Determinants of private practice in social work: a survey of Zimbabwean social workers

Abstract

In developing countries like Zimbabwe, the issue of private practice in social work is at a formative stage. This paper explored the opinion of social workers regarding the issue of private practice in social work in the country. Using quantitative research design, data was collected from randomly sampled social workers (n = 462) from various fields of practices. The study findings revealed that the majority (47%) of social workers (n = 218) strongly believed that they ought to venture into private practice. Based on the regression models, the following factors were statistically significant (ρ < .05) in predicting engagement in private practice: desire to expand resource base, quest to create employment, professional empowerment, professional autonomy, improved quality of services, influence from other professions, favorable regulatory environment, desire to reach new clients, existence of wider clientele base, improving professional identity, and knowledge base. The study recommends increased public debates, development of private practice legal framework, and inter-professional collaboration with other professions. The paper concluded that private practice in social work is a welcome initiative among Zimbabwean social workers and there is a need for increased publicity in this area.

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