A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...
A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ... A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...
Table 7: Networking by Shelters Organizations Name Frequency of Contact Nature of Contact. Law Enforcement Agencies Very Frequent/Monthly Picking/Dropping Children Social Services Department Frequent As Need Welfare And Referrals Arises Hospitals/Clinics Occasional According DiagnosislTreatment To Need Legal Counsels Not Frequent Advocacy Educational Institutions Frequent Formal Learning Psychological/Psychiatric Occasional Counselling/ Guidance Centres Religious Organizations Weekly Spiritual Guidance Families And Relatives Frequent Process Of Unification Community Leaders Often Reintegration Process National council for Alcohol Often Guidance/Guidance and Drug Dependency Other (CIDI) Frequent HIV/AIDS Awareness 4.3 Views and Experiences of Shelter Managers Four shelter managers expressed their views and experiences with regard to their work in the shelters. While they noted areas that caused them considerable challenges and underlined that these areas needed attention so that shelters provided children with adequate quality services. They however expressed a degree of satisfaction with the performance of the shelters despite the circumstance the shelters were working under. This section details the concerns of the managers the findings will describe the common themes and trends because the challenges of children living and/or working on the streets are similar and interventionlreintegration strategies present similar challenges. 65
4.3.1 Structure and physical location of shelters The managers held to two different views but did not commit themselves to any of the perceptions rather carried on with their obligations regardless of the location of the shelters. Like we observed above, the managers felt that shelters could be located anywhere as long as, children were able to access easily and the location did not complicate or hider delivery of services to children. 4.3.2 Shelter's Objectives Managers were devoted to achieve the objectives of shelters and in their view, shelters staff contributed significantly. In this regard, they endeavoured to keep the morale high by improving wherever possible the working environment and conditions of service. They argued that shelters should enhance service delivery and in the process facilitate shelters organization to attain the objectives. Providing services to meet children's basic needs and implementation of intervention and reintegration programs posed constant challenges and the managers grappled to meet the challenges. 4.3.3 Management Styles and Administration Shelter managers did not worry themselves about ascribing to a particular style of management. They took consideration of what works for shelters and in particular delivery of services to children. Shelters management structures reflect loosely coordinated structures (Hasenfeld (1983:150-151). However, management structures of each shelter, together with the personality of the individual manager and the leadership style, impacted differently on staff performance in each shelter. For example, in shelter B the process of management had no separation of managerial oversight and operational functions of the manager. The manager involved the staff in the process of decision-making and valued the input of personnel in shaping the shelter's image. The manager felt that working closely with the shelter staff would provide a good working environment thereby motivating staff morale and performance. Armstrong (1991:27, 144) made the same observation that staffs are motivated when they are involved in decision-making process. Managerial structures in shelters A and C reflected both the human relations model and decision making perspectives in management as stated by Hasenfeld (1983: 23-29) which confirms our earlier observation that shelters did not adhere to a single style of management. The managers employed any style they considered practicable in the shelters. 66
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Table 7: Networking by <strong>Shelters</strong><br />
Org<strong>an</strong>izations Name Frequency <strong>of</strong> Contact Nature <strong>of</strong> Contact.<br />
Law En<strong>for</strong>cement Agencies Very Frequent/Monthly Picking/Dropping<br />
<strong>Children</strong><br />
Social Services Department Frequent As Need Welfare And Referrals<br />
Arises<br />
Hospitals/Clinics Occasional According DiagnosislTreatment<br />
To Need<br />
Legal Counsels Not Frequent Advocacy<br />
Educational Institutions Frequent Formal Learning<br />
Psychological/Psychiatric Occasional Counselling/ Guid<strong>an</strong>ce<br />
Centres<br />
Religious Org<strong>an</strong>izations Weekly Spiritual Guid<strong>an</strong>ce<br />
Families And Relatives Frequent Process Of Unification<br />
Community Leaders Often Reintegration Process<br />
National council <strong>for</strong> Alcohol Often Guid<strong>an</strong>ce/Guid<strong>an</strong>ce<br />
<strong>an</strong>d Drug Dependency<br />
Other (CIDI) Frequent HIV/AIDS Awareness<br />
4.3 Views <strong>an</strong>d Experiences <strong>of</strong> Shelter M<strong>an</strong>agers<br />
Four shelter m<strong>an</strong>agers expressed their views <strong>an</strong>d experiences with regard to their work<br />
in the shelters. While they noted areas that caused them considerable challenges <strong>an</strong>d<br />
underlined that these areas needed attention so that shelters provided children with<br />
adequate quality services. They however expressed a degree <strong>of</strong> satisfaction with the<br />
per<strong>for</strong>m<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>of</strong> the shelters despite the circumst<strong>an</strong>ce the shelters were working under.<br />
This section details the concerns <strong>of</strong> the m<strong>an</strong>agers the findings will describe the<br />
common themes <strong>an</strong>d trends because the challenges <strong>of</strong> children living <strong>an</strong>d/or working<br />
on the streets are similar <strong>an</strong>d interventionlreintegration strategies present similar<br />
challenges.<br />
65
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