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Transforming child and family services in urban communities in South Africa: lessons from the South
Author(s) -
Patel Leila,
Schmid Jeanette Elizabeth,
Venter Hendrik Jacobus
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
child and family social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-2206
pISSN - 1356-7500
DOI - 10.1111/cfs.12263
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , welfare , social welfare , economic growth , task (project management) , face (sociological concept) , globalization , child protection , public relations , population , political science , resource (disambiguation) , theory of change , sociology , medicine , nursing , environmental health , social science , economics , management , computer network , computer science , anthropology , law
Post‐apartheid, South African agencies have been required to shift their services in fundamental ways, including offering services in previously un‐resourced areas, honouring the rights of children and families, ensuring that users, staff and governing bodies are representative of the population and providing developmental social welfare services in place of child protection‐oriented interventions only. A study of urban South African child welfare agencies provides insight into the complex task of managing and leading change. In view of overloaded change agenda and resource constraints, managers focused on effecting incremental change and prioritized the most ‘rewarding’ change efforts. Transforming practice towards a developmental approach was less successful. Structural interventions were also not prioritized. Child welfare agencies internationally face demands to transform in response to the effects of local change and globalization. The study's insights might resonate with agencies working for change in other societal contexts.