Abstract
M.A. (Social Work)
Social development is perceived as a guiding framework for post-apartheid social welfare in South Africa (Holscher, 2008; Midgley & Sherraden, 2000). Changes within the political landscape, from apartheid to democracy, influenced the social welfare system which government intended to be achieved through a developmental approach. The political transformation which took place in South Africa led to the drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act No. 108 of 1996, the White Paper for Social Welfare (1997) as well as other policies and laws such as the Children’s Act No. 38 of 2005 (Patel, 2005; Annual Performance Plan, 2012/13; White Paper for Social Welfare, 1997). The Children’s Act is aligned to the Constitution of South Africa, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international laws on children. The transformation in South Africa also had a ripple effect on the practice of social work and affected statutory services, which rely heavily on the Children’s Act. Lombard and Kleijn (2006) indicate that statutory services can be developmental in nature, meaning that a shift from a residual approach to developmental practice is possible. However, developmental statutory services are faced with a number of challenges which, among others, include a lack of resources (Kleijn, 2004; Earle, 2008).
The purpose for this study was to explore the experiences of social workers in implementing the Children’s Act No. 38 of 2005 in the Ekurhuleni region. This Act was implemented in 2007, replacing the Child Care Act No. 74 of 1983. It was at this time that the researcher gained an interest in the subject and was motivated to conduct a study to determine whether there were any challenges or improvements that had been ushered in by the new Children’s Act of 2005 during the process of implementation. A qualitative research method was used in this study and a phenomenological design was adopted. Ten participants were selected through purposive sampling methods. Data was collected through individual interviews and focus groups for the purpose of triangulation. The study found that social workers were faced with challenges such as lack of resources, a shortage of institutions in which to place children among others which hindered the implementation of the Children’s Act. However, the results also indicated that even in this very challenging environment, social workers were highly innovative and continued to...