Pustaka Ilmiah Universitas Padjadjaran

Abstrak

Department Of Social Welfare Universitas Padjadjaran

Since 2009 the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs; through the Directorate of Child Welfare, has been implementing a conditional cash transfer program targeting disadvantaged children from poor households in 6 clusters namely under 5 neglected children, above 5 neglected children, street children, children with disabilities, children in need for special protection, and children in conflict with the law . The program integrates three core elements: transfer of cash, care and social services through social worker’s and community based child-care institutions assistance. This qualitative study analyzed the challenges faced by social workers who worked with children in need for special protection and children in conflict with the law clusters of PKSA. Additionally, this study lays out recommendations to inform practice and policy changes. Data were collected from 14 social workers, child protection institution representatives, the recipients of PKSA and their parents, and local government officers in 4 districts of Surakarta, Magelang, East Jakarta, and Makassar through In-Depth Interviews and Focused Group Discussions in late 2014. Some interviews were also conducted with the representatives of the Directorate of Child Welfare. The study found that social workers played sound roles in the program. They were the ‘backbone’ of the program and they mainly contributed to better utilization of basic social services, enhanced the children’s and families’ behaviors, and improved the well-being of the children. Nevertheless, most social workers reported their struggles in three major areas. Firstly, issues in professional competence and support due to the lack of knowledge, trainings, standard of practice and supervision; secondly, limited job security as indicated by the absence of tenure, the absence of health insurance, and payment irregularity; thirdly, the lack of professional acknowledgment from other professionals. Parts of those challenges were rooted in limitations of program design, the lack of coordination between central and local governments, weak advocacy for social workers as well as inadequate links with social work education institutions. The study highlights the necessities to develop social work professional development policy, improvement of social work education curriculum, and enhancement of synergy between local and national development.