aimed at the provision of
family preservation services by integrating the parents of high risk families in informal and
formal sources in their communities. Early intervention services require that family-centred
and intensive crisis services should be delivered to high risk families to prevent statutory
services or the removal of children from their families.
This study explored the perspective of social workers on the state of family preservation
services provided by three non-governmental organizations in the Western Cape Metropole
and surrounding areas. The study also identifies social workers‟ perspective on the obstacles
experienced during the implementation of developmental-focused policy according to policy
documents. A combined quantitative and qualitative research methodology was used to
involve social workers employed by three non-governmental organizations in the Western
Cape Metropole and surrounding areas in an exploratory study.
Findings derived from the empirical study on the state of family preservation services show
that social workers are unsure of the exact meaning of the term family preservation services.
As far as family-centred preservation services (early intervention services) are concerned, the
study found that limited concrete services are delivered, and that there is a stronger focus on
educational and therapeutic services. With regard to family-supportive preservation services
(preventive services), findings indicate the existence of limited services or sources at family
organizations with which parents can be integrated on a continuous basis to expand their
informal and formal networks, in accordance with the viewpoints of family support.
With regard to the implementation of policy documents, it seems that there is still a stronger
focus on delivering statutory rather than preventive services. Obstacles influencing the
delivery of preventive services are, inter alia, large case loads, where especially statutory
services are delivered, as well as a lack of human resources. A lack of funding to initiate and
maintain projects is a further obstacle to the delivery of developmental-focused services.
Another important aspect is the fact that social workers are unsure of what preventive and
early intervention services comprise, in terms of family maintenance.
The most important recommendations resulting from the study indicate that family
organizations are incapable of implementing a developmental-focused policy if the State does
not attend to the obstacles that exist at non-governmental organizations in the form of
inadequate human resources and funding. Social workers should also receive thorough inservice
training regarding the content of family preservation services. The non-governmental
organizations should also investigate ways of delivering more comprehensive family-centred
services like concrete and enabling services, since there is currently an imbalance between,
for example, the delivery of concrete and therapeutic services.
With regard to family support services, the study recommends that family organizations
should try to initiate more services and resources, in accordance with a development-centred
policy, that can be available continually to high risk families in the community, and that can
be used as a resource. The development of appropriate support services, for instance home
visit programs, can reduce the workload of social workers and simultaneously increase the
networks available to high risk families, so that social exclusion can be counteracted, in
accordance with the viewpoints of family preservation services.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1395 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Strydom, Marianne |
| Contributors | Green, S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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