Exploring the resilience skills and strategies of social workers

Abstract

Background: Research shows that social workers face numerous challenges because of the demanding nature of their profession, necessitating the development of resilience skills and techniques. Social workers assist marginalised populations and operate in challenging environments, requiring strong resilience strategies.

Aim: This article examines the resilience skills and strategies of social workers.

Setting: The study setting comprised the Department of Social Development in Johannesburg Metro Region.

Methods: The study employs a qualitative approach, utilising purposive sampling to identify participants for semi-structured interviews. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with the social workers, and data were analysed using Creswell and Poth’s qualitative thematic analysis strategy. A total of 13 participants were interviewed.

Results: Three main themes emerged: Theme 1: Resilience skills and strategies employed by social workers to surmount challenges; theme 2: Effectiveness of resilience skills and strategies employed by social workers; and theme 3: Social workers’ suggestions on what the department can do to maintain their resilience.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that resilience skills and strategies are crucial for social workers, enabling them to cope effectively with work-related challenges and find meaning in their work.

Contribution: This study will assist social workers to understand the skills and strategies that underpin their resilience. It will also assist the Department of Social Development and other public sectors in developing support programmes to retain social workers for the profession.