SOCIALWORKERSREFLECTINGONTHE INTERSECTINGREALITIESWITHIN TRANSFORMATIVE AGENDA

DrVeloGovender

Itmustbeacknowledgedthatwhileglobalizationand neoliberalismplaysapivotalroleinbringing developmentinternationally,graveconcernsremain locallyinSouthAfricathatmanysocialworkmanagers andpractitionersintheChildWelfareorganisations contextuallyinteractwithindeprivedunderresourced systemswhichhasimplicationsformanagingsuch communities

The implications of these discourses have been widely studied. However, within the South Africancontextthereispaucityofresearchregardingtheimplicationsofneoliberalismandnew managerialismonsocialworkpracticeandservicedeliveryinthechildwelfaresector.

As a qualified social worker, having worked intheNGOsectorfor15yearsandasaparttimeacademic,supervisingfieldpracticeof social work students for over eight years, I was concerned with the multiple structural and organizational challenges social workersexperiencedbeyondtheircontrol

Additionally, the findings of my Master’s research with institutional social workers confirmed that the lack of resources, high staff turnover, and the recruitment of foster families emerged as key factors that contributed to the challenges experienced by both institutio workers in the servicestochild

I am concerned that fourteen years later, the same challenges persist among social workers within the CW sector. This has been my primary motive for conducting my PhD study.

This study contributes to the growing yet limited research on the structural challenges emanating from neoliberal and new managerial policies in social work practice within the child welfare sector No such study has been conducted in the KZN province of South Africa, particularly within the field of Child Welfare as perceived by ocial work

My PhD study presents the policies, practices and structures that include deliberations on the implications of political, socioeconomic andglobalissuesthatdirectlyimpacttheday to day functioning of child welfare organisationsandsocialworkersinexecuting theirduties

Thestudyfurtherelaboratesonthepervasive and persistent dialogue of salary structure and subsidy systems between child welfare and DSD, the poor retention strategies and the subsequent disempowerment of social workers challenging management and statutorybodies.

Hence this study calls for collaborative governance for BOM of CW organisations to meet in a common space to facilitate development and growth, thereby empowering each other and promoting the CW agenda nationally. The study recommendsthatbothsocialworkmanagers and practitioners should respond as a collective to advocate for policy and managerialpracticechanges.

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