Maatskaplike werkers se siening oor dienslewering aan pleegsorggesinne

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dienste wat maatskaplike werkers in Suid-Afrika aan kinders en gesinne lewer, fokus veral op kinderbeskerming en statutêre werk wat hoofsaaklik pleegsorg ondersoeke op ʼn daaglikse basis inslui. Pleegsorg word wêreldwyd as een van die beste alternatiewe sorg opsies gesien vanweë die feit dat hierdie plasing gewoonlik binne die familie struktuur plaasvind. Maatskaplike beleid en wetgewing rig die dienste wat aan hierdie pleegsorggesinne gelewer moet word. Die Kinderwet 38 van 2005 verplig maatskaplike werkers om dienste aan pleegsorggesinne te lewer (Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 2005). Alhoewel pleegsorg wêreldwyd as een van die beste vorms van alternatiewe sorg beskou word, word dienslewering aan pleegsorggesinne in Suid-Afrika bemoeilik as gevolg van verskeie uitdagings. Hierdie studie ondersoek maatskaplike werkers in die Wes-Kaapse metropool en omgewing se siening oor dienslewering aan pleegsorggesinne. ʼn Literatuurstudie is gedoen om eerstens ʼn beter begrip te verkry oor die wyse waarop maatskaplike beleid en wetgewing dienslewering aan pleegsorggesinne rig. Tweedens is die benutting van ʼn ekologiese perspektief en gehegtheidsteorie asook die integrasie daarvan tydens pleegsorgdienslewering, uiteengesit. Laastens het die literatuurstudie pleegsorgdienslewering en uitdagings in die pleegsorg praktyk beskryf. Die studie volg hoofsaaklik ʼn kwalitatiewe benadering, alhoewel ʼn kwantitatiewe benadering ook gevolg is waar die identifiserende besonderhede van deelnemers aangevra was. Hierdie studie het van beide ʼn verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak om sodoende te verseker dat inligting, insig en omvattende beskrywings oor die ondersoek en resultate, deurgegee word. Daar is gebruik gemaak van ʼn semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule om die onderhoude, wat met twintig deelnemers gevoer is oor maatskaplike werkers se siening oor dienslewering aan pleegsorggesinne, te rig en lei. Belangrike bevindings van hierdie studie is hoofsaaklik dat alhoewel beleid en wetgewing in Suid-Afrika pleegsorgdienslewering voorskryf en rig, die uitdagings in die pleegsorg praktyk, dienslewering beïnvloed. Hierdie uitdagings wat ervaar word, veroorsaak dat effektiewe en noodsaaklike dienste aan pleegsorggesinne nie gelewer word nie, wat tot gevolg het dat pleegsorgkinders en pleegsorgouers se regte moontlik geskend word aangesien die dienste waarop hul geregtig is dikwels nie gelewer word nie. Nog ʼn belangrike bevinding van hierdie studie is dat deelnemers aangedui het, dat daar nie voldoende gespesialiseerde opleiding oor pleegsorgdienslewering ontvang word nie, wat ook die kwaliteit van pleegsorgdienslewering moontlik kan beïnvloed. ʼn Verdere bevinding was dat deelnemers wat dienste by kinder- en gesinsorgorgansies lewer nie literatuur oor pleegsorgdienslewering integreer en benut nie vanweë uitdagings in die praktyk en onkunde oor literatuur. Maatskaplike werkers wat dienste aan pleegsorggesinne by kinder- en gesinsorgorganisasies in Suid-Afrika lewer, moet gespesialiseerde opleiding oor pleegsorgdienslewering ontvang wat die benutting van literatuur tydens pleegsorgdienslewering insluit. Die verantwoordelikheid rus op die staat om meer fondse beskikbaar te stel aan kinder- en gesinsorgorganisasies sodat daar meer maatskaplike werkers aangestel kan word om sodoende die uitdagings in die maatskaplike werk praktyk beter te bestuur en gevolglik kwaliteit pleegsorgdienste te verbeter om pleegsorgkinders en -gesinne se regte te beskerm en te bevorder.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The services that social workers render to children and families in South-Africa include child protection and statutory work that are mainly focused on foster care investigations. Worldwide, foster care is seen as one of the best alternative care options due to the fact that this placement is usually done within the family structure. Social policy and legislation guide the services that need to be rendered to these foster care families. The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 imposes social workers to provide services to foster care families and therefor social workers render and provide services according to the Children’s Act (Republic of South Africa, 2005). Although worldwide foster care seem to be one of the best forms of alternative care, foster care service delivery in South Africa is hampered due to various challenges. This study examines the views of social workers on services rendered to foster care families in the Western Cape Metropole. A literature review was conducted to first gain a better understanding of how social policy and legislation are used to guide services rendered to foster care families. Secondly, the use of an ecological perspective and attachment theory and its integration in foster care service delivery, were explained. Thirdly, the literature study describes foster care service delivery as well as the challenges social workers face in the foster care practice. The study mainly follows a qualitative approach, although a quantitative approach was followed when the identifying particulars of participants were viewed. This study makes use of both an exploratory and descriptive research design to ensure that the information, insight and detailed descriptions of the research and results, pass up. The data was collected by using a semi-structured interview schedule to guide the interviews, which were conducted with twenty participants on social workers' view on services rendered to foster families. Key findings of this study are mainly that although policies and legislation in South Africa prescribe foster care service delivery, the challenges in the foster care practice affect service delivery. Because of these challenges effective and essential services to foster care families are not provided, resulting in the possible violation of foster children and foster parents' rights since the services to which they are entitled are often not delivered. Another important finding from this study is that participants indicated that they do not receive adequate specialised training on foster care service delivery, which can possibly also affect the quality of foster care services. Furthermore, it was found that participants rendering foster care services at child and family welfare organisations do not utilise literature when rendering these services mainly because of the challenges in practice as well as ignorance of literature. Social workers who provide services to foster care families in child and family welfare organisations in South Africa should receive specialised training on foster care service delivery, including the use of literature in foster care service delivery. The responsibility rests with the state to provide more funds to child and family welfare organisations so that they can appoint more social workers in order to better manage the challenges in social work practice and consequently improve the quality of foster care services rendered in order to protect and promote the rights of foster children and families