Social work

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An exploration of the experiences of social workers and nurses treating HIV/TB patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at King Dinuzulu Hospital in Durban.
(2023) Thabethe, Thandiwe Bonisiwe.; Seepamore, Boitumelo Khothatso.
The outbreak of COVID-19, a global health pandemic, created a tsunami of problems resulting in lockdowns as the world grappled to understand and contain its spread and save lives. For King Dinuzulu Hospital, a specialised healthcare centre for the treatment of TB, its designation as a COVID-19 health facility in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, turned it into a facility managing three epidemics, COVID-19, TB and HIV. The main aim of this study was to explore the experiences of public social workers and nurses caring for and treating TB/HIV patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at King Dinuzulu Hospital. This study utilised a qualitative research methodology. Data were collected from 15 HCWs (seven public social workers and eight nurses) selected using a purposive sampling methodology. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted. These were guided by an interview guide with open-ended questions, and the collected data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study revealed that COVID-19 negatively affected the delivery of social work and nursing services at King Dinuzulu Hospital, and HCWs experienced psychological distress due to fear of being infected, infecting their family members and seeing some of their colleagues and patients at KDH die from COVID-19 pandemic. The mitigation measures that were put in place to blunt the full impact of COVID-19 on HCWs providing services to TB/HIV patients, went some way in preventing a total disaster from happening. KDH needs to resolve the shortage of HCWs, provide sufficient PPEs, repair and provide access to telephones/ mobile phones, and provide adequate and conducive offices.
Critical analysis of foster care services: relationship between foster care drift and transitioning out of foster care (adulthood)
(2021) Mhlauli, Nolusindiso.; Sithole, Mbongeni Shadrack.
Foster care provides substitute care for children in need of care and protection. This category of children mainly involves those who cannot be cared for within their families and who are not available for adoption. While foster care is meant to be a temporary service aimed at providing permanency, most children in foster care are often not removed from the system and linger in care without permanency. This study examined the influence of foster care drift on transitioning out of foster care. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to bridging the gap in practice and literature on foster care around lack of insight and reporting on the extent of foster care drift and transitioning into adulthood. The need for this study was based on the observation and reporting that a number of foster care children cycle through various temporal placements, drifting in care until they age out. In this study, foster care service is viewed as developing through various stages of life-span development. The quantitative research method was used to collect and analyse data, with a descriptive cross-sectional design used as a specific design to study the influence foster care drift on transitioning out of foster care. Questionnaires were used to collect data from youth who aged out of foster care. The sample was applied to select 167 respondents from six child welfare organisations responsible for administration of foster care in Ugu District Municipality. The findings revealed that the welfare system is overburdened with orphans who are unable to exit the system; as a result, they find themselves drifting in care until they age out. Adequate social support from the family of origin, foster family and romantic relationships, did not buffer the respondents from foster care drift and negative transition outcomes. As a result of the deficiency in the system, majority experienced negative transition outcomes and they were not equipped or skilled to effectively navigate the transition passage. Therefore, during the transition out of care the majority struggled to cope with realities of adulthood and to live independently as the majority experienced negative transition outcomes. Exit strategies should be developed, regulated and appropriate funding be made available for the implementation of such strategies to aid the young people to effectively transition from care. To ease the overburdened foster care system, the implementation of the kinship grant is recommended as previously proposed by the child’s rights organizations.
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 men living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome at Okhahlamba Local Municipality.
(2023) Nxumalo, Vuyisiwe.; Mazibuko, Ntombifikile Margaret.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has been a part of the world since 1981 when first its discovery was made. It can be argued that the virus has become a normal part of human life; however, is this argument valid in this day and age? This research study explored the experiences of men living with HIV/AIDS, paying particular attention to reasons that led to their HIV testing, disclosure of HIV status, the possible stigmatisation and marginalisation or positive response encountered; the social, emotional, or economic challenges met, and the coping mechanisms adopted post HIVpositive diagnosis. This study aimed to explore the experiences of men in Okhahlamba Local Municipality living with HIV/AIDS. Social constructionism and the ecosystems theory were adopted as theoretical frameworks to help understand and to reach the intended aim of the study. A nonprobability sample of fifteen men living with HIV/AIDS was selected by using purposive sampling for data collection. This study was a qualitative study − it employed the interpretive paradigm and an exploratory design. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The most apposite themes were identified and analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that the reaction of males to their seropositive status is similar to that of females; furthermore, the study noted that rejection and fear of stigmatisation results in delayed disclosure of HIV-positive status. Additionally, the study supported studies that alluded to a relationship between trust and disclosure. Conclusions and recommendations were drawn based on data collected from the study which show that there is still a need for increased HIV/AIDS education, consistent development of the skills of counsellors, and implementation of a multisectoral response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Lived experiences of caregivers raising children living with autism in Manzini Eswatini.
(2024) Hlanze, Makhosazana Tibuyile.; Ngcobo, Nolwazi Pearl.
Research on autism in Eswatini is scarce, and with public awareness remaining at low levels, caregivers of children living with autism are faced with major challenges related to stigma, adverse discrimination, severe isolation, abuse and lack of supportive services. As a result, the plight of children living with autism is worse, significantly because the challenges are further escalated when combined with poverty since there is no proper diagnosis nor supportive services. Based on the researcher’s experience in the field of Social Work, and experiences of raising an autistic child and as a researcher, a gap was recognized in the awareness of autism in the country, seeing that it is in its inception stages. The overarching aim of the study was to explore the lived experiences of caregivers raising children living with autism in Manzini (Eswatini). The study utilized a constructionist paradigm, in order to delve into how caregivers construct their experiences of raising children living with autism. This study followed a descriptive-exploratory research design. The size of the study sample consisted of two males and 13 females which in total were 15 caregivers. The study utilised a purposive sampling method. Data were analysed using the Analytic Framework approach, which falls under the thematic analysis approaches for qualitative data. The findings in the study reflected that caregivers of children living with autism stress begins before the diagnosis is made and increases upon receiving the diagnosis. Significant feelings were found to be that of guilt, stress, denial, anxiety, depression, frustration, confusion, shock and fatigue; similar to the process of grief. Challenges caregivers experience is found to be lack of social support and social isolation; increasing their level of stress. Caregivers reported that their child has a positive influence on them as well as the child taught them patience, acceptance and unconditional love.
The functioning of care and support committees in selected schools in eSikhawini, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2023) Mathonsi, Moses Philani.; Mthembu, Maud Nombulelo.
The study explored the functioning of care and support committees in selected schools, within the context of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and poverty that are main detrimental factors causing children’s vulnerability. Functioning of schools as centers of care and support is also an international policy mandate and pioneered by the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU). The Department of Basic Education in South Africa, has implemented various policies that aim to streamline schools as centers of care and support for orphans and vulnerable children. Schools are recognized as centers of care and support if they are able to provide safety nets and offer social relief services to the learners in need of care and protection as stipulated in section 150 of the Children’s Act No 38 of 2005. The reviewed literature indicated that teachers tasked with rendering care and support in schools are facing challenges of limited resources to address the ever-increasing number of learners who have been identified as orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The study was conducted at eSikhawini in three selected schools with focus groups participants who are members of care and support committees and the participants of in-depth interviews with members of school management teams (SMTs) in each school. This study used qualitative methods and its relevant methodological approaches to gather data from the participants and to address the research problem and rationale that investigate the challenges and factors that are detrimental to the functioning of care and support committees in schools. The findings revealed that there is a lack of funding for the learner care and support functionality, lack of capacity building workshops and the care and support committee members who are expected to perform the caring role to the orphans and vulnerable children. The none-changing roles and lack of participation by other teachers in schools was also found as hindrances in the functioning of care and support committees in schools. The study has contributed to the domain of learner care and support, strategies of providing psychosocial support to learners and the understanding of the statutory roles of social workers in child protection organizations. In addition, the study has added value on strategies aiming to address the circumstances of the identified OVCs. Finally, the study has recommended policy 14 reviews pertinent to learner support at the Department of Basic Education, an increase of monitoring and evaluation functionality by the officials of the department of basic education at district level to address the systemic challenges faced by teachers positioned in frontline of rendering care and support to the OVCs.

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