Frontline realities in South African disaster response: Social workers' perspectives on practice challenges

Social workers increasingly integrate disaster work into their practice, recognising it as a developing field within social work. For years, social workers have provided promotive, preventative and treatment services during disasters to ensure community well-being. The increasing demand for social workers in disaster management is driven by a world that is becoming more disaster-prone, requiring effective responses to mitigate their impacts. However, various challenges hinder the effective delivery of disaster social work services. Based on the latter, this article explores the multifaceted challenges faced by disaster frontline social workers and the implications for the practitioners and service delivery. This article reports on findings from the qualitative component of a broader mixed-methods study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using an interview schedule, informed by the perspectives of 21 disaster frontline social workers from South Africa, specifically the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The findings reveal that both natural and human-made disasters present unique challenges that require social workers to be adaptable and resilient. Key challenges include inadequate resources, overwhelming caseloads, safety concerns, insufficient training, role confusion and lack of cooperation from both community members and stakeholders. Addressing these challenges through targeted training, clearer definitions of roles in disaster response and strengthened intersectoral collaboration is essential for fostering a resilient and responsive social work force during disasters.