Abstract
The work experiences of and the resources and supports available to social auxiliary workers (SAWs) has received little research attention despite the role of SAWs in supporting social workers in day-to-day activities. This research focuses specifically on the supervision experiences of SAWs in the John Taolo Gaetsewe (JTG) district of the Northern Cape. Supervision, the process of support, training and guidance, is mandated and an essential practice requirement. There is however limited research of this process in South Africa (SA) and no research on the experiences of SAW in the JTG district. This study contributes to this under-researched area of study, highlighting the supervision experiences of SAWs in the JTG district and provides recommendations on supervision practices within the discipline of social work (SW). This qualitative study utilised an exploratory and descriptive research design. Data collection was in the form of semi-structured interviews with a sample size of six SAWs. Data was thematically analysed in line with Tesch’s (1992) steps of analysis. Key concepts from the ecological systems model (Bronfenbrenner, 1989) were used to interpret findings. Four key themes emerged from this research, namely the experiences of working as SAWs in the JTG District, the nature of supervision received, supervision limitations and the training that is required to provide effective supportive services. The findings reflected a balance of positive and negative experiences of SAWs working with supervision. Participants revealed positive sentiments in being part of community-building initiatives and utilising cyber (online) or group supervision to overcome challenges they experienced in the field. Participants also revealed irregular supervision, limited structural resources, inconvenient cyber supervision and low staff retention as factors that hampered the rendering of services. A key concern was that there was non-adherence to the supervision policy and practice as stipulated by the profession’s statutory body. Recommendations from this study include the need for relevant training in SAW fieldwork, training on the use of technology to enhance SAWs administrative skills, access to resources, employment of additional staff to ensure equal distribution of workload and the need for regular supervision. Key words: social auxiliary workers, supervision, resources, SACSSP.
M.Phil. (Social Policy and Development)