An evaluation of the implementation of alternative care as stipulated in the South African Children's Act
- Herselman, Marinei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6621-5392
- Authors: Herselman, Marinei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6621-5392
- Date: 2018-01
- Subjects: Children's rights -- South Africa , Orphans -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Africa , Foster home care
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29215 , vital:77613
- Description: Each day, the safety and well-being of some children across South Africa are threatened by child abuse and neglect. While the developmental approach to social welfare services is widely endorsed by government policy in South Africa, there are significant gaps between these policies and the actual implementation thereof. The process of implementing alternative care and returning the child to the family in the shortest possible time is crucial for the child’s development. Social workers are responsible for providing children with safety in the form of a safe environment of care, foster care or Child and Youth Care Centres. In the absence of clear guidelines, social workers continue to experience chronic challenges in implementing this approach. As this research is undertaken within the social developmental approach to child welfare, the researcher elevated the implementation of alternative care and deemed it necessary to include Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems approach as a conceptual theoretical framework as part of the study. This study intended to evaluate the implementation of alternative care in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and to make recommendations on how the system might be improved. In evaluating the implementation challenges of the social developmental welfare approach, the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner assisted in developing a conceptual framework to understand the interrelatedness between the systems infused with the elements of the developmental approach. A qualitative approach was employed and three data collection methods a semi-structured interview schedule, a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews) were utilized. Data was collected from participants who were social workers, biological parents of children in alternative care, children in Child and Youth Care Centres and foster and temporary safe care parents. Rich answers to questions were provided enabling the researcher to understand the complexity of the phenomenon that was being studied. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there appears to be a lack of understanding of what constitutes the child’s best interests; secondly, that there is a need to improve the current implementation of alternative care and to adjust and rethink current policy and implementation practices for improvement of services rendered. Thirdly, South Africa has embraced the developmental social welfare approach to service delivery for marginalised and vulnerable groups however, when its implementation is evaluated, as it has been in this research, it becomes evident that it is mired in infrastructural and resource problems and that the entire system is somewhat crippled. The study concluded that alternative care is not fully conducted within a developmental framework as envisaged and recommends that the lack of social worker involvement in the process need to be addressed by decreasing caseloads and providing mandated training on the roles and responsibilities of the social worker involved in the process. In any organisation, the newly employed staff should undergo intensive training to equip them with working skills to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in terms of the job required. Furthermore, it is recommended that foster care services be divided into a section for the orphan population and those who is in need of statutory interventions. Infrastructural and human resources call for better cooperation and networking between the Departments of Social Development, NGO’s and other service providers. Effective intervention strategies should be implemented that will educate and empower social workers in the field of child protection services. It is recommended that tailor-made approach be implemented specifically for children in alternative care, separating the statutory aspects of child placement from other aspects such as prevention and early intervention services. The study has ended with suggestions for areas of further research for the benefit of the social work profession and the clients it seeks to serve. , Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018
- Full Text:
- Authors: Herselman, Marinei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6621-5392
- Date: 2018-01
- Subjects: Children's rights -- South Africa , Orphans -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Africa , Foster home care
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29215 , vital:77613
- Description: Each day, the safety and well-being of some children across South Africa are threatened by child abuse and neglect. While the developmental approach to social welfare services is widely endorsed by government policy in South Africa, there are significant gaps between these policies and the actual implementation thereof. The process of implementing alternative care and returning the child to the family in the shortest possible time is crucial for the child’s development. Social workers are responsible for providing children with safety in the form of a safe environment of care, foster care or Child and Youth Care Centres. In the absence of clear guidelines, social workers continue to experience chronic challenges in implementing this approach. As this research is undertaken within the social developmental approach to child welfare, the researcher elevated the implementation of alternative care and deemed it necessary to include Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems approach as a conceptual theoretical framework as part of the study. This study intended to evaluate the implementation of alternative care in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and to make recommendations on how the system might be improved. In evaluating the implementation challenges of the social developmental welfare approach, the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner assisted in developing a conceptual framework to understand the interrelatedness between the systems infused with the elements of the developmental approach. A qualitative approach was employed and three data collection methods a semi-structured interview schedule, a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews) were utilized. Data was collected from participants who were social workers, biological parents of children in alternative care, children in Child and Youth Care Centres and foster and temporary safe care parents. Rich answers to questions were provided enabling the researcher to understand the complexity of the phenomenon that was being studied. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there appears to be a lack of understanding of what constitutes the child’s best interests; secondly, that there is a need to improve the current implementation of alternative care and to adjust and rethink current policy and implementation practices for improvement of services rendered. Thirdly, South Africa has embraced the developmental social welfare approach to service delivery for marginalised and vulnerable groups however, when its implementation is evaluated, as it has been in this research, it becomes evident that it is mired in infrastructural and resource problems and that the entire system is somewhat crippled. The study concluded that alternative care is not fully conducted within a developmental framework as envisaged and recommends that the lack of social worker involvement in the process need to be addressed by decreasing caseloads and providing mandated training on the roles and responsibilities of the social worker involved in the process. In any organisation, the newly employed staff should undergo intensive training to equip them with working skills to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in terms of the job required. Furthermore, it is recommended that foster care services be divided into a section for the orphan population and those who is in need of statutory interventions. Infrastructural and human resources call for better cooperation and networking between the Departments of Social Development, NGO’s and other service providers. Effective intervention strategies should be implemented that will educate and empower social workers in the field of child protection services. It is recommended that tailor-made approach be implemented specifically for children in alternative care, separating the statutory aspects of child placement from other aspects such as prevention and early intervention services. The study has ended with suggestions for areas of further research for the benefit of the social work profession and the clients it seeks to serve. , Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018
- Full Text:
An evaluation of the role of child and youth care centres in the implementation of South Africa’s children’s act
- Authors: Agere, Leonard Munyaradzi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: South Africa. Children's Act, 2005 , Children's rights -- South Africa , Child care services -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11770 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015406 , South Africa. Children's Act, 2005 , Children's rights -- South Africa , Child care services -- South Africa
- Description: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role played by CYCCs to provide support and protection to children who have been found to be in need of care, according to the criteria given in the Children’s Act No. 38/2005 as amended. The study made use of a qualitative approach and the research design was provided by the case study. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The most important findings to emerge from the study were that the factors which affect the operation of CYCCs are either institutional, or else challenges arising from issues pertaining to infrastructure and human resources. However, it was also acknowledged that, despite the challenges which affect their ability to provide their services to young people, the CYCCs had also made progressive steps to halt the suppression of the fundamental rights of children. It has been recommended that the government should apply comprehensive funding to the objectives of the Children’s Act, which would entail increasing the subsidies to CYCCs. It has also been recommended that the Policy on Financial Rewards should call for the same benefits and salary scales to apply for professional staff working in the government and to those working in the CYCCs. The repercussions from failing to adjust to these recommendations will inevitably lead to the employment of a remedial model of care.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Agere, Leonard Munyaradzi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: South Africa. Children's Act, 2005 , Children's rights -- South Africa , Child care services -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11770 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015406 , South Africa. Children's Act, 2005 , Children's rights -- South Africa , Child care services -- South Africa
- Description: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role played by CYCCs to provide support and protection to children who have been found to be in need of care, according to the criteria given in the Children’s Act No. 38/2005 as amended. The study made use of a qualitative approach and the research design was provided by the case study. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The most important findings to emerge from the study were that the factors which affect the operation of CYCCs are either institutional, or else challenges arising from issues pertaining to infrastructure and human resources. However, it was also acknowledged that, despite the challenges which affect their ability to provide their services to young people, the CYCCs had also made progressive steps to halt the suppression of the fundamental rights of children. It has been recommended that the government should apply comprehensive funding to the objectives of the Children’s Act, which would entail increasing the subsidies to CYCCs. It has also been recommended that the Policy on Financial Rewards should call for the same benefits and salary scales to apply for professional staff working in the government and to those working in the CYCCs. The repercussions from failing to adjust to these recommendations will inevitably lead to the employment of a remedial model of care.
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Perceptions of learners and teachers on the alternatives to the alternatives to corporal punishment: a case study of two high schools in King William’s Town Education District in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Kepe Mzukisi Howard
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa , Children's rights -- South Africa , School discipline -- South Africa , Teacher-student relationships -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16226 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019741 , Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa , Children's rights -- South Africa , School discipline -- South Africa , Teacher-student relationships -- South Africa
- Description: The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of learners and teachers on the alternatives to ‘Alternatives to Corporal Punishment’ (ATPC) in particular and discipline generally in the King William’s Town Education District in two high schools. The study ascended as a result of the decline of learner’s discipline in high schools. This study is located in the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach using questionnaires, interviews focus groups and field notes in the collection of data. The Data revealed that schools were using different strategies to maintain learner’s discipline such as Code of Conduct, Disciplinary hearing, Safety and Security Committee, Educators, Corporal Punishment, Alternative methods to Corporal Punishment and the role of parents. It further revealed that the Department of Education is not supportive in the maintenance of discipline in the schools under study in King William’s Town District. The conclusion that was arrived at was that all the stakeholders should agree upon and be acquainted with the Code of Conduct and rules that are guiding the schools. The study came up with the proposal that learners should know the consequences of transgressing the Code of Conduct. To address disciplinary problems, the study came up with the key recommendation that all stakeholders must have ownership and to work as a team in the implementation of those policies.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kepe Mzukisi Howard
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa , Children's rights -- South Africa , School discipline -- South Africa , Teacher-student relationships -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16226 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019741 , Corporal punishment of children -- South Africa , Children's rights -- South Africa , School discipline -- South Africa , Teacher-student relationships -- South Africa
- Description: The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of learners and teachers on the alternatives to ‘Alternatives to Corporal Punishment’ (ATPC) in particular and discipline generally in the King William’s Town Education District in two high schools. The study ascended as a result of the decline of learner’s discipline in high schools. This study is located in the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach using questionnaires, interviews focus groups and field notes in the collection of data. The Data revealed that schools were using different strategies to maintain learner’s discipline such as Code of Conduct, Disciplinary hearing, Safety and Security Committee, Educators, Corporal Punishment, Alternative methods to Corporal Punishment and the role of parents. It further revealed that the Department of Education is not supportive in the maintenance of discipline in the schools under study in King William’s Town District. The conclusion that was arrived at was that all the stakeholders should agree upon and be acquainted with the Code of Conduct and rules that are guiding the schools. The study came up with the proposal that learners should know the consequences of transgressing the Code of Conduct. To address disciplinary problems, the study came up with the key recommendation that all stakeholders must have ownership and to work as a team in the implementation of those policies.
- Full Text:
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