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205 submissions

# Sort descending	Operations	Status	Status	Title	Lastname	Firstname	eMail	Institution	Title of Presentatation	Theme Selection	Abstract
64	View	Accepted	Accepted	Mr.	Khumalo	Gift	[email protected]	University of the Witwatersrand	Reflecting on collaboration practices between teachers and social workers in supporting learners’ psychosocial development: a qualitative pilot study	THEME 1: Promoting stakeholder partnerships that protect, support and enhance resilience during adverse events and trauma	Addressing learners' psychosocial developmental challenges effectively necessitates collaborative approaches involving teachers and social workers. This aligns with the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, emphasizing interdependencies in field of humanities and the need for respectful cooperation in designing and implementing an inclusive education system. This qualitative exploratory pilot study, conducted with teachers and social workers (n=6) from a bigger research project in two Gauteng District 11 schools, articulates this collaborative practice and explores the experiences of teachers and social workers in providing psychosocial support to learners. Findings highlight diverse shared responsibilities, including provision of counselling, motivating learners, engaging parents, conducting assessments and home visits, and establishing psychosocial support programs. The participants identified challenges that they experienced during their process of supporting learners to include limited teacher and school participation, lack of parental involvement, reluctant and resistant learners, and inadequate social work resources. To support learners, the study recommends a collaborative structure that involves social workers, teachers, parents, community members, and organizations, which emphasizes the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach in schools.
66	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Wilson	Lizane	[email protected]	North-West University	Hearing children’s voices in creating safe living spaces	THEME 1: Promoting stakeholder partnerships that protect, support and enhance resilience during adverse events and trauma	Children are vulnerable, but children living in a high-risk community are considerably more so. It is essential to protect these children against forms of abuse to ensure their wellbeing. This must be done by fostering a safe living space. In order to create safe living spaces we need to include the children’s voices to participate in matters that affect them. The purpose of this study was to explore children’s perceptions on community safety in relation to child sexual abuse prevention. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 32 children aged 11 – 12 years living in a high-risk community. Four focus group discussions were used for data collection and included visual data collection methods such as The Child Protection Community Map of Courage. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that the children experience their community as unsafe due to various factors.
67	View	Pending Review	Pending Review	Ms.	Sayed	Tasleem	[email protected]	North-West University	Coping and resilience amongst South African patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. A qualitative study	THEME 2: Building sustainable, resilient, and self-reliant communities through indigenous modalities, inter-sectoral collaborations, and partnerships
68	View	Accepted	Accepted	Ms.	Poopedi	Lehlogonolo	[email protected]	University of Pretoria	The Impact of Disasters on the mental well-being of social workers: Developing Resilience informed social work guidelines towards navigating mental wellbeing during disasters	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	Social workers play fundamental roles in disaster response, recovery, preparedness and planning for future occurrences, by being among frontline practitioners who respond to the complex challenges posed by disasters. However, they get exposed to similar mental stressors and societal shifts as the public. Working in the frontline setting has been repeatedly identified as a risk factor for poorer mental health among social workers. This means that social workers are not immune to disasters' damaging and traumatic effects. Despite this, the frontline workers' mental well-being, especially social workers, is often overlooked. There is an evident gap in the literature on the mental well-being of social workers during disasters. This is the case against the urgent need to ensure that social workers are well supported to respond to the overwhelming needs of service users emerging during disasters. It is important to explore the mental well-being of social workers in mitigating the ravages of disasters and developing strategies to safeguard their mental well-being during similar disaster scenarios. This paper will critically investigate social workers as a vulnerable group during disasters, their role in mitigating the ravages of disasters, the impact of disasters on their mental well-being and provide recommendations for practice going forward.
69	View	Accepted	Accepted	Ms.	Kgole	Mary	[email protected]	University of Pretoria	Management of Vicarious Trauma for Victim Empowerment Social Workers: Intimate Partner Violence	THEME 1: Promoting stakeholder partnerships that protect, support and enhance resilience during adverse events and trauma	Intimate Partner Violence forms a large proportion of the violence faced by the country and remains on the increase. In response to the rising challenge of IPV, Victim Empowerment has been designed to deal with the impact of IPV on victims and implementers. This study employed the qualitative research approach, seeking to explore experiences of service implementers to inform guidelines for practice. The goal of the study is ‘to provide management of vicarious traumatization of Victim Empowerment Social Workers. Semi-structured interviews was used to collect data with a sample of social workers. Purposive sampling method will allowed the researcher to use her judgment by purposively selecting persons because they are accessible, suitable, and embody some characteristics of the study. The VEP was initiated within the broader NCPS , in order to recognize the negative impact of crime on individuals, families and communities and also to prevent secondary victimization. The program deals with victimization, , however in dealing with victims of IPV, implementers of services are left with long lasting scars because of Vicarious Trauma. The guidelines for practice include psychosocial support for VEP social workers and debriefing services. Key Words: Intimate Partner Violence, Victim Empowerment, Gender Based Violence, Vicarious Trauma.
70	View	Accepted	Accepted	Ms.	Seodi	Palesa	[email protected]	Gauteng Department of Health	Employee Health and Wellness (EH&W) Performance Indicators for the Gauteng Department of Health	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	Employers use EHWP to improve employee health and performance, but it needs management and financial support to be successful. EHWP effectiveness in South Africa is unclear due to a lack of evaluation of localized and indigenous programs. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly examine crucial factors that significantly impact the well-being of employees at three Gauteng state hospitals. This in-depth analysis will enable EHWP administrators to more accurately assess the effects of local conditions and dynamics on employees’ health and overall well-being investigating the extent of EHWP implementation in the program budget and how this directly affects the program's effectiveness. Using a structural equation model, the study identifies objective and subjective factors that contribute to employee well-being, namely Work Engagement and Psychological Capacity. Based on these findings, the study provides insightful recommendations on how this knowledge can be utilized to improve the effectiveness of service offerings for employees. KEYWORDS: Employees Health and Wellness Programme (EH&WP) Psychological General Wellbeing Index (PGWBI) Psychological Capital (PsyCap-24), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)
71	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Heyns	Yolande	[email protected]	Private Practice	Identifying and supporting children with developmental delays and/or disabilities in rural child and youth care centres	THEME 1: Promoting stakeholder partnerships that protect, support and enhance resilience during adverse events and trauma	Historically, there is a lack of structured assessment and intervention protocols to support the care of children with developmental delays and/or disabilities (DDDs) in rural child and youth care centres (CYCCs) across South Africa. A three-phased research project produced a protocol to fill this gap. It is called the Ecosystemic Assessment and Intervention Protocol (ECO-AIP). The purpose of this presentation would be to introduce the ECO-AIP. The presentation will mainly focus on the algorithmic steps followed, and the accompanying assessments that need to be conducted as part of the protocol. The protocol was implemented in two rural CYCCs between 2020 and 2021. This presentation shows the benefits of the protocol, as found during empirical research. Three journal articles have been published on this research (of which one is international). The training and accreditation process that should be followed before the ECO-AIP can be implemented in a CYCC is also discussed.
72	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Nadesan	Varoshini	[email protected]	University of Johannesburg	Capacitating Students in Field Training	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	This paper highlights the challenges faced by social work students during their fourth-year field placements. The research was conducted among social work students at two historically disadvantaged universities in South Africa in order to understand the field experiences of final-year Bachelor of Social Work students from historically disadvantaged universities. A qualitative study was undertaken among current and past social work students. The findings highlighted issues pertaining to limited placements, poorly managed student placements, access to communities, and supervision challenges. However, the key findings indicate that once placed, the students felt abandoned by their training institutions and left to rely solely on their field supervisors for academic, administrative and developmental guidance. The study recommends that universities be more adept at fulfilling the needs of students and providing comprehensive support. The study also recommends that a suitably administered system of communication between the university, student and placement agency be implemented as part of the comprehensive support to students.
73	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Manganyi	Patricia Manganyi	[email protected]	University of Vend	THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPLICATION DURING SOCIAL WORK FIELD PRACTICE	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	The Covid-19 has brought unprecedented situation in social work education, which had an impact in teaching and learning as well as field practice. Technology advances have greatly expanded opportunities for teaching institutions to deliver education and explore other methods. Social workers are challenged to embrace the use of information and communication technology-supported interventions and services to address emerging issues, challenges and risks in society. Therefore, student social workers should recognize that the use of digital technology and social media may pose threats to the practice of many ethical standards including but not limited to privacy and confidentiality, conflicts of interest, competence, and documentation and must obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to guard against unethical practice when using technology. Thus, this paper argues that irrespective of the technology advancement and adopting it as a mode of practice in social work, the effective and ethical use of technology should be guided by principles and code of conduct to avoid harm and violate client’ privacy. Key words: Social work, Covid-19, Technology
74	View	Accepted	Accepted	Prof.	Van der Westhuizen	Marichen	[email protected]	University of the Western Cape	Student social workers’ understanding of the concepts of ‘culture’, ‘cultural identity’ and ‘decolonisation’	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	This presentation reports on meanings student social workers attach to the concepts of culture, cultural identity and decolonisation. Utilising the framework of the Active Force of Currere, the aim was to explore 1) their perceptions and experiences of the concepts, 2) how past experiences influence present understanding on a personal and professional level, and 3) to develop a collective description of these concepts. A qualitative approach was followed, utilising the phenomenological research design. A purposive sampling strategy was implemented to access participants from the population of registered student social workers at the UWC. Data was collected through World Café focus groups, followed by thematic data analysis. Voluntary participation, confidentiality and the management of data guided ethical practice. The findings reflect aspects that influence the participants’ understanding as well as their shared definition of the concepts as a contribution to decolonised education; including lived experiences, perceptions and understandings in curricula.
75	View	Accepted	Accepted	Mr.	Gumbi	Sandile Ntethelelo	[email protected]	University of KwaZulu-Natal	CONCEPTUALISATION OF SUPERVISION IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AS A SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATION	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	CONCEPTUALISATION OF SUPERVISION IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AS A SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATION ABSTRACT Social work supervision is core in enhancing the delivery of quality services to clients while enhancing the professional development of social workers. The historical development of social service supervision reflects that professional and organisational demands do not co-exist without challenges. The tension that often manifests between professional and managerial supervision, is explained using the analogy of “polity dualism”, a concept widely used in political science to describe the co-existence of democratic and traditional rulership. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory-descriptive design underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. Seventeen social workers and supervisors were purposively sampled from one district. The findings were presented using two main themes and two related subthemes, respectively. These included participants’ understanding of supervision and relating supervision understanding with experience. The recommendations point to the need for supervisors to adhere to supervisory responsibilities with the allocated number of supervisees, decreasing administrative duties and provision of ongoing capacity-building programmes. Key Words: Professional supervision, Managerial supervision, Polity dualism, Neoliberalism, Supervisor, Social Worker.
76	View	Accepted	Accepted	Prof.	Warria	Ajwang'	[email protected]	University of Calgary	Transnational Children on the Move: Adopting Nature-based and Culturally Responsive Social Work Interventions	THEME 1: Promoting stakeholder partnerships that protect, support and enhance resilience during adverse events and trauma	Millions of children ‘move’ both within and between countries. Children may move with their families, peers or do so independently. Children migrate for a variety of reasons: to escape poverty, abuse, violence, or conflict, for adventure, to join their families, or to access education, jobs, and basic services or because of climate-related push factors. The children’s movement takes many forms, and their experiences are extremely varied. Children on the move continue to be invisible in social work debates on the child protection-migration nexus. In addition, the limited interventions available to them are often fragmented and inconsistent with their needs. Based on a critical review of literature, this paper highlights the children’s common rights-based protection needs and illustrates how nature-community based responses can be adapted to their specific needs.
77	View	Accepted	Accepted	Prof.	Warria	Ajwang'	[email protected]	University of Calgary	Mwacha Mila ni Mtumwa: A Critical Exploration of Trauma-informed Approaches in Schools of Social Work in Africa	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	Challenging life experiences can impact any individual’s present-day functioning and achievement of goals and dreams. This has given rise and endorsement of trauma-informed care and practice globally, including in Africa. This calls for curriculum development as a direct means of transmitting professional ideals and values from current academics to future generations of social work practitioners, activists and researchers. Although some social work academics in schools of social work in Africa adopt radical positionality in their writing and teaching, very few social work programmes incorporate critical perspectives in their social work curriculum. This paper is not questioning people’s challenging life experiences, but rather it acknowledges that emotional distress and pain is a reality for many and that it can have harmful consequences. It also emphasizes that transformative social work training ought to include sensitive, helpful, and relational responses - ensuring appropriate social supports and interpersonal connections, rather than specific trauma-based interventions.
78	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Lekganyane	Maditobane	[email protected]	University of South Africa	NAVIGATING THROUGH THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT NO 4 OF 2013: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTITIONERS	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	The commencement of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (hereinafter referred to as POPIA) in South Africa imposed a regulated environment from unregulated common practices when processing personal information. Under the Act, certain conditions were introduced to establish requirements when processing personal information. Among responsible persons involved in processing personal information is social work practitioners who are instrumental in protecting and supporting vulnerable members of our populations such as children, persons with disabilities, the elderly persons, refugees, and others. Despite the implications of POPIA on their practice, there is scanty literature around the subject of POPIA and social work practitioners, hence this paper provokes thoughts around the best ways for social work practitioners to navigate through the conditions imposed by this enacted law text. The paper also outlines the implications of POPIA on social work practice and proposes an approach towards practicing in compliance with this legislation.
79	View	Rejected	Rejected	Ms.	Mdlankomo	Andiswa Pamella	[email protected]	University of Fort Hare	Abstract on the title: The protection of physical and psychological health and wellbeing of children, people with disabilities, and older people through fostering safe, sustainable, and inclusive living space.	THEME 1: Promoting stakeholder partnerships that protect, support and enhance resilience during adverse events and trauma	Abstract on the title: The protection of physical and psychological health and well-being of children, people with disabilities, and older people through fostering safe, sustainable, and inclusive living spaces. Andiswa Pamella Mdlankomo: University of Fort Hare ([email protected]), with Hloniphile Khuzwayo: the University of Free State ([email protected] Abstract: To safeguard the physical and mental health and welfare of vulnerable people, through case studies and evidence-based research, the paper will explore various strategies for fostering safe, sustainable, and inclusive living spaces to promote the health and well-being of these vulnerable populations. This applies to everyone, especially children, people with disabilities, and the elderly, who are more vulnerable to the harmful impacts of a dangerous, unsustainable, and exclusive living situation. Their physical well-being depends on having access to clean water, sanitary facilities, and suitable housing. In contrast, their psychological well-being is enhanced by having opportunities for social interaction and leisure activities. Homes, structures, and public areas must be inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free for people with disabilities. Elderly persons require community services that enable them to age in place with dignity and independence and accessible and affordable housing. Keywords: Physical well-being, psychological well-being, environmental degradation, vulnerable population, sustainability.
80	View	Accepted	Accepted	Prof.	Mogorosi	Lobelo D.	[email protected]	University of Venda	WORK ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR SOCIAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	The goal of work organizational ‘corporate citizenship’ initiatives, such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee wellness programs (EAPs), is to assist such organizations to help meet personal and socio-economic needs of employees, their families and hosting communities. This paper argues that Social Work professionals can assist such organizations to meet their positive ‘corporate citizenship’ objectives, in their work through wellness programs and corporate social (CSR) projects. These organizations assist nations economically and socially through employment of citizens and payment of corporate taxes, all which contribute towards assisting in meeting some of the national goals and plans. National legislations and programs may help ensure that attention is paid on CSR and similar workplace initiatives can go a long way to contribute towards democracy and national harmony, thus lower societal strives and conflicts. The presentation, thus, reflects on roles and dilemmas related to ‘corporate citizenship’ of work organizations, focusing on selected policy areas (namely, human resource, investment, environmental and philanthropy).
81	View	Accepted	Accepted	Ms.	Mdlankomo	Andiswa Pamella	[email protected]	University of Fort Hare	Advancing Decolonial and Afrocentric education, research, and practice.	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	Abstract on the title: Advancing Decolonial and Afrocentric Education, research, and Practice. Andiswa Pamella Mdlankomo: University of Fort Hare ([email protected]), with Hloniphile Khuzwayo: the University of Free State ([email protected] Abstract: Critical frameworks that aim to counter the predominately Eurocentric viewpoints in academia and society include decolonial and Afrocentric education, research, and practice. This abstract will make the case for expanding these frameworks through a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates numerous scientific disciplines, including literature, history, sociology, anthropology, and psychology. The decolonial perspective aims to undermine colonial systems of privilege and power that still influence how knowledge is produced and disseminated. Afrocentricity, on the other hand, emphasizes African-centered perspectives and experiences while analyzing societal issues. Together, these concepts support social justice, equity, and inclusion while providing a potent criticism of neocolonialism, racism, and patriarchy. In order to build more inclusive and culturally sensitive environments, this abstract will stress the significance of infusing decolonial and Afrocentric viewpoints into educational curricula, research methodology, and professional practices. Keywords: Afrocentric education, Eurocentric, decolonial, knowledge
82	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Jacobs	Issie	[email protected]	North-West University	Boetto’s Transformative Eco-Social Model for Social Work as a way to address Ecological Social Work and Environmental Citizenship in South Africa	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	The role and responsibilities of social workers over the years had to adjust according to the specific needs and challenges, which at the time presented themselves and required the social work profession to adjust. It is believed that the social work profession once again is at a crossroad where a possible paradigm shift is needed if it not only wants to match the rapid changes of the 21st century, but also wants to stay relevant in its service delivery to communities and vulnerable populations. Boetto’s “Transformative Eco-Social Model for Social Work” is proposed as the way forward as the characteristics of this model address aspects such as ecological literacy and justice, indigenous perspectives, eco-feminism and criticality, the incorporating of global perspectives, a focus on sustainability and de-growth, and rethinking the concept of wellbeing.
83	View	Accepted	Accepted	Dr.	Smith	Sufran	[email protected]	NWU	Perspectives of state prosecutors on the expected content of forensic social workers’ court reports	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	Sexual violence against children is a gross violation of children`s rights. Corroborative evidence in these cases is rare. Because of this reason, cases of child sexual abuse, is often referred to forensic social workers for further investigation, who on their turn, will compile a report with their findings and testify in court on the matter. During such testimony, state prosecutors would sometimes express their frustration about forensic social workers’ reports. This study aimed to address this aspect and to make some recommendations to forensic social workers, based on the feedback, gained from 12 state prosecutors by means of semi structured interviews, regarding their expectations of court reports. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from the NWU. Keywords: court report; forensic social work; perspectives; state prosecutors,
84	View	Accepted	Accepted	Prof.	Williams	Heiletje Marili	[email protected]	University of South Africa	COMPASSION FATIGUE AMONG SOCIAL WORKERS EMPLOYED IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS – HOW CAN WE HELP?	THEME 4: Quality management and enhancement of social services	Social workers in government hospitals are tasked to render social work support services to patients and their families within a multidisciplinary team approach. This qualitative study explored and described government hospital social workers’ experiences and reactions to compassion fatigue by applying exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research strategies with a sample of these social workers in Gauteng. Semi-structured interviews with questions contained in an interview guide. The data was analysed using the eight steps of Tesch (in Creswell, 2014), and data verification was applied. Ethical considerations were adhered to throughout the research process. This study’s findings will boost the service delivery offered to patients because social workers who can recognise and deal with compassion fatigue will be able to provide a better quality service. Finally, the study will guide managers and supervisors to recognise compassion fatigue and the importance of supporting social workers in dealing with compassion fatigue and provide content for policy reviews, education and development.

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