RESILIENCE OF SOCIAL AUXILIARY WORKERS: DEFINED BY STRENGTHS AND COPING ABILITIES

Abstract

Resilience has been identified as a protective factor that improves the ability to manage stress, promotes wellbeing and enables individuals to thrive in adverse circumstances. Many social auxiliary workers function independently with sporadic and brief supervision. Considering the stressful work environment that social auxiliary workers must face, it is essential that they be equipped to effectively manage the stressors of social work practice. The study identified how individual, social and environmental factors contribute to the participants’ resilience and their ability to thrive in these challenging circumstances. The participants use their interpersonal, intrapersonal and organisational strengths and coping strategies to manage both their positive and challenging work experiences to remain both productive and resilient. Keywords: coping, intrapersonal strengths, interpersonal strengths, organisational strengths, resilience, social auxiliary work, social work