UTILISING GROUP WORK IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FAMILY PRESERVATION SERVICES: VIEWS OF CHILD PROTECTION SOCIAL WORKERS

Josane Van Huyssteen,Marianne Strydom

doi:10.15270/52-4-530

Abstract

The largest area of service rendering in social work in South Africa pertains to child and family welfare. Policy directives indicate that services should be aimed at reducing child abuse and neglect while protecting the child and preserving the family unit. Group work is a cost-effective intervention strategy to be implemented to meet the high demand for child protection services. However, social workers face various challenges when utilising group work in service delivery. Yet because of the advantages of group work in addressing the social isolation of at-risk families, this intervention method should be incorporated into family preservation programmes.

Highlights

The South African government adopted a social developmental approach to welfare after 1994
With regard to the utilisation of group work in the implementation of family preservation services, it was determined that casework is the preferred intervention method and that group work is often not seen as applicable to family preservation
A possible reason for social workers refraining from utilising group work could be because of limited training in the applicability of group work to family preservation services

Summary

Introduction

The South African government adopted a social developmental approach to welfare after 1994. The goal of the developmental approach is to build a society that upholds the welfare rights of all South Africans regardless of gender, race, culture, language, religion, class, disability, geographical location or sexual orientation (Green & Nieman, 2003:161; Lombard, 2003:224-239; Midgley, 1995:3-21; White Paper, Ministry of Welfare and Population Development, 1997:7). To achieve this goal, a shift from the previous residual approach to a developmental orientation was needed (Ministry for Welfare and Population Development, 1997:11). Studies on the implementation of a social development approach have since noted that social workers are having trouble adjusting to this shift (Forward, 2008; Strydom, 2010)

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion