Understanding the experiences of social workers in referring cases to designated child protection organisations in Gauteng

This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of social workers in referring cases to designated child protection organisation’s (DCPO’s) in Gauteng. Additionally, this study sought to better understand the referral process used to refer cases to DCPO’s, and describe the measures used by social workers when referrals are unsuccessful. An interpretivist qualitative approach was used, whereby semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven registered social workers in Gauteng. Furthermore, an instrumental case study design was used, and General Systems Theory implemented as the theoretical lens that guided this study. The study revealed that social workers had predominantly negative experiences when referring to DCPO’s, and recommends an increase in training and supervision for social workers practicing in the field of child protection.