Browsing by Author "Gumbi, Sandile Ntethelelo."

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Critical analysis of social work supervision in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development: an Afrocentric perspective.
(2024) Gumbi, Sandile Ntethelelo.; Mazibuko, Ntombifikile Margaret.; Sithole, Mbongeni Shadrack.
The study seeks to use an Afrocentric perspective to critically analyse social work supervision in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Social Development (DSD) to suggest possible ways to develop Afrocentric-based supervision. Threading through this study is the significance of an ongoing relationship on the one hand between supervision and social work practices and on the other the development of supervision alongside the latter. Despite the proximal relationship between social work practice and supervision, the vast scholarly contribution to Afrocentric social work, and several Afrocentric-related studies conducted in the DSD, there is a view that there is not much published expression on the conceptual and contextual understanding of supervision that embraces the Afrocentric paradigm. The Afrocentric theory and critical social theory underpinned the study. Twenty social workers and supervisors were purposively sampled from the identified districts on the KZN DSD. Three key informants were also selected for expert opinions in relation to the critical analysis of social work supervision through the Afrocentric perspective. Data was collected from the participants through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic data analysis. Findings reveal that participants mainly conceptualise supervision that would be Afrocentric-based as one that is culturally relevant, considers African spirituality and traditions, is people and community-centered, and is characterised by humanness and holistic. Hence, participants described the features of Afrocentric-based supervision as one that should recognise African cultures and traditions and be community-centered, holistic, and Ubuntu-centered. Participants' description of the features of the Afrocentric-based supervision is consistent with the key informant's description as they concluded that Afrocentric-based supervision should be informed by justice, truth, commitment, peacefulness, calmness, and community. Policy transformation and restructuring, stakeholder engagement and consultation, and conducting extensive research on Afrocentric-based supervision were among the possible ways that participants deemed critical towards the development of Afrocentric-based supervision. The study recommendations are threefold and relate to recommendations relating to future research, current social work practice, and policy restructuring.
Exploring the experiences of social work practitioners and supervisors on the implementation of social work supervision in the Department of Social Development: a case study of King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
(2021) Gumbi, Sandile Ntethelelo.; Sithole, Mbongeni Shadrack.
Supervision has been a subject of study for many decades and has been at the centre of social work practice as it exerts its unique significance in the profession. As social work practitioners and supervisors are the key role-players in the process of supervision, it was necessary to understand their experiences. The main aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of social work practitioners and supervisors in the Department of Social Development at King Cetshwayo District, so as determine how these experiences have impact on the service provision. The objectives of the study were to explore the nature of supervision that exists; examine the context within which supervision takes place; explore how social work practitioners and supervisors experience supervision, and examine the experiences of social work practitioners and supervisors to understand how supervision is executed. The study was qualitative that utilized the interpretive paradigm as the philosophical worldview. The study utilized an exploratory-descriptive research design to explore and describe the aspects of the research topic to gain a deeper and in-depth understanding of the researched topic. The purposive sampling was utilized to intentionally sample participants that fit the prearranged criteria. A maximum of seventeen participants was sampled, where thirteen participants were social workers and four participants were social work supervisors. Both telephonic and face-to-face interviews were used, as data collection method. The participants were sampled from three different service offices under King Cetshwayo District. The research findings revealed that most participants in the Department of Social Development at King Cetshwayo District have unpleasant experiences on how supervision was being implemented. Participants stated factors such as, amongst others, insufficient time, high workloads, and disorganized working environment as negatively impacting the implementation of supervision in their service offices. The main conclusion drawn from the findings was that almost all service offices were unable to appropriately implement supervision in a manner that strikes a balance on different functions of supervision appropriately. The recommendations were divided into those that related to the study as a whole and those that suggested for future studies.