OAR@UM Collection:https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/846912024-03-29T09:34:36Z2024-03-29T09:34:36ZThe aged : a case-study of the Santa Lucia communityhttps://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1071812023-03-08T08:06:54Z1986-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: The aged : a case-study of the Santa Lucia community
Abstract: Our generation may sometimes look upon the elderly with lack of respect and sympathy. In practice, this implies that the elderly are sometimes portrayed as rather outdated members of society who have little to contribute and who are a burden to society itself.
The purpose of this dissertation is to bring to the limelight the real issues confronting the elderly in a modern community.
I wish to record that this survey could not have materialized without the warm and candid cooperation of the elderly respondents who have so willingly, generously and spontaneously answered to the questions put to them.
I am also grateful to all those who have spurred me on by their encouragement and help and I express my special thanks to Principal Welfare Officer of the Centru Hidma Socjali, Mr. Alfred Zammit Montebello, B.A. (Hons.), M.Ed., A.B.Ps.S., for giving his support to the work; Fr. Charles Cordina, the parish priest of Sta. Lucia community for his help throughout the interviews; Mr. Michael Galea, D.P.A., a great friend of mine, who encourage me in my work and offered me his guidance.
I am particularly indebted to my tutor, Dr. Mario Vassallo, B.A., Lic.D., D.Phil. (Oxon), for his stimulating criticism and constructive suggestions during my field work and in writing this dissertation.
Description: P.G.DIP.SOCIAL WORK1986-01-01T00:00:00ZEmotional intelligence and transformational leadership in social workhttps://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1008482022-08-25T07:40:20Z2008-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership in social work
Abstract: The fundamental premise of this thesis is that emotion is not just important but absolutely necessary
for one to make good decisions, take optimal action to solve problems, cope with change and
succeed. Emotions provide data that assist one in making rational decisions and behaving in
adaptive ways. They must be the source of inspiration and feedback on which leaders should rely in
order to build effective teams, to plan and decide effectively, to motivate people, to communicate a
vision, to promote change and to create effective interpersonal relations. This concept of emotional
intelligence is applied to organisations, more specifically the social work agency - Agenzija
APPOGG1
APPOGG was chosen as the organisation under study, since it is the main social work services
provider in Malta. It delivers a number of services, aimed at addressing the current and emerging
needs of the persons it encounters in the course of conducting its duties. The services within the
Agency give priority to and focus on children, their families and the community at large thus
ensuring that social networks are strengthened and are more equipped in dealing with the real issues
that members of our society, especially children and families, are facing.
This thesis is an attempt to answer the research question "Do the structures and human resource
functions in place at APPOGG, create a climate that is conducive to an emotionally intelligent
workplace?" Thus, the issues of organisational climate, human resource functions and leadership
are explored in the light of their effect on relationships within APPOGG, and therefore their
influence on the levels of emotional intelligence within the Agency.
This study takes an Action Research Approach which deliberately incorporates an action component
into the research design, and subsequently uses the Grounded Theory Approach in its analysis of
data collected. These two approaches complement each other as an effective tool for amplifying the
voices of the participants in the study.
This thesis is divided into two parts. Part one is an exploratory study which consists of a cultural
analysis of APPOGG. Various critical issues emerge from the results of this analysis, primary
amongst which is that of leadership. Based on these findings, and supported by an extensive review
of the literature and in full concordance with the leaders of the Agency themselves, the Researcher
decides to focus on the leadership of the Agency. This leads into Part Two of the study. All the
managers and service area leaders agree to and actually take an emotional intelligence test - the
MSCEIT (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, 2002). Once again, based on the
outcome of this test, the Researcher carries out a Training Day with the Managers and Service Area
Leaders of APPOGG. The analysis of the discourses and interactions of this day produce a
Conceptual Framework which identifies the main variables of leadership, which impinge on the
management practice of the participants. These variables are extensively explored and discussed.
This study concludes that a number of factors within the organisational culture, the leadership and
the human resource functions within APPOGG are in fact not conducive to the development of an
1 For ease of reference the shorter and more colloquial version APPOGG will be used throughout.
Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership in Social Work
emotionally intelligent workplace. These factors, which include trammg provided, career
development, learning opportunities, supervision and mentoring, workload management and the
very nature of the teams are discussed and a number of recommendations for further action and
research are made. The primary recommendation is that of a complete culture change in the
organisation, with the focus on valuing, developing and caring for the workforce, as well as on
organising work more sensibly - along every echelon of the organisation.
Once again, in full accordance with the participants themselves, the majority of the participants retake the MSCEIT, five months after the first take and the training itself; and a marked overall
improvement in the emotional intelligence of the participants is noted.
While this study does not lay claim to being a description of every social work organisation - each
organisation is different in nature, has its very own culture and contextual situation, is a dynamic
and living organism - it does lay claim to having identified the main variables of leadership within
the management of social work organisations. It is also a study which has given a voice to the
managers and leaders within this specific organisation, and a study which has allowed for each
member of the leadership team to be heard.
Description: PH.D.SOCIAL WORK2008-01-01T00:00:00ZThe role of the residential social workerhttps://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/994462022-07-19T07:58:46Z1996-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: The role of the residential social worker
Abstract: Social Work in Malta is at an important stage of its development. Differing
approaches has been recently introduced and yet no one approach has been
adopted. This essay focuses on one approach, i.e. residential social work.
Analysis is made on roles and tasks carried out by a residential social worker
with the aim of classifying work carried out into compartments. For better
insight into the profession of a residential social worker, this essay reports how
workers in residential settings look at this role. Further on light is shed on an
other approach utilised presently in Malta by residential staff. The residential
workers team is not based on specialisation but on a composite range of skills
which would be present in all workers. As yet, no one approach has been
proven more suitable than the other. By providing an insight into the two
approaches, this essay enables the reader to draw a clear picture of the work
involved in a residential setting.
Description: P.G.DIP.SOCIAL WORK1996-01-01T00:00:00ZPlanning a social support service for victims of sexual assaulthttps://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/994402022-07-19T07:37:15Z1996-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: Planning a social support service for victims of sexual assault
Abstract: This long essay is about the setting up of a service that would cater for the needs of
victims of sexual assault. It is divided into four chapters and three appendices.
The first chapter is an introduction and it gives an overview of the history and
implications of sexual assault. This chapter takes into account both a foreign and a
local perspective.
Chapter two is aimed at providing the reader with a profile of the rape victim and
another profile featuring the perpetrator. In this chapter, feelings associated with
being sexually assaulted and sexually assaulting another person are explored.
The next chapter, Chapter 3, provides the framework and the thinking behind a
Rape Crisis Centre. This section deals with the action setting up and the running of
such a service. Services delivered are discussed at length. Topics which have
been analysed are, the setting up of a Rapeline, which would cater for the needs of
persons who have been sexually assaulted, individual and group therapy for
victims of sexual assault and counselling services for the significant others of
victims of sexual assault.
Chapter 4 sheds light on the role of the social worker in the Rape Crisis Centre.
The role of the social worker has been described as being that of a case manager.
Case management and how it operates is also discussed in this chapter.
The appendices include discussions on working with the offender, considerations
and proposal; a training programme for Rapeline Volunteers and a log frame. The
log frame is a tool which has been used to facilitate thinking and planning.
Description: P.G.DIP.SOCIAL WORK1996-01-01T00:00:00Z