The experiences and perceptions of newly qualified social workers on the significance of social work supervision in child protection services in Cape Town

Abstract

The social work profession has been in existence for over a century and has enhanced many lives in South Africa. Supervision is an essential component of social work practice in South Africa and social work supervisors must be trained in the three functions of supervision, which are support, education, and administration. Research shows that supervision plays a vital role in the development of social workers, and the absence of supervision has been linked to burnout and staff attrition in social work agencies. The aim of this research was to explore and describe the experiences and perceptions of Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSW) on the significance of social work supervision in child protection services, in Cape Town. The study applied a qualitative research approach and an explorative research design.