The Nascent Roles and Challenges of School Social Work in Enhancing Well-Being for High School Students in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Since the commencement of social work training and professional practice in Zimbabwe, there has been a steady expansion of the profession’s fields of practice. Recently, the rise in mental health consciousness for adolescents instigated the increased interest in student welfare and the need for social work practice in schools. This paper builds on that discourse by identifying four Zimbabwean schools with social work service processes and departments. The goal was to explore the nature and manner of social work service dispensation at the selected schools, for adoption and further development in other schools—primarily public schools, which many have access to. The paper employed a descriptive phenomenological research design and data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 17 participants in the schools’ social work service ecosystem. Findings were analysed using Giorgi’s Descriptive Phenomenological Analysis, which revealed that school social workers play a vital, yet often misunderstood, role in providing psychosocial support, coordinating care through informal collaborations, and addressing complex student needs. However, their work is constrained by inadequate infrastructure, inadequate funding, and professional role ambiguity. Students frequently accessed help through peer intermediaries, reflecting mistrust or discomfort using formal services. The study concludes that while school social work holds transformative potential, it is undermined by systemic neglect and the absence of institutional frameworks. Implications for practice include the urgent need to institutionalise school social work through clear policy, dedicated resources, counselling spaces, and professional role clarification to ensure sustainable and equitable support for students across Zimbabwe.