ACHIEVEMENT OF WELLBEING AMONG SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL WORKERS: CONSTRAINTS AND ENABLERS

Abstract

The achievement of wellbeing among social workers or their ability to flourish, has a bearing on their capacity to contribute towards sustainable social, economic and human development. Enhancing wellbeing among social workers is therefore important in ensuring successful client interventions. Understanding what constitutes and constrains social workers’ wellbeing is important in enhancing it. Using the capabilities approach as a theoretical lens, this qualitative study examines the various conversion factors limiting or enabling wellbeing achievement among social workers. It uses a cross-sectional design. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was used to recruit and select 18 participants consisting of practising social workers and final-year social work students from a South African university. Semi-structured interviews were used as data-collection instruments. The main findings suggest that professional wellbeing is multifaceted. Social workers define professional wellbeing in terms of effective helping and professional growth, among other functionings. Various structural, organisational and personal factors can detrimentally affect the way that social workers can achieve and sustain these professional functions. These include persistent poverty and inequality, extreme resource constraints, and lack of supportive supervision and experience, amongst other factors.