Social Policy and Social Work

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/1265

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Start date: 2010Subject: search.filters.subject.New Zealand

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Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    Are we failing them? : an analysis of the New Zealand criminal youth justice system : how can we further prevent youth offending and youth recidivism? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Policy at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Johnson, Charlotte
    Youth crime is a prominent social issue in New Zealand that causes emotional and physical harm and loss to the numerous victims. This research provides an analysis of the current youth criminal justice system in New Zealand, beginning with a timeline of the history and evolvement of the youth justice system to illustrate how New Zealand has arrived at the present system. The drivers of youth crime and youth involvement in criminal offending were found to be initially born from a lack of engagement with education; neurological disorders; learning difficulties and mental illness; as well as the impact of young people’s childhood, which can include exposure to family violence; drug and alcohol abuse. Comparative policy evaluation was applied with comparative methodology and comparative cross national research to undertake an analysis of the youth justice system in New Zealand. International comparisons were used to discover plausible and practical improvements to the current youth justice system in New Zealand. The OECD countries used in the comparative analysis included Canada, Scotland, England & Wales, United States and Austria, who between them have significantly diverse and contrasting youth justice models ranging from welfare, care and protection centred models, to community-based rehabilitation models; preventative education and support to punitive models in their response to youth crime. ii It was found that several aspects of New Zealand’s current youth justice system function well when compared internationally. However, the comparative analysis also highlighted that New Zealand’s youth justice system presents a problematic gap in both the sheer lack of preventative methods in response to youth offending as well as community support during the rehabilitation stage. A number of policy recommendations are included within this report in response to the present shortcomings of the existing youth justice system in New Zealand. These policy recommendations provide practical solutions; adopting a preventative policy focus with plausible improvement suggestions to the existing youth justice system. The objectives are to ameliorate the youth justice system to better support youth offending and youth recidivism.
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    Understanding service development in statutory mental health organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand : an organisational case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Stanley-Clarke, Nicola
    This research aimed to understand service development in statutory mental health organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Of major focus was the analysis of the elements that influenced service development as well as developing an understanding of decision-making in the service development process. The study involved an organisational case study of one statutory mental health provider, Living Well and included the collection and analysis of both primary and secondary data. The primary data included qualitative interviews, document analysis and the observation of meetings. Secondary data included literature, research, policy and external reviews of the organisation. Archetype theory provided the theoretical framework for analysing the processes of service development within Living Well. This enabled a holistic assessment of service development as it related to the structures and systems of the organisation alongside its central purpose (raison d’être) and the values, beliefs and ideologies that comprised its interpretive scheme. The use of an organisational case study contributed to the body of knowledge and theory building on service development and archetype transformation within statutory mental health providers in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The findings of this research supported the development of an approach for understanding service development within statutory mental health organisations and a guide for service development. The approach emphasises that Living Well’s interpretive scheme was central to the service development process and was in an ongoing state of flux as the organisation attempted to balance conflicting priorities and demands with the delivery of responsive mental health services (the organisation’s raison d’être). The complexity of the service development process within Living Well was exemplified in ongoing tension between clinical values and management priorities. The research findings reveal that service development within statutory mental health organisations like Living Well, requires alignment between the different factors that influence the service development process. Further, the likelihood of successful implementation is dependent on the priority allocated to service development related to its necessity; the organisation’s current operational and clinical demands; as well as the relationships and roles of those involved in the service development process. The guide for service development provides recognition of these core features of Living Well’s interpretive scheme, utilising informal processes to engender support, to minimise opposition and to ensure client care is the primary focus.
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    How do social work students perceive their fieldwork supervision experiences? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Moorhouse, Leisa Maree
    Ma te whakaatu, ka mohio Ma te mohio, ka marama Ma te marama, ka matau Ma te matau, ka ora Through discussion comes understanding Through understanding comes light Through light comes wisdom Through wisdom comes wellbeing Fieldwork practice is a vital component of social work education. Positive fieldwork supervision, based on principles of adult learning is vital to the integration of theory and practice during the fieldwork experience. A student’s experiences of fieldwork supervision can shape the value they place on future supervision, thus it is essential that fieldwork supervision is experienced positively. This research focuses on the understandings seven social work students formed about their fieldwork supervision experiences. This study explores what these experiences might mean for those involved in fieldwork supervision in Aotearoa New Zealand. This study is qualitative, utilising a phenomenological approach. Data was gathered from semi-structured interviews, and an inductive approach was used for thematic explication. Eight key findings were identified which revealed three themes which signalled the importance of; knowledge, skill, and relationship. The findings endorse current literature about the place of fieldwork supervision in student learning, and the value of knowledge, skill and relationship in supervision. They also underscore the need for further research into cultural supervision, including the need for a review of how cultural supervision is understood and resourced in fieldwork education in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. The study also reinforces the need for contributions to the literature on fieldwork supervision, particularly exploring the student perspective. On the basis of this research six main implications are identified. This research identifies six key implications from this study, the first concerns the transferability of the findings, four concern the preparation of key stakeholders in fieldwork (namely students, fieldwork educators, external supervisors and fieldwork coordinators), and the fifth concerns the cultural supervision and Kaupapa Maori supervision needs of all social work students in Aotearoa New Zealand. Thus, like the opening whakatauki above suggests, it is hoped that discussion on which this study is founded provides light, understanding, and ultimately wellbeing for all those involved in and impacted by fieldwork supervision.
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    Ngamotu me Kihitu nga whenua, Ngamotu me Kihitu nga turangawaewae : "Aue Te Ariki aue", kei whea ra nga tangata o te hau kainga nei? : a personal journey : where have all the people gone? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of requirement[s] for the degree of Masters of Philosophy, a major in Social Work, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Webber-Dreadon, Emma Te Paea
    Enclosed to the north and west by hills, edged by the Pacific Ocean and the Wairoa Hopupu-Hongenge Matangirau River, it seemed to me as a six year old that Ngamotu, Kihitu and Wairoa were the only places that existed in the world. It was then, and will always be, the ‘centre of my Universe’. NGAMOTU TE WHENUA, NGAMOTU TE TURANGAWAEWAE "AUE TE ARIKI AUE", KEI WHEA RA NGA TANGATA O TE HAU KAINGA NEI? The purpose of this research was to explore why the whenua of Ngamotu, and additionally Kihitu, are almost deserted of her people, and why there is so little use of her agriculturally or horticulturally. The inclusion of Kihitu within this thesis is because it is a 15 acres block of land located in the centre of Ngamotu. Whatever happens to either ‘block’ must surely impact on the other in some way. The use of tikanga and kaupapa Maori as the ‘pou’ of this research is what determines the mauri (well being) of nga whenua o Ngamotu and Kihitu, and their people. These are used because they are the most appropriate techniques and tools to use to explore and ascertain the mauri (well being) of Ngamotu and Kihitu, and her people. The study is an oral and recorded history, as told by seven purposively chosen mokopuna, who willingly shared their experiences and their knowledge of Ngamotu and Kihitu. In their own words, they shared their stories about Ngamotu and Kihitu, their history, their current status, and the influences that they have had on them, and what if any, are their moemoea (dreams) for Ngamotu and Kihitu. By naming Ngamotu and Kihitu as our turangawaewae acknowledges and provides a ‘chiefly’ place for us all to stand, which contributes to the importance and the ‘mauri ora’ (wellbeing) of Ngamotu and Kihitu as a whenua, which then enables us as mana-whenua (people of the land) to determine, define and strengthen our world views about and around Ngamotu and Kihitu, which in turn reflects the concept of being Maori and being a mokopuna of Ngamotu and Kihitu.
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    Justice in action? : social work and social justice in the 21st century : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Manawatu, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Ross, Amy Kaye
    Most social workers today learn about and adhere to international and national commitments which specify social justice as an integral part of social work ethics and values. This research focuses on how eight Aotearoa/New Zealand recent social work graduates (2000-2010) understand social justice and how they integrate it into their social work practice. The study explores whether barriers exist in implementing social justice into social work practice on both a personal and structural level, and if so, what they are. The study is qualitative, utilising a critical ethnographic methodology and a critical theoretical framework. Data collected through the use of focus groups and in-depth interviews is examined with a thematic analytical approach. Analysis identified seven themes which showed that social justice was primarily understood as being able to work for change on a structural level. The themes also highlighted the existence of a number of barriers to the integration of social justice into practice. These barriers were in two key areas, the workplace and the organisation of social work. All participants were in strong agreement regarding these barriers. These findings strongly support previous literature and research which identify a disjuncture for social workers between the definition and practice of social work in a number of areas, particularly in an environment dominated by neoliberal ideology. The concord between participants in this study and the similarity of the findings to data within earlier research suggests that the social work community is facing an ongoing and serious difficulty in ensuring social work is able to fulfil its ethical commitments and protect its workers as they work for social justice. Based on this research five recommendations are made to develop and support the social work community.
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    From the cleaners to the doctors : exploring the dimensions of effective health social work practice in an acute hospital : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Haultain, Linda Rose
    My thesis reports that since the earliest days of the social work profession the role of science and its relationship to practice has been contested. In Aotearoa this debate has often centred on the relevance of research conducted on distant shores, with populations that were not our own. Social work, by its very nature is interested in context. The absence of local research may have left us bereft of the ability to claim and articulate what it is that does inform us and what it is we aim to achieve in order to legitimately claim our practice as effective. In an effort to begin to understand what may be claimed as effective practice in one particular context this mixed methodology study asked the question: “How are the dimensions of effective health social work practice demonstrated and described within the multidisciplinary team, in an acute hospital setting in Aotearoa?” Beginning with a fine grained case study, the dimensions of effective practice were identified, and then tested across a broader context, with a broader group of participants via an online survey tool. Whilst accepting that at times clear evidence does exist to support particular health social work practices, engaging in this type of interpretive research provided an opportunity to begin to understand the most appropriate practice in this particular circumstance (Plath, 2006). Key stakeholders were clear that the dimensions of effective practice in the acute hospital context are made up of a combination of professional activities, behaviours, attitudes and theory-informed practice. The quality of the relationships between the health social worker, their team, patients and his/her whanau members were found to be at the very heart of these dimensions, this is reflected in the title of my thesis ‘from the cleaners to the doctors’. These dimensions are not confined to specific results, although there are indications that they do support successful outcomes. There is much in the findings to suggest that the vestiges of many of the discoveries made by empirical studies can be found in the dimensions of effective practices that emerged from this study. It is not the remnants of the empirical effectiveness studies that dominate the findings. Rather it appears to be the successful adaptation to the acute hospital environment made by the Health Social Worker that was found to be important. In this context the dimensions of effective practice were identified as those which were best able to support the provision of an efficient, responsive and timely health social work service in a practice context that heavily favours ‘getting the job done.’
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    "Integrity matters : an inquiry into social workers' understandings" : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work, School of Health and Social Services, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Appleton, Cherie May
    This small scale study recruited a sample of qualified and experienced social work practitioners to explore the research question: “How do social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand perceive, understand and interpret the concept of integrity and how do they assess it as being relevant in their work?” The aim of this research was to capture and reflect the participants’ voices in relation to their perceptions, appreciation and application of the notion of integrity to their work. The reasons for choosing to interrogate the topic of integrity were three-fold: i) I was intrigued with the word ‘integrity’ which I perceived to be much used and rarely defined or contextualised in social work conversations, Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct. ii) I suspected that the term ‘integrity’ could be a container or integrating concept for a range of values and virtues such as respect, dignity, spirituality, trustworthiness. iii) I wondered if in the process of discovering the practitioner voices in relation to integrity we might also reveal factors or processes that could strengthen critical reflection, enhance job satisfaction, and increase resilient practice. Beginning with an e-survey, participants identified and described some of their definitions and key concepts in relation to integrity. The e-survey provided material that was used in subsequent focus group interviews to further explore participants’ understandings and experiences of integrity. The data collected from the focus group interviews then underwent a thematic analysis and coding process. Findings from this process were distilled and collected under two main headings: Practitioners ‘constructing’ integrity and practitioners ‘maintaining’ integrity. Several themes such as practitioners ‘making meaning’ of integrity, professional and personal integrity, integrity in the workplace, practitioners ‘doing’ integrity and practitioners experiencing challenges to integrity were identified and explored. The discussions and conclusions reached as a result of this study contribute to the advancement of social work knowledge and offer social work practitioners a perceptive framework for enhanced professional reflexivity around constructing and measuring integrity with the possibility of balancing and strengthening integrity in their practice.
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    Who are abusing our children? An exploratory study on reflections on child abuse by media commentators : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Merchant, Raema
    This research explores what has been published in the print media on the topic of physical child abuse over an eight year period of time. The study encompasses news reports, feature articles, opinion columns and editorials written on the issue of physical child abuse in New Zealand from 2000 to 2007. Using inductive and exploratory research, qualitative data has been collected by capturing the voices from a range of media commentators and comparing these with data from newspaper articles and other sources of statistical data obtained from a statutory child protection agency, hospitals and police. The research looks at how physical child abuse is represented in the newspaper media and explores whether there are accuracies or deficiencies in this reporting that may impact on public perceptions of child abuse. In particular, the study explores whether what is being written in the newspaper is objective or whether there is an in-built ethnic or social bias in the reporting of child abuse. The findings of the three parts of the study are integrated and it is determined that there is a disproportionate reporting of child abuse based on a) the ethnicity of the child or perpetrator, b) the seriousness of the abuse, and c) the sensationalist nature of the incident of child abuse. Another significant finding is that media reflects and reinforces common views and perceptions of physical child abuse and that the public are exposed to only the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of accurate and balanced reporting. The report concludes with a discussion about whether the media affects or reflects the worldview of physical child abuse. A symbiotic model is proposed which uses voices from the writers themselves to support the argument that there is a bi-directional relationship between the media and the public.
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    Past, present and future perspectives on the role of counselling in social work in Aotearoa New Zealand : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Staniforth, Barbara Lynn
    Since the profession of social work began, there has been debate about whether it should be involved in helping individuals make change, or in encouraging societal change. Towards gaining an understanding of how this debate has played out in Aotearoa New Zealand, this research explores the question “What are the past present and future perspectives on the role of counselling in social work in Aotearoa New Zealand?” A mixed methodology format was used in this research. Qualitative interviews with individuals who had helped create the professions of social work, counselling and psychology were conducted to help understand the historical development of counselling within social work, and the factors which had impacted upon it. Questionnaires were then sent out to 985 members of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers that asked about members’ current views on, and practice of, counselling within social work. The research shows that social work developed late in New Zealand within a welfare state where governments questioned the need for it. With social work education not widely available until the 1970s there was limited training in counselling type approaches. The drive for professionalism (often aligned with those doing counselling) was tempered by those mindful of community and bicultural commitments due to differing ideologies and lack of access to education. Tangata whenua have had a major impact on the development of social work, and counselling within it. Respondents in this research were clear that aspects of counselling fell within their definitions of social work and that counselling in Aotearoa New Zealand should hold a strengths-based, collaborative stance that recognised the importance of a bicultural perspective. Most respondents indicated that they did some amount of counselling within their practice, but only 34% of respondents felt that their basic social work qualification had prepared them adequately or really well for their counselling role. The majority of questionnaire respondents had undertaken additional training to help them with their counselling role and over two-thirds indicated a strong desire to engage in further study in counselling. Registration of the helping professions presents challenges that include the potential for unhelpful competition between them. The thesis concludes that there is a need for more counselling education options for social workers and that there is a need for the profession of social work to formally define its scopes of practice.