Profile of the research sample

The research participants consisted of twenty-four counsellors who were actively engaged as HIV/AIDS counsellors in eThekwini Municipality area in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. They were based in government and local government, non - governmental organizations, faith-based

organizations and tertiary institutions. Seven of the respondents were based at NGO’s and six worked in a governmental setting. The researcher’s experience was that it was much harder to access governmental HIV/AIDS counsellors, due to their work-related protocol. Eight of the respondents worked at FBO’s at the time of the study and three in tertiary settings.

The small purposive sample indicated that one should not make any hard and fast inferences from these findings. At a glance, one might say that all service-providers of HIV/AIDS counsellors in eThekwini area were represented. One assumed that there was effective coordination across these sectors in keeping with the HIV/AIDS provincial strategic plan of KwaZulu Natal (2006-2010), which acknowledged the crucial role of all stakeholders (government, NGO’s, FBO’s and tertiary responses) in the fight against HIV/AIDS. For the purpose of triangulation, seven of the counsellors in the sample initially agreed to be part of a focus group discussion however, due to unforeseen circumstances one of the counsellors withdrew.

Early questions asked in the interview were, “where they were trained and where they were

employed at the time of the study.” Breakwall et al (2000:311) stated that, “break characteristics are selected on substantive grounds and involve the subdivision of groups according to their potentially contrasting views and experience concerning the issues being investigated.”

The satisfaction of HIV/AIDS counsellors in the eThekwini Metropolitan area with regard to their counsellor training

Demographic information about the HIV/AIDS counsellor sample are presented in terms of gender, age and base-level education.

TABLE 2: GENDER OF THE HIV/AIDS COUNSELLORS

Category Sub-Category NGO FBO GOV Tertiary Total

Gender

Male 2 1 3

Female 7 5 7 2 21

Total 7 7 7 3 24

Three males and twenty-one females took part in the study even though the researcher endeavoured to recruit more males. The reality is that most HIV/AIDS counsellors in South Africa are female (Richter, van Rooyen, Solomon, Griesel & Durrheim 2001:150).

TABLE 3: AGES OF HIV/AIDS COUNSELLORS

Category Sub - category NGO FBO GOV. Tertiary Total

Age 18 - 25 years 1 1 2 26 - 34 years 1 1 3 3 8 35 - 44 years 3 6 2 11 45 - 55 years 2 2 56 and above 1 1 Total 6 9 6 3 24

Amongst the participants in the study, fourteen of the twenty four HIV/AIDS counsellors were older than 35, whilst eight participants were between 26 and 34 and two were between eighteen and 25 years. The researcher was reminded that Erikson (cited in Engler 1995:159) said that persons

between 25 and 64, amongst other things, tend to have the ability to show concern for the welfare of ensuing generations and actively participate towards this end.

The satisfaction of HIV/AIDS counsellors in the eThekwini Metropolitan area with regard to their counsellor training

TABLE 4: BASE LEVEL EDUCATION OF HIV/AIDS COUNSELLORS

Category Sub-category NGO FBO GOV Tertiary Total

Base level education High School 2 4 4 2 10 College/technikon 2 1 2 1 7 University 4 2 1 7 Total 8 7 7 3 24

As indicated in the above table, ten of the respondents had some high school education so that fourteen trained at tertiary level (seven at university and seven at college/ technikon). Profile information indicated that most of the participants in the study were female, older than 35 and had graduated from tertiary institutions. The counsellors were all based in NGO, FBO, tertiary and government (local government) settings. Four of the counsellors in the sample were trained by NGO’s, four by government organizations, seven by FBO’s and nine by tertiary institutions, i.e. four were trained by college/ technikon and five counsellors were trained at universities.

Initially only HIV/AIDS counsellors working at NGO’s and FBO’s were earmarked for the study. However, an additional category was later added to include HIV/AIDS counsellors who worked at tertiary institutions. As advised by Richards & Morse (2007: 237) the researcher endeavoured to afford each of the participants in the sample, the right to information about the purpose of the study and the extent and duration they would be involved in the research project. The researcher also briefed them about their rights to confidentiality and anonymity, the right to ask questions, as well as their right to refuse participation or to withdraw from the study at any time without any

ramifications. The participants were informed about their right to know what was expected from them during the research process and who would have access to the information obtained about them and how it would be utilized. More information about the counsellors is presented in the tables below. Firstly, the researcher presented a collective illustration of the work bases of the counsellors in table 4 and thereafter discussed and illustrated relevant issues from the data.

SECTION A: GOVERNMENT WORK BASE C Service Provider Training Duration Work status at training Practical in training

Levels of confidence to counsel after training Level of satisfaction with training 1 NGO Staggered: 20 days – 2 d.p.w.

Unemployed Role play & group work

Okay - training when employed afterwards

8

2 Gov. Staggered:

10 days 2.d.p.w.

Unemployed Role play & group work

Nurse / learnt on the job / supervision of files only

5

16 FBO Block:

10 days

Unemployed Role play & group work

Okay - could counsel (HIV positive experience)

6

17 NGO Block: 10 days Unemployed Role play / group work Reluctant / very nervous 5

23 Col/Tech Block: 20 days Unemployed Role play / group work Not confident 4

24 NGO Staggered

2 months, 2 d.p.w.

Unemployed Role play Got a job & had in-service training 8

SECTION B: NGO WORK BASE

3 Col/Tech Block: 6 mnths. Unemployed Role play / group work Too little practice 5

4 Univ. Block: 1 year Unemployed Role play / group work Uneasy / one week practice only 5

5 NGO Block: 20 days Unemployed Role play / group work Yes, after in-service training when

employed

7

7 Univ. Block: 6 mnths. Unemployed Role play / group work Needed more practical 5

10 Univ. Block: 6 mnths. Volunteer Role play / group work No 5

18 FBO Block: 10 days Volunteer Role play Okay - volunteered 6

22 Univ. Block: 6 mnths. Student Role play / group work Yes, due to social work background 8

SECTION C: FBO WORK BASE

6 Univ. Block:

6 months

Volunteer Role play / group work Unsure, but learnt while volunteering 3

9 FBO Block: 10 days Employed Role play / group work

Supervised

Employed - supervised 8

11 FBO Block: 10 Days Volunteer Role play / group work Okay - volunteered 7

12 Col/Tech Block: 20 days Employed Role play / group work Okay - supervised at work 6

13 Gov. Block: 5 days Employed Role play / group work Managed - employed as Trauma

counsellor / mentored

8

19 FBO Block: 10 Days Unemployed Role play / group work Nervous – lacked practice 5

20 FBO Block: 10 days Volunteer Role play / group work Okay – volunteered 6

21 FBO Block: 20 Days Unemployed Role play / group work Scared - lacked practice 4

SECTION D: TERTIARY WORK BASE

8 Gov. Staggered:

2 d.p.w. 3 Months

Unemployed Role play / group work & placement

Yes, practical placement arranged by service provider

7

14 Col/Tech Block:

20 days

Unemployed Role play / group work & placement

Yes, practical placement arranged by service provider

7

15 Gov. Block: 10 days Volunteer Role play / group work Yes, (experience as positive status) 8

Codes: Days per week = d.p.w College/Technikon = Col/ Tech Gov. = government FBO = Faith based organization Univ. = University Mnths. = Months NGO = Nongovernmental organization

The satisfaction of HIV/AIDS counsellors in the eThekwini Metropolitan area with regard to their counsellor training