The experiences of newly qualified social workers’ readiness in providing services to families and children in Gauteng

Abstract

Newly qualified social workers' (NQSWs) preparedness for practice appears to be a growing area of research. Little attention has however been paid to the viewpoints and experiences of NQSWs' regarding their preparedness to serve families and children in South Africa. In order to deliver Social work services (SWS) to families and children, NQSWs' perceived job preparedness has to be explicitly studied within the South African setting.

The goal of this study was to explore and describe NQSWs’ experiences regarding their work readiness to provide SWS to families and children in Gauteng. A qualitative research approach was utilised to conduct this study and the interpretivist paradigm was used to explore the experiences of NQSWs providing SWS to families and children. Applied research was conducted in this study with an instrumental case study design, and the study population consisted of NQSWs employed by organisations in Gauteng rendering services to families and children. Key findings were based on the research question: “What are the experiences of newly qualified social workers providing social work services to families and children in Gauteng regarding their work readiness to provide these services?” The findings of this study included that most NQSWs did not feel ready to provide certain services to families and children upon graduating, and a lack of practical experience was highlighted. After a few months in practice, however, their readiness improved. Upon entering the workplace, the participants found a multitude of challenges including high caseloads, a lack of resources, a lack of knowledge and skills, and challenges when working with external stakeholders.