Doctoral Degrees (Social Work)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Social Work) by browse.metadata.advisor "Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel"

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    Die bydrae van gevestigde maatskaplike diensorganisasies tot die kapasiteitsbou van informele gemeenskapsgebaseerde organisasies
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-12) Boshoff, Shanie; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Large-scale poverty and increasing needs prevail in South Africa. The National Department of Social Development has the constitutional mandate to provide sector-spesific national leadership in social development. Despite the Department of Social Development’s intention to restructure the social service delivery system from 1997 and although established social service organisations, as well as informal community-based organisations (CBOs), are regarded as being valuable resources of service delivery to communities at risk, all these organisations are threatened by serious challenges. Established social service organisations that provide and maintain a significant portion of the social welfare services in South Africa, are at present – despite their efficient management - engulfed in a grim battle for survival. CBOs which form an integral part of communities at risk are still excluded from State financing because they do not comply with the basic requirements of management. The Financing Policy (2012a) of the Department of Social Development indicates that the State aims to redirect its financing from established social service organisations to CBOs and to demand that established organisations build the capacity of CBOs in addition to their own direct service delivery to those at risk. An investigation into the capacity-building of CBOs within the South African context is therefore at the same time both relevant and important. The purpose of this study is to develop understanding for the contribution that established social service organisations in South Africa already make to the capacity-building of CBOs. The investigation not only provides information on the nature of this capacity-building, but also focuses attention on the many challenges experienced and the demands made of social service providers. Firstly, the approach that the State follows in respect of social service delivery and the re-structuring of the existing social service delivery system is investigated and contextualised. On the one hand, the nature of both established and informal social service providers as well as the critical role both fulfil in sustainable social development is examined. On the other hand, the approach that the South African government follows in social service delivery and the restructuring of the social service delivery system is critically explored. What became evident was that the South African government adopted the international theory of the social development approach as its underlying paradigm to construct its own developmentally oriented approach to social service delivery (including the capacity-building of CBOs). As social service delivery needs to be aligned with this approach, the social development approach is therefore being regarded as the appropriate approach within which to analyse the capacity building of CBOs. This study however also indicates that there is uncertainty with regard to the manner in which this approach should be implemented in practice. Secondly, the Department of Social Development’s policy concerning the capacity-building of CBOs by established social service organisations is analysed critically taking into account the following aspects: the State’s policy, the social development approach to the capacity-building of CBOs that is followed, and its application in practice. This analysis shows that the capacity-building of CBOs is directly linked to the social development approach followed in South Africa. It promotes citizen participation by establishing cost-effective and accessible resources in communities that enable people to improve the well-being of citizens and stimulates self-sustainability. Thirdly, the concept “capacity-building of CBOs” is contextualised by providing a theoretical framework for sustainable social development and organisational management and development. The appropriate theories and models of organisational capacity-building are described in this study based on a social development approach and existing models of institutional capacity-building are compared. The theoretical information is then empirically explored and analysed. Qualitative research was chosen as the approach to explore the contributions of established social service organisations to the capacity-building of CBOs in the social welfare sector and to establish the link with the social development approach as it is applied in South Africa. At the same time capacity-building of CBOs by established social service organisations is analysed and described. A case study was used as the research strategy by using NACOSS (National Coalition of Social Services) as a discussion forum of established social service providers in South Africa. A purposive non-probability sample selection was used to select participants. Nine NACOSS members indicated in a survey that they are already involved in the capacity-building of CBOs and they agreed to participate in the study. Data was collected on two levels. Firstly, interviews were conducted with two groupings of the established social service organisations on the basis of semi-structured interview schedules, namely with 8 chief executive officers and with 15 social workers who are already building CBOs’ capacities. After this, interviews were conducted with the 9 identified representatives of the CBOs whose capacities were being built by the participating service organisations. The original semi-structured interview schedule for CBOs had already been adjusted at the beginning of the survey to accommodate more general narratives from CBOs’ experiences of capacity-building as it appeared to be a more effective way to obtain the information from CBOs.
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    Essential management competencies of principals at early childhood development centres
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Ronaasen, Jessica; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Early childhood development (ECD) has gained much momentum since the headline policy, the National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy 2015 (Republic of South Africa [RSA], 2015), was ratified with the mandate to a deliver a comprehensive package of services to children from birth to six years old. ECD centres are not only hubs of education for young children, but also function as small businesses in the communities which they serve. Business skills, leadership, and governance are concepts which are intertwined and necessary for effective management by a principal of an ECD centre. Management competencies are centred upon core leadership values, which are embedded in the supervision and monitoring processes of social workers or ECD managers. A learning organisation approach (LOA), which is recommended in this study for ECD centres, maintains that people can learn the necessary skills and knowledge to function in a managerial role. This study presents empirical findings that showcase the essential management competencies of an ECD principal based on Engelbrecht’s (2014) conceptual framework of management skills, functions, and tasks, which depicts the interaction and complexity of a management role in any given organisation. A fairly ambitious timeframe is mentioned in the ECD Policy (RSA, 2015) that by 2030, all practitioners and principals working with ECD services should have adequate knowledge, skills, infrastructure, and materials to support a comprehensive package of early learning services within an ECD centre. Using a qualitative research approach, this study aimed to gain an understanding of the essential management attributes of ECD principals managing ECD centres in South Africa. A collective case study design was utilised to gain the reflections and lessons learnt from ECD principals and social work managers working in the ECD sector, by conducting semi-structured, telephonic interviews. Non-probability, purposive, and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants. Thematic content analysis was completed by reviewing the data in the transcripts of each interview with the intention of identify managerial competencies in the ECD sector as South Africa’s Department of Social Development (DSD) and the Department of Basic Education DoBE) move forward into a future of possibilities for collaborative learning and development. This study highlights the importance of business planning, mentorship, financial and ECD principal management tasks, the quality of ECD principal management, principal management training programmes, and further policy developments targeting the promotion of ECD principals’ professional development. Conclusions and recommendations towards government departments, non-government organisations (NGOs), and ECD principals themselves are offered to provide practice-relevant evidence for intervention moving forward. Key recommendations include incorporating a learning organisation approach to the support and training of ECD principals and the centres they manage, what the management competencies of ECD principals should be, and the optimal mechanisms needed to support the growth of this role in their organisations.
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    Essential management tasks executed by social workers in the Directorate of Developmental Social Welfare Services in Namibia : an ecological systems perspectives
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Muinjangue, Esther Utjiua; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Management in social work is an area of growing scholarly interest but it is seldom understood in the context of developmental social welfare services. Management is mostly associated with the fields of business and marketing. Moreover, there is little evidence about the managerial tasks executed by social workers in their day to day activities and why some of these managerial tasks are essential in social welfare service delivery. The literature that exists in management tasks is primarily derived from business and management in general which is a different field from that of managing social services. The body of knowledge that exists on management focuses primarily on business management and not on management tasks of social workers at different levels in organisations. Furthermore, the execution of these tasks is also influenced by the organisational environment in which social workers operate. Additionally, social workers are no longer working in isolation but they see themselves more and more as part of multi-disciplinary teams. Contemporary social workers are professionals who manage their work to ensure quality service to their service users. With constant change in the needs and demands of communities served by social workers, research and more research on management in social work and especially on management tasks needs to keep abreast in order to highlight essential management tasks executed by social workers as it directly impacts the services offered by social workers. The study explored and described some essential management tasks executed by social workers at the frontline and middle levels of management in the Directorate of Developmental Social Welfare Services (DDSWS) in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) in Namibia. The study was based on a qualitative study with 20 frontline social workers and 7 middle level managers as participants. The empirical study and the findings were analysed in line with the data categories as identified in some essential management tasks, namely: workload management, time management, information management, risk management, change and transformation management, supervisory management, programme and project management and monitoring and evaluation (M & E). Subthemes and categories were identified from the empirical data in line with the practice and narratives of the research participants. The findings indicate that social workers at frontline and middle levels of management executed management tasks. The study further revealed that although social workers are functioning in different divisions and at different levels, they seem to have adopted an integrated approach to management tasks. Specific recommendations, based on an ecological systems perspective are offered in the current study, which may be applicable to diverse organisational contexts. This was done by synthesising some essential management tasks from literature and how they are implemented in practice by social workers in the Directorate. Recommendations were made along the literature categories, with specific recommendations under reach category. Mostly, the main recommendations were linked to the need to provide in-service training to social workers on management in social work in order to create more awareness on their managerial tasks and for them to be more appreciative of their roles. Other recommendations were in terms of the working environment and the centralisation of the fragmented social welfare services.
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    Essential management tasks performed by volunteers on management committees of non-profit organisations
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Mashale, Termica Rethabile; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISCH ABSTRACT: Non-profit management, in the social services, is an area of growing scholarly interest but is seldom understood in the context of development. The evidence that exists in management tasks and governance is derived from corporate governance and management which differs significantly from that of managing social services. Furthermore, the voluntary nature of the management committees of social services organisations means the transactional relationship that an employer and employee have does not exist. Thus, volunteers are morally and statutorily bound to the organisation but can withhold their services and time without suffering any punitive measures. The body of knowledge that exists on volunteers is primary focussed on the volunteers who intrinsically want to work at the coalface of operations to the neglect of the volunteers who serve on the management committees of social service organisations. Moreover, with the changing world, the face of volunteerism is fast changing shape and operating across boarders in search of purpose, adventure and desire to see the world. With the face of volunteerism changing, research needs to keep abreast as it directly impacts the services offer by social services and non-profits. South African policies and legislation, ill define the role and responsibilities of volunteers on management committees of non-profit organisations (NPOs) and further confound issues in advocating for developmental social services and capacity building, yet do not adequately define it in practice for small to large non-profits. The social work profession, particularly as practised in the non-profit sector, tremendously impacts and is best positioned to support both beneficiaries and management of NPOs. Therefore, a keener understanding of volunteers and their role as governors on the management committees of non-profits is key in unlocking the capacity that volunteers bring to organisations in order to bolster the human resources of an organisation. The study explored and described the essential management tasks as performed by volunteers on the management committees of social service non-profit organisations in the Western Cape. This was done by synthesising the essential management tasks from literature and how they are implemented in practice by volunteers in NPOs. By deductively synthesising the essential management tasks, the researcher was able to define the scope and boundaries of the Stellenbosch University research, offer meaningful definitions and models for which the governance work by volunteers could be explored and understood. The empirical study and the findings were analysed in line with the data categories as identified in the essential management tasks, namely: strategic planning, human resources management, financial management, transformation/change management, project management, fundraising, formation, communications and systems management, monitoring and evaluation, and public relations and stakeholder management. Subthemes were identified from the empirical data in accordance with the practice and narratives of the research participants. The findings indicate that volunteers prioritise management tasks based on organisational reputational risk to donors, depending on capacity within the management committee and do not adopt an integrated approach to management tasks. The volunteers’ roles on management committees require more formalisation, clarification on the various levels of management and the accountability that is bestowed on volunteers at the echelons of power within NPOs. Additionally, volunteers need education on their roles and responsibilities so they can carry out their governance of NPOs. Recommendations were made along the literature categories, with specific recommendations under reach category. Generally, the main recommendations are the need to educate volunteers on their roles and responsibilities and the statutory requirements thereof, educate staff on the role of volunteers and training of volunteers on the integration of management tasks so that organisations are viewed in their integrated holistic sense rather than fragmented parts that do not make a whole.
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    Implementation of the supervision framework for the social work profession in South Africa by a designated child protection organisation
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Khosa, Priscalia; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Supervision plays a significant role in social work because social work practice depends largely upon the organisation’s administrative structure, which includes supervisors to continue training new social workers and provide ongoing professional guidance. Despite the predominance of supervision within the social work profession, and the weight placed upon its role and function by policymakers, practitioners, and organisation managers alike, it remains an under-researched area of enquiry when it comes to evidence-informed supervision policies. In South Africa, the Supervision Framework for the Social Work Profession seeks to conceptualise, contextualise, and provide norms and standards that guide the execution of supervision in the country. However, since its inception in 2012, no study has been conducted on how the Supervision Framework is implemented in various organisations. Hence, the aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the stories of social workers in a designated child protection organisation regarding the implementation of the Supervision Framework. Given the knowledge gap and limited voices of social workers, a constructionist theoretical approach guided this study to explore the perspectives and stories of social workers and their supervisors on how the Supervision Framework is implemented in their organisation. This study employed a qualitative research approach. A case study research design that was exploratory and descriptive in nature was adopted in this study. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted with 28 participants employed in a designated child protection organisation in the Western Cape of South Africa. Twenty social workers and 8 supervisors within the organisation were selected through purposive non-probability sampling. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis using ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software for coding and management of data. The findings of the study indicate that the case study of the child protection organisation may be regarded as a best practice example of the implementation of the Supervision Framework based on the linear stories of supervisors and frontline social workers. However, what is novel about this study is that it brings together previous findings, theory, policy, and legislation about the implementation of the Supervision Framework in a child protection organisation by further analysing the subtext stories of participants in line with the constructionist approach. Thus, although the organisation under study has thrived in developing a supervision policy and implementing the policy in line with the stipulations of the Supervision Framework, there remains challenges related to the dominance of the administrative function of supervision within the organisation and, in some instances, lack of emotional support. The key recommendation based on the study’s findings is that clinical supervision can be salvaged by introducing innovative ways of conducting supervision, such as peer supervision, to develop a community of supervision practice; by adopting an external supervision model to place the primary focus of supervision on clinical dimensions instead of administrative tasks; and by investigating the potential of online supervision in promoting the accessibility of supervisors.
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    The role of social workers in facilitating financial capabilities development of vulnerable households
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Bambeni, Ntobeko; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Financial capability is one of the important strategies for poverty alleviation, and the social work profession plays a significant role in interventions that are aimed at alleviating poverty. However, such role has not been adequately explored, especially in the South African context. This is despite social workers’ contribution to the facilitation of financial capabilities development during their daily interaction with service users. The objectives of this study were to provide an overview of the socio-economic context of households in South Africa, to describe and analyse poverty alleviation interventions in South Africa, to analyse theories of the facilitation of vulnerable households’ financial capabilities within a social development perspective, to empirically investigate the role of social workers in facilitating the financial capabilities development of vulnerable households and to present conclusions and offer recommendations to the Department of Social Development, the non-profit social welfare sector and the South African Council for Social Service Professions in terms of the findings of the study. A qualitative study was conducted utilising semi-structured interviews with 35 social work professionals (20 social workers, 10 supervisors and 5 social work policy managers) in order to gain in-depth understanding of the role of social workers in facilitating financial capabilities development. The data and empirical findings were analysed in line with themes as identified in the interview schedule, namely conceptual understanding of financial vulnerability, causes of financial vulnerability, sources of referral for cases of financial vulnerability, interventions of social workers, success and effectiveness of social workers’ interventions, challenges faced by social workers when facilitating financial capabilities development, relevance of social workers in facilitating financial capabilities development and capacitation of social workers. Subthemes and categories were identified in accordance with the narratives of the participants from the empirical data.The conclusions of the study were based on the findings in relation to the eight themes. Some of the findings indicated that the social workers provided interventions in the facilitation of financial capabilities through their roles of educator, advocate, communicator, enabler and negotiator. The findings also revealed that some of the social v workers’ interventions were successful and effective in bringing about the desired financial behaviour, and that this became possible through the cooperation of service users and relevant stakeholders. Despite the success and effectiveness of the interventions, the findings showed that social workers were also faced with challenges when facilitating financial capabilities. These challenges included lack of cooperation from non-voluntary service users and lack of appropriate skills and knowledge among social workers. The findings indicated the relevance of the social work profession in the facilitation of financial capabilities development due to the correlation between financial and psychosocial vulnerability. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for the capacitation of social workers in financial management and financial capabilities development. Based on the research findings, some of the recommendations include the capacitation of social workers through the provision of in-service training on financial management and financial capability and the inclusion of financial capabilities development in the social work curriculum. The key recommendation of this study is that the development of a curriculum for social work students and practitioners alike on the facilitation of financial capabilities development (financial social work) is absolutely vital in the context of South Africa’s social development approach towards social work service delivery.
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    The role of social workers in promoting entrepreneurship among the youth in Botswana
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Jongman, Kgomotso; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. .
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Social work has been said to be a profession of many faces, it is deeply entrenched in socio-economic and to some extent political influences because it deals with policy that guides social welfare. With so many faces and too much influence from outside, there are a couple of roles that social workers perform and this array of roles that social workers perform can end up leading them to forget the core mandate of social work which is social justice and end up feeding the cravings of neoliberalism especially from government and donor organisations. Botswana has been classified as upper middle-class economy with a reasonable GDP per capita but it is clear that despite the high economic success and stable political environment, the country is still experiencing the challenges experienced by poor countries. There is high poverty incidents, national unemployment, and high unemployment among the youth. The youth are the most important because they make up to 70% of the whole population which means they should be given priority in a developmental intervention. Unemployment among the youth in Botswana is at 40% which is more than the national unemployment statistics which is at 20%. This high unemployment has led government to come up with different interventions since 1945 up until now. The aim of this study was to explore the role of social workers in promoting youth entrepreneurship in Botswana. The research objectives included the following: to contextualize social work in Botswana; to analyse theories of positive youth development within a social development paradigm and consider international and local perspectives; to synthesize theories of entrepreneurship based on theories of positive youth development within the context of social work in Botswana; to investigate the role of social work in promoting youth development in allied programmes in Botswana; to make recommendations to the Botswana Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development and to the academic community (University of Botswana and others) and other youth worker stakeholders regarding the role of social work in promoting youth development in entrepreneurship. These objectives also represented the chapter layout of the study. This research was ontologically cemented in the interpretivist paradigm, focused on understanding the narratives, dialogues and meaning; it was a exploratory and descriptive study, within a purposive sample section of the ministry of youth empowerment, sports and culture development where 21 social workers were interviewed. The primary research instrument within the case study framework was the semi-structured interview schedule, which through a reliance on such theoretical propositions, logic models, and pattern matching. The resultant empirical analysis explored the narratives of social workers when reflection on their roles in promoting youth entrepreneurship in Botswana. The social workers felt the ministry is more in achieving more numbers of those who have been given programmes without considering, the quality of service, talent, passion, environment where the youth are based. They further reflected on the lack of empirical evidence in terms of their interventions and this has made their work to be difficult because they cannot apply their skills and expertise as social workers and they end up being relegated to only performing clerical work of giving out forms and collecting forms without purposeful interventions which is aimed at social change, empowerment and social justice.
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    Views of social work managers on the transformation management of non-profit social welfare organisations
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-12) Scott-Muller, Lionel Richard; Engelbrecht, Lambert Karel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Transformation management is an essential competency that is required by social work managers for the effective transformation of non-profit social welfare organisations. Given the harsh socio-economic environment in which these organisations exist, particularly with the decline of the global economy, transformation management is critical for sustainability and survival. Moreover, the altruistic need in dealing with the decay of the moral and social fabric of society compounds the necessity for these benevolent organisations to survive. To this end, the landscape of effective social welfare service delivery in South Africa will immensely regress without their survival. In this regard, the transformation of the non-profit social welfare sector in this country has been characterised by being slow and underdeveloped. Despite the inception of democracy and the subsequent promulgation of a myriad of laws, policies and protocols, the malaise within the non-profit social welfare sector continues unabated. The burgeoning growth of social welfare dependants increases daily, crime and violence in the country is at an all time high and the levels of unemployment still escalates. What exacerbates these challenges even further is that social demands are particularly prevalent in historically disadvantaged communities throughout South Africa where poverty levels have continued to remain unchanged. The dire need to revitalise and renovate the social welfare sector by government is thus an urgency that cannot be ignored. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the state to fulfil its social mandate of ensuring that the embedded human rights contained within the Bill of Rights and Constitution of South Africa is upheld. It is thus incumbent of this government to demonstrate the necessary political will in expediting beneficent social transformation in fulfilment of its mandated obligation. Transformation and development of the social welfare sector can no longer be seen as an ideal. Instead, it must be driven as an intentional and compelling priority by the state in order to accelerate the transformation of the ailing social welfare sector. It is within this context that the views of social work managers on transformation management of non-profit social welfare organisations become the primary focus of this investigation. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive design was chosen to explore the following objectives: to conceptualise transformation management; examine transformative management processes, dynamics and models; analyse transformative laws, policies and protocols; study transformed governance, management and operations and to empirically investigate the views of social work managers on transformation management of non-profit social welfare organisations. Research methods included conducting in-depth interviews with twenty social work managers followed by a focus group meeting with four more social work managers. Themes emerging from the data were then delineated into further sub-themes and categories providing rich contextual data which deepened insight and meaning of the topic being empirically investigated. As a result, the research findings provided evidence of the ailing social welfare sector and the compelling need for an integrated approach to be developed in accelerating the transformation of the non-profit social welfare sector. Based on these research findings, some of the core recommendations are: that the government provides the necessary leadership and political will to accelerate the transformation of the social welfare sector by reviewing pertinent funding policies, programmes and protocols; that non-profit social welfare organisations develop rigorous sustainable strategies such as the development of social entrepreneurship programmes, social media networks and websites to generate sustainable income and that a curriculum for transformation management practice be developed and included in the training of future social workers. The research confirms that transformation management is an essential competency that is required by social work managers for the effective transformation of non-profit social welfare organisations. Consequently, through the application of effective transformation management practice, the sustainability and indeed the survival of non-profit social welfare organisations in South Africa will undoubtedly improve.