The developing and evolving social welfare system in South Africa coupled with inadequate human and material resources and high staff workloads, all impact on student learning in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. This paper focuses on the challenges experienced by social work practitioners with regard to student supervision in the BSW. A qualitative case study design was used, in which the researcher purposively selected social work practitioners involved at third-year level teaching and learning in the BSW at a selected South African university. The findings point to challenges relating to limited agency resources, institutional-agency cooperation and students' personal challenges. These findings have implications for social work education and practice in South Africa as well as for continued professional development of social workers and agencies who offer student placements to universities.
IntroductionSub-Saharan Africa continues to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. As such, several countries in sub-Saharan Africa are implementing the UNAIDS’ recommendation to test and treat people living with HIV (PLHIV) irrespective of their CD4 count. However, most of the antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes, in this region, continue to struggle with poor adherence to treatment stemming from patient-related factors including their religious beliefs. Unfortunately, the role of religious beliefs on ART adherence has been underexplored in the literature. In this study protocol, we propose the steps of a scoping review to explore, identify and map the literature on the impact of religious beliefs on adherence to ART among Pentecostals living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods and analysisWe will use Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology guidelines to conduct this scoping review. The following databases will be searched for relevant literature: Web of Science, PubMed/Medline, Psych-ARTICLES, Academic Search Complete, Cumulative Index of Nursing, Allied Health, Google Scholar and published articles from conference proceedings. Studies published between January 2010 and February 2022 will be eligible. The identified literature will be independently screened for eligibility by two reviewers based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. An Excel form will be designed to electronically capture data from studies that meet the inclusion criteria. Finally, we will use a narrative synthesis to summarise the data extracted to report on the nature of existing evidence and the impact of religious beliefs on ART adherence.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval will not be required for the scoping review since it will entail synthesising information from already published articles and conference proceedings. The study findings will be disseminated through publication in a scientific journal and presented at conferences and workshops aimed at improving adherence to ART in PLHIV.
Fatherhood intervention programmes seek to redress fundamental issues that prevent men from succeeding in their fathering role. An understanding and evidence of the influence of fatherhood interventions on the role of the father in the family are thus required. This study, conducted in South Africa, explored the perceptions and experiences of fathers and their partners after the fathers’ exposure to a fatherhood intervention programme. A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was utilised to this end. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and three main themes emerged from the analysis. The study found that fathers and their partners perceived and experienced the fathers to be more involved, responsible, and sharing in parenthood after exposure to the fatherhood intervention programme. This led to an increase of father involvement with children – childcare activities, schoolwork, the well-being of the children, and an increase in involvement in the home.
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