THE ROLES OF SOCIAL AUXILIARY WORKERS IN DROP-IN-CENTRES: ADDRESSING THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH HIV

Enock Zibengwa,Nontembeko Joyce Bila

doi:10.15270/57-2-929

Abstract

South Africa bears the largest burden of children living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. These children battle with multiple vulnerabilities in their lives. This qualitative study explored the roles of ten purposively sampled social auxiliary workers in addressing the biopsychosocial needs of children living with HIV at drop-in centres in Sedibeng District Municipality, South Africa. The study concluded that many of the biopsychosocial needs that children living with HIV face are not being comprehensively addressed. The study proposes the capacitation of social auxiliary workers on paediatric HIV and the biopsychosocial approach as well as improved funding for drop-in centres to increase the depth of services rendered to, and address the growing needs of, children living with HIV. 

Highlights

South Africa remains the global epicentre of HIV infection, with the total number of people living with HIV estimated at 7.9 million in 2018 (Statistics South Africa [Stats SA], 2018)
This study’s research question was: What are the roles of social auxiliary workers at drop-in centres in addressing the biopsychosocial needs of children living with HIV?
The study concludes that the biopsychosocial approach should be adopted to allow for comprehensive, integrated, inclusive, multi-sectoral and high-quality HIV treatment, care and social support programmes for children living with HIV to be sustainably and holistically implemented

Summary

Introduction

South Africa remains the global epicentre of HIV infection, with the total number of people living with HIV estimated at 7.9 million in 2018 (Statistics South Africa [Stats SA], 2018). In resource-limited areas of South Africa children living with HIV receive services from drop-in centres. The Children’s Act No 38 of 2005 (as amended) defines drop-in centres as community-based facilities, registered and regulated by the Department of Social Development (DSD), aimed at providing basic services that meet the emotional, physical and social development of vulnerable children. The provision of services within drop-in centres is primarily the responsibility of social auxiliary workers (SAWs), a ‘frontline’ category of social welfare workforce whose roles are viewed as critical in enabling the identification and facilitation of provision of health and other services to children living with HIV. In the context of this study, the focus was on SAWs who are employed in drop-in centres serving vulnerable children, including children living with HIV

Methods

Results

Conclusion