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Social work Administration

This refers to the application of Social Work knowledge base, ethics, principles,
values, etc. with the single intension of availing social services to those who qualify.
Social workers in different agencies have the charge of managing and distributing
social services to members of the society. Irrespective of their quantity or proportion,
this therefore implies that social services should be properly managed and ultimately
distributed to who they are due. Distribution of resources or services is done in a
systematic/ organised manner; meaning that there are an agreed upon procedures
or set of guidelines which are followed to distribute resources or services. It is very
important for Social Workers to uphold and follow these guidelines as they are
authenticated before they are implemented.

Social Work Administration can also be considered as the study of practices of social
services and development structure. This has to do with the way we administer
social welfare services.

Social Welfare

Patel (2005) indicates that it is the idea behind organised social welfare which
emerged in the nineteenth century with the objective of addressing social problems
and meeting human needs resulting from industrialisation. The state, during this
period took control of certain geographic areas and became vibrant in the economy,
thereby exercising social control and regulating access to societal goods and
services based on citizenship rights.

It is important to understand that the history and development of social welfare in

South Africa (S.A) is closely related to that of Lesotho. For example, while social
welfare services were initially provided by religious and voluntary organisations in S.
A, the same can be thought of as the case in Lesotho, except that the religious
sector might have been in the forefront.
Social Welfare services can therefore be defined as a nation’s system of programs,
benefits and services that help people meet their social, economic, education and
health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society (Zastrow, 1995).

This definition of social welfare helps people in the society to see what they can
expect, and on the other hand, it works as a measure by which the society can
evaluate as to whether it is meeting the needs of its people or not. Social welfare
does not only deal with meeting needs but, it also manages social problems,
(ensures that they do not worsen) and the maximization of opportunities to promote
the common goal. The goal of social welfare is to achieve the wider societal and
global goal of human wellbeing and human security.

Functions of Social welfare

a) To provide social welfare services to all categories of people in society. Its

main interest is to look at welfare from a humanitarian point of view
(concerned with human problems). It therefore protects all vulnerable people
in the society. (Maintenance of activities)
b) Social welfare aspires to enable all people or human beings to develop ability
to help themselves (developmental activities).
c) Since social welfare is concerned with the society at large, it attempts to
reproduce social structures that help people to live good and prospering lives.
Social welfare also assists in ensuring social control. (Change activities).

Social Policy
Definition and application of social policy have changed significantly in recent years.
While earlier definitions affiliated social policy solely or singularly with the
government, recent and updated definitions tend to be broader and they also
embrace other key actors.

Hall and Midgley ( 2004) maintain that social policy can be looked at from two
different perspectives, firstly as an applied policy arena relating to governmental and
other institutional interventions that affect people’s welfare and secondly, as an
academic field of inquiry.
Social Policy therefore as an applied policy arena concerns itself with ensuring that
resources are distributed to members of society. This is done with the purpose of
achieving welfare needs of citizens. According to Peckman and Meerabeau (2007),
social policy is no longer concerned solely with what the state itself provides in terms
of the welfare but more broadly with the whole structure of social entitlement and
social responsibility in society. This structure may include government, voluntary
sector, commercial provision, employer benefits, family, etc.

Adams (2002) on the other hand, defines social policy as the study of the
development, implementation and impact of policies which influence the social
situations of people. Social policy in itself is not a static discipline. It studies policies
and checks if they provide or meet the societal needs of people as they are intended.

Two Functions of Social Policy

 It is a means of social control, i.e. it helps us to regulate certain issues in
society.
 It stimulates social change, i.e. it influences change and on the other hand, it
looks at the effects of social policy and whether they reach targets. Changes
are therefore expected after implementation.

Social Policy in Relation to Social Welfare Services

a) Social policy can be of help to us in Social Work practice, therefore social

welfare organisations or services are to have policies that guide them in
carrying out their tasks and they should direct them on what extend to provide
services.
b) Social policy can also help Social Workers to draw the line between the
deserving and underserving members of society.
c) It prepares professionals to function with others but with confidence,
competence and efficiency.
d) It helps practitioners to know structures and history of those policies.
e) It helps us to develop the ability to analyse and have a critical view on social
issues. Policies are mostly viewed from a legislative point of view and they are
also administrated documents and they can be used to guide us on daily
basis.
Social Security

Social security serves a very important role in reducing poverty, in ensuring basic
minimum standard of living for the people and in delivering a more equitable income
distribution in society; both in developed and developing countries. The majority of
developing countries expanded their social security programmes after the Second
World War following the decolonisation process. Many of these programmes were
tailored accordingly in those of the Europeans and the British.

The definition of social security differs depending on the ideology and context within
which it is used. The simplest of all definitions is that of William Beveridge who
defines social security as a job when you work and income when you cannot.
However, the most acceptable definition of social security in both developed and
developing countries is that of the ILO which defines social security as;

The protection which society provides for its members through a series of public
measures, to fight or reduce the economic and social problems that could come
about as a result of stoppage or reduction of earnings. Earnings can be stopped
because of sickness, maternity, employment injury, unemployment, old age, death,
etc.

This definition above makes us know that social security is the responsibility of both
government and the private sector to ensure the protection of individuals who have
been exposed to contingencies beyond their control, and who are unable to mobilise
resources to take care of themselves. Resources that are mobilised for social
protection will be likely to ensure that individuals do not fall below an acceptable
standard of living.

Common Forms of Social Security

1. Social Assistance: These are programmes that are meant to reduce poverty in
both developed and developing countries. These programmes are non-
contributory and are means tested. By saying that they are non-contributory, we
mean that there is no individual or organisation which has any input towards
those programmes save the state or the government. Social assistance is
therefore publicly funded. Before beneficiaries are enrolled into the scheme, there
 are criteria being followed to make sure that they do not have any other means of
livelihood; hence we say social assistance is means tested.

Social assistance targets the most of the needy and vulnerable and it aims to
enable them to meet their basic needs. There are different types of social
assistance. They include social grants paid to people living with disabilities, older
persons, orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs), and families of war veterans.
One of the basic requirements before one can qualify for social assistance is that
the beneficiary should be cared for out of an institution. Some programmes also
consider the age criteria. These programmes are however under-funded and their
coverage is very limited.

2. Social Insurance: it is also known as occupational insurance. It is provided to

protect employees and their dependants from known or unknown future
circumstances. Social insurance take the form of insurance against contingencies
which interrupt income. These schemes are in the most cases contributory from
the end of the employer as well as the employee. (Patel, 2005). There are cases
however where the employer can raise contribution on the employees’ behalf.
This latter approach makes the scheme to be non- contributory on the side of the
employee. Contingencies covered under social insurance include pension,
medical benefits, maternity benefits, illness, disability, unemployment, survivor’s
benefits and injury.

3. Social Allowance: This form of social security is non-contributory and it is also

non-means tested. Applicants are not subject to the assessment of whether they
have other means of survival or not. Social allowance targets a given category of
citizens who are considered to be exceptionally needy or vulnerable, e.g.
disabled, elderly, etc. All people within the targeted criteria therefore qualify for
social allowance irrespective of their level of affordability or need. This form is
more common in developed countries. It’s nature of universality makes it difficult
for developing countries to comprehend it. It is also publicly funded or it is the
responsibility of the government. Examples in Lesotho include NMDS allowances
for students in higher education, old age pension etc.

Poverty
This is one of the greatest challenges facing Southern African countries including
Lesotho. Patel (2005) points out that about 70 percent of the population in the region
live below the international standards of poverty. It can be assumed that the majority
of the people in the state of poverty are those in rural areas as is usually the case.
Poverty levels on the other hand differ with countries. Though there were seemingly
signs of decline of poverty in the SADC region in the 1990s, it is however observable
that human poverty is increasing in some countries.

The poverty situation can be seen in low levels of income and high levels human
deprivation. In Southern Africa, poverty is a result of deprivation in economic,
technical, environmental, social, political and other factors. In the midst of growing
numbers of the populations the economy of these countries does not grow to meet
the demands of the citizens. Poor people are usually deprived of capital assets
which include physical, financial, human, natural and social. The poor also include
people who are marginalised such as children, people with disabilities, women, rural
communities, youth and those who have been displaced.

Lauer (1998) observes that poverty violates the poor’s right to dignity as human
beings. The poor are in most cases subjected to disrespect and rejection. The loss of
dignity is manifested in a number of myths concerning the poor. These myths
discredit the poor and legitimise the unwillingness to support programs that are
meant to help them.

The circumstances under which the poor live can further can cause or aggravate
mental and physical illness among the poor than among the rest of the population.

Remedial VS Developmental Model

People enter helping professions such as Social Work for many reasons. For many,
their motivation is an unselfish regard for others. Social work has however been
criticised often at times in developing countries, particularly for adopting the remedial
model of service delivery as opposed to developmental model. According to Patel
(2005) the remedial model, which is also referred to as the social treatment model is
informed by the medical model with its sole emphasis on medication, social
pathology and individual clinical practice. This approach relied increasingly on
psychological theories to explain human behaviour and social conditions.

This model is also based on understanding of deficits, which need to be diagnosed

and treated. The values and attitudes underpinning this approach are paternalistic
and the approach turns its efforts on a certain group of people who are considered
vulnerable, this tends to disempower and isolate individuals from the mainstream of
society. Under this model, there is also over- reliance on institutional care of
vulnerable population.

In sum, the remedial model is inequitable and discriminatory. It is also dominated by

institutional care; services delivered are primarily of the therapeutic and rehabilitative
nature, with services being provided largely in relation to child and women
protection. In addition, welfare services are also delivered to specialised agencies,
such as for the elderly, people living with disability, substance misuse and
rehabilitation of offenders among others. This model is also expensive in that it
requires a large number of potentially trained Social Workers to implement it as the
principal professional actors in the delivery of services. The primary method of
service delivery is usually one-to-one intervention that has a limited reach in terms of
the number of beneficiaries who could be served. This model of service delivery is
considered to be inappropriate and unsuitable and cannot address the challenges of
service provision in a modern society.

Services for Persons Living with Disability

There is a requirement for wide range of interventions that are required to enable the
persons living with disability to live their best life possible. Such include information
and referral systems, non-institutional living arrangement (family care), vocational
and employment programmes, and advocacy. Vocational and employment
programmes can assist people living with different types of disability to become more
independent and achieve income security. Advocacy on the other hand can facilitate
the removal of barriers to the wellbeing. People living with disabilities should
themselves be involved in lobbying for changes needed to improve the qualities of
their lives and of their peers.
The Ministry of Social Development provide assistive devices and vocational training
to persons living with disabilities. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives has
been compromised by the ministry’s lack of presence at the ground roots level.

Persons with disabilities have formed their own organisations which in turn have
established the mother organisation, the Lesotho National Federation of the
Disabled. The Federation is involved in community based rehabilitation programmes
to empower persons living with disabilities.

The living conditions of persons living with disabilities in Lesotho are worse than
those of persons without disabilities. The development and adoption of the National
Disability and Rehabilitation Policy of 2011 however provides a framework for
intervention. A human rights perspective is essential if these interventions are to
make a positive impact.