5.10.1 PROCESS OF ENTERING COMMUNITIES
The process of entering communities is vital to the social workers' acceptance by the community. It is also important 'to adhere to cultural protocol "Nhen entering communities.
Most social workers entered communities through influential people in the area; for example, local councillors, indunas, leaders of informal settlements, or through other organisations. They experience no resistance when the agency serves the areas surrounding the offices, but at three agencies social workers could enter communities only with a police escort because of the areas being
"rough". Entry into communities with the police may be perceived as forceful entry, and this could be a source of resistance to community development.
5.10.2 NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Through needs assessment, agency or social worker identifies community problems and measures the resources required to meet these problems. A needs assessment also prioritises concerning problems and services. It also marks the beginning of the process of programme planning and development of new or altered services (Lewis and Lewis 1991 :37). For South Africa, these general
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principles are reinforced by the Financing Policy which emphasises appropriateness of services and the compatibility of policies and plans with
identified needs (Financing Policy 1999:15).
In most of the agencies it was compulsory for a needs assessment be done before planning services. Only 14,3% of social workers have not done needs assessment, most of them being new "NOrkers in the process of establishing themselves. Others stated that they did not have the manpower to fulfil this task.
It was interesting to note that two workers who cited community apathy as an obstacle to progress had not done a needs assessment. Others found creative ways of'conducting needs assessments; for instance 3,6% had shared this task with other agencies in the area and one had sought the assistance of social work students.
5.10.3 TYPES OF PROBLEMS DEALT WITH BY SOCIAL WORKERS
The agencies report that most clients experience multiple problems, which are often interrelated. However, the research categorised the problems into various groups. These problems are reported evenly throughout all the agencies in the sample. The following types of problems were seen by social workers at agencies:
a. Statutory
• Child abuse
• Sexual abuse, which is on the increase
• Foster care and adoptions
• Abandoned children
• Street children
b. Family Related Problems:
• Children left with elderly grandparents
• Family conflict
• Domestic violence
• Behaviour problems
• Alcohol and drug-related problems
• Housing
• Teenage pregnancy
• AIDS orphans
b. Financial:
• Applications for birth documents
• Grant motivations
• Social relief
• Poverty
Since the introduction of the new Child Support Grant, which sharply reduced the support for children in the case of White, Coloured and Indian people to a flat rate of R100, more cases related to poverty are coming for social work services.
Such a combination of social security and social services is advocated in the Finance Policy (1999:17).
In the outlying areas where the Child Welfare was the only service provider, there was less choice for specialisation. The social workers had to deal vvth all kinds of problems. A senior management member, as 'Well as a social \NOrker in a managerial position, confirms this finding. According to a management member,
"the Child Welfare Movement is completing full cycle. The organisation started off as a one-stop generic service manned by volunteers: specialisation and professionalism followed this. Now, new demands are once again focusing on one-stop services, combining community participation and indigenous workers who can assist in cultural aspects" (Pers. Comm. Durban Sept 1999).
According to policy Child Welfare societies provide services to children under the age of twelve years and the State welfare departments to persons over twelve years. Many social workers argue there is now an overlap of services vvth other organisations and that, in the words of a key respondent, ''working together
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should be formalised rather than being based on loose arrangements" (Pers.
Comm. Durban Sept, 1999).
5.10.4 DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNTY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT UNDERTAKEN BY SOCIAL WORKERS
Social VoIOrkers are involved in a surprising array of community projects, including the following:
a. Economic Empovverment
• Garden projects
• Ganment making
• Employment agency
• Banking project for women
• Income generation programmes - hairdressing , blockmaking
b. Poverty Alleviation
• Financial support to clients who have school children
• Social relief - hamper distribution
• Feeding schemes in schools
• Farmers bringing in surplus supplies to distribute to outreach programs
• Parties for the poor
c. Development of human capital
• Domestic \oVOrker empo1Nerment group
• Conflict management between farmers and workers
d. Development of social capital
• Creche development in rural areas and informal settlements
• Feeding schemes in rural areas
• Water supply to rural outlying areas -sponsorship by local businesses and farmers.
• School upliftment programmes -water tanks supplied to rural schools
e. Preventative programmes
• Youth camp
• Peer counselling in schools
• Establishment of a youth desk
• Establishment of a homework centre-emphasis to assist children with English as a second language.
• networking with the policing forum
• foster care recruitment programmes
One agency in an African township area was not involved in any projects as they were awaiting funds.
An agency respondent Who is involved in an income generation project (sewing group) felt "that only a small group benefited and that is not reaching the poorest of poor" (Pers. Comm. Mthubathuba , July,1998).
Another felt that these income generation projects "should be based on business lines" rather than on a social club basis and charity.
A social worker in a deprived area felt that these income generation projects made a visible difference to the empowerment of the community and to the financial status of those community members involved.
Some obstacles experienced were:
• "More time was spent on fund-raising projects than on actual development."
• "There is a lack of community support. For example, the street children project in a traditionally White agency had experienced difficulties as the
commur)ities had racial fears." .
• "Language barriers prevented 'WOrkers from going into remote rural areas."
• "Workers entering communities INere viewed with suspicion." This occurred especially in instances When a needs assessment was not carried out by the social worker.
• "There is a limited number of staff to deal with the enormous needs of communities. "
Competition for programmes is perceived as an obstacle. A senior staff member remarked that "Social work agencies are not only competing with one another for programmes but also with local authorities and political groups. Co-ordination of services is necessary, especially in urban areas. In rural areas, on the other
hand, there are no services to co-ordinate." An assessment of these programmes
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illustrates that not all programmes are solely social work-related. This indicates the need for more intersectoral work in co-ordination of services.
5.10.5 METHODS OF PRACTICE
In the process of transformation there is an emphasis on moving from individual
rehabilitative work to more holistic approaches. Although the WPSW emphasises the need for community programmes, casework is the most frequently used method (85, 7% of the social workers); 7,1 % ranked groupwork as their first choice; and another 7,1 % chose community work as their first method used, while 21,4% of social workers do not do groupwork at all, and 14,3% do no community work. No other method of practice, such as administration or research, was mentioned.
FIGURE: 5.5 RANK ORDER OF METHODS USED BY THE SOCIAL WORKERS
5.10.6 SOCIAL ACTION
• casework _groupwork
o
communityFIGURE 5.6 INVOLVEMENT OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN SOCIAL ACTION
• No 39%