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Contents

1. Introduction                                       
2. Principles                                          
3. Definition, Purpose and Function                        
4. Expectations of Supervisor                             
5. Expectations of Supervisee                              
6. Supervision Agreement                                
7. Structure and Content                              
8. Practice Reflection                                                 
9. Observation of Practice                                   
10. Location                                            
11. Monitoring of Supervision                                  
12. Conflict Resolution                                                            
13. Unplanned Supervision                                                      
14. Storage, Retention and Access
    
    Appendix 1: Supervision Agreement
    
    Appendix 2: Case Supervision Record
    
    Appendix 3: Supervision Record

1. Introduction

The aim of this policy is to set out a framework for individual professional supervision between the supervisor and supervisee. Effective supervision is an integral part of social work and safeguarding practice and a component of the performance management framework.

The quality of supervision is a significant factor in staff retention and ensures continuing professional development.

This policy contains procedure and guidance to support staff to achieve the best outcomes from professional supervision.

2. Principles  

• Supervision is mandatory for all staff at all levels undertaking social care work;
• Supervision is an integral part of safeguarding practice that supports staff in developing effective professional, family, child relationships and to exercise professional judgement and decision making;
• Supervision should promote continuous learning and development and support the objectives of the PDCS;
• Supervision should underpin and promote anti discriminatory practice.

3. Definition, Purpose and Function

Definition

Supervision is an accountable process which supports, assures and develops the knowledge, skills and values of an individual, group or team. The purpose of supervision is to improve the quality of work to achieve agreed objectives and outcomes.

Supervision is undertaken at all levels in the division usually on a one to one basis and is a process rather than a series of single events or sessions.

Good quality supervision can help to:

• Avoid drift;
• Keep a focus on the child;
• Maintain a degree of objectivity and challenge fixed views;
• Test and assess the evidence base for assessment and  decisions;
• Address the emotional impact of work.

Function of Supervision

The supervision process incorporates four main functions: Management, including Performance Management, Professional Development, Support and Practice Reflection.

Management and Performance Management

The aims of the management function are to ensure:

• Consistent and good quality case supervision;
• The overall quality of social work;
• That policies and procedures are understood and followed;
• Social Workers understand their roles, responsibilities and competencies;
• That workloads are manageable and are reviewed regularly in accordance with legal and organisational requirements;
• That agreed actions are recorded and implemented;
• That case records are maintained according to the Council’s policy;
• That targets and work programme's are set, agreed and monitored;
• That social work practice is consistent across Social Workers, teams and services;
• That poor performance is identified, challenged and addressed;
• * Ensure that each Social Worker is aware of the service plan and priorities;
• Ensure that each Social Worker is aware of improvement plans that are in place and the implications for practice;
• Support the Social Worker in achieving positive outcomes for children and how to measure success;
• To make the Social Worker aware of lessons from practice reviews and Serious Case Reviews identifying implications for practice.

Professional Development

The aims of the professional development function are to:

• Ensure a positive approach to learning and development;
• Ensure social workers’ performance is managed to promote a high quality service;
• Enable each social worker’s competencies (i.e. skills, behaviour and knowledge) to be developed and to agree how their training and development needs should be met;
• Ensure that each social worker has an understanding of the service plan and how this relates to their own, the team and the services work;
• Use evidence from research to develop individual and team practice;
• Where appropriate to ensure access to professional consultation;
• Ensure that each social worker receives regular feedback on all aspects of their performance;
• Use the Council’s PCDS process to ensure each staff member has an annual appraisal and Personal Development Plan.

Support

The aims of the support function are:

• To create a supportive environment in which good social work practice can be achieved;
• To discuss and clarify the boundaries between professional development and personal needs;
• To de-brief and support social workers, enabling them to talk about their feelings arising from cases and practice;
• To support social workers who have experienced abuse, violence or discrimination in the course of their work and to seek to reduce or eradicate such experiences in the future;
• To monitor and support social workers in managing stress;
• To assist social workers in managing issues across professional relationships;
• To promote a healthy work ethos and environment and to ensure that the social work task is viewed positively.

Practice Reflection

The aims of the practice reflection function are:

• For the supervisor and supervisee to take a critical look at case progress;
• To reflect on the quality and effectiveness of practice;
• To ensure that good outcomes are being achieved;
• Maximise the impact of social workers and the safety and outcomes of children.

4. Expectations of Supervisor 

• A supervision agreement is in place;
• Read case records in advance;
• To plan supervision sessions in advance;
• To prepare for supervision sessions and prepare a agenda;
• To maintain confidentiality within agreed boundaries;
• To ensure that supervision takes place in private;
• To ensure that supervision is uninterrupted excluding emergencies;
• To avoid cancellation of supervision and if on any occasion supervision is cancelled for unavoidable reasons, to ensure it is re-arranged immediately;
• To type the content of supervision and case decisions made on the relevant template after the supervision session and not during;
• To ensure that case decisions are recorded on ICS within two working days;
• To evidence the supervisee’s work;
• To both support and constructively challenge social workers;
• To promote anti-discriminatory practice;
• To have received training in effective reflective supervision.

5. Expectations of Supervisee   

• To attend supervision punctually;
• To share responsibility for planning the supervision meeting and formulating the agenda;
• To prepare for each supervision session thoroughly;
• To seek to use guidance, information and support given in supervision;
• Identify training needs and to actively pursue training and development opportunities;
• To use supervision to think, reflect and explore case and personal options;
• To maintain agreed boundaries of confidentiality;
• To promote anti-discriminatory practice.

6. Supervision Agreement 

Every member of staff should have a written supervision agreement (using agreement format at Appendix 1: Supervision Agreement) which is prepared at the start of the supervisor/supervisee relationship and is reviewed at a minimum of annually to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.

The purpose of the supervision agreement is to establish a basis for which the supervisor and supervisee will work together during one to one supervision sessions and accord the process of supervision a high priority. The agreement should be prepared by the supervisor and supervisee together and clarify the rights and expectations on both sides to create an effective and successful supervision setting.

When establishing the supervision agreement, the following should be discussed:

• The purpose of supervision;
• The frequency and anticipated length of supervision;
• The venue for supervision;
• Any specific responsibilities of both supervisor and supervisee;
• The recording of supervision, where these will be maintained and arrangements for signing records;
• The arrangements for any unplanned or ad hoc supervision;
• The complaints, grievance and whistle blowing procedures;
• The arrangements for cancelling/rearranging session and circumstances;
• The arrangements for agenda setting;
• The arrangements for review of the supervision agreement.

7. Structure and Content

Frequency

The minimum frequency for supervision is 3 weekly with a supervision of at least 1.5 to 2 hours.

Newly qualified social workers will require more frequent supervision. In the first 12 months this will be 2 weekly with a session of at least 1 to 1.5 hours.

Agency and social work staff trained overseas may initially require supervision more than 3 weekly. This should be considered and reviewed by the supervisor and supervisee.

Content

The supervision agenda should contain the following core elements;

1. Case supervision: Although it is unlikely every case will be discussed at each supervision, case supervision will constitute a significant element of each supervision session. The supervisor should ensure each case is discussed at least every 6 weeks. This does not exclude the need to discuss a case more frequently where there are immediate or significant concerns or a need to agree timely plans.
   
   Case supervision should be recorded using the template Appendix 2: Case Supervision Record. The template is designed to be used in supervision with the supervisee having access to ICS. The purpose of the template is to assist the supervisor in structuring case discussion around:
   • A review of the previous agreed actions;
   • Identifying risks, concerns and achieved outcomes;
   • Agreed actions with timescales.
   The template can be used for a sibling group but it is important that there is a clear attribution of information and actions for each child.
   
   The template also supports the supervisor in their quality assurance role. The Brief Audit provides a checklist of statutory and best practice requirements. This should be completed at the supervision session and any remedial action taken.
   
   When the template is completed the relevant parts should be copied and pasted directly into ICS for each child under Manager’s Decision Note or Supervision Note in case notes. This should be done within two working days of supervision. Copies of the template should be retained in the supervision file;
2. Practice Reflection: see Section 8;
3. Review of non casework agreed actions: It is important to review and record the progress on agreed actions using template Appendix 3: Supervision Record. This ensures that there is a running record and remedial action is taken when required. A copy should be provided to the social worker within five working days of supervision;
4. Discussion about safer practice and support of the supervisee: It is important the supervisor and supervisee identify and discuss issues that could interfere with safer practice. This may include emotional pressures in relation to practice, the supervisee experiencing or feeling intimidated, including discrimination/racism, health and safety issues. Personal and home pressures should also be considered where appropriate and guidance provided. A record should be taken using template Appendix 3: Supervision Record;
5. Professional and personal development: This provides opportunity to consider development needs and identify opportunity for learning/training. Opportunities such as mentoring and shadowing should also be considered within and outside the department. The objectives and training needs within the PDCS must also be considered in order to inform the annual appraisal. A record should be taken using template Appendix 3: Supervision Record;
6. Mediation: This provides opportunity to brief the supervisee on developments and key issues within the service. Concerns in respect of working relationships within the service should also be discussed. A record should be taken using template Appendix 3: Supervision Record;
7. Compliments and complaints: Compliments should be noted and consideration given to the authority’s employee awards scheme. In respect of complaints the supervisor should ensure compliance with the department’s complaints procedure. Lessons from complaints should inform the supervisee’s learning needs. A record should be taken using template Appendix 3: Supervision Record.

8. Practice Reflection

‘Practice Reflection’ is the process by which supervisor and supervisee step back and take a constructively critical look at the progress of a case and ensure that plans are sound and good outcomes achieved. Practice reflection is necessary for all cases, CP, CIN, LAC and Leaving Care. Set out below is guidance on practice reflection with a safeguarding focus but the elements in it are relevant to all cases.

The purpose of practice reflection is to develop applied practice wisdom and thereby maximise the impact of the practitioner on the safety and well-being of the children and families for whom they are responsible. It does this through a two-way process of reflection and challenge which promotes curiosity, appropriate skepticism, and critical and systematic thinking, and the exercising of confident professional judgment.

Set out below are the four areas (quantity, quality, outcomes and actions) and some of the key lines of reflection that could be covered under them. These are included here as it will help the supervisor and supervisee to consider these and reflect on the quality and effectiveness of practice during case supervision. It is not suggested that every single line should be explored for every case in every session. However at every other supervision, the supervisor and supervisee must consider one case using this framework. The analysis should be recorded on Appendix 3: Supervision Record. Management decisions relating to casework as a result of the practice reflection should be recorded in ICS.

These are just examples, taken from research and SCR messages about what matters - and what can be missed. The knack is being aware of the range of possible issues and knowing which to explore in each particular case to make the process focused and manageable. The four areas and some of the key lines of reflection are:

1. Quantity: There will be some basic factual matters that will need to be considered - recent developments, especially those indicative of risk e.g. missed appointments, child not being seen by practitioner; task completion;
2. Quality: “Safeguarding” is about the management of risk in a complex system of human and organisational histories, behaviours and relationships. Because they are complex and evolving, because they can impact on each other in unforeseen ways, and because the practitioner is part of that system and can become caught up in it, SPR needs to enable a “standing back” and looking at what’s happening from a range of perspectives.

There are four quality areas based on the human and organisational systemic nature of safeguarding:

The Child 

Examples of issues to be explored:

• How visible is the child? Is the focus of the work still on the child’s safety and well-being, or someone / something else?
• What must the world look like through the eyes of the child?
• What is the child communicating?
• How much time is the practitioner spending with the child?
• What’s the quality of the relationship between the practitioner and the child?
• What’s the child’s experience of the practitioner and the service being received? 

The Parent / Carer

Examples of issues to be explored:

• What’s the quality of our engagement with the parent? If poor, do we need to come at it a different way?
• What’s the quality of the practitioner’s relationship with the parent?
• What’s the nature of the co-operation, non-cooperation?
• How does the parent experience this relationship and the services provided?
• Is the parent’s history and its meaning for what’s happening now, understood?
• Have we thoroughly understood the impact of the domestic violence, adult metal health, substance misuse, learning disability?
• Who and where are the men in the child’s life; what impact do they have; are they involved in our plan?

The Practitioner

Examples of issues to be explored:

• Are our views fixed or have they been adjusted based on new information?
• Has the practitioner become desensitised to the reality of the poor standards of parenting?
• Is the practitioner practicing in an authoritative and confident way in relation to standards of care and co-operation?
• What impact is this case having on the practitioner e.g. fear?
• If this was our son / daughter / nephew / grandson, would we approach things differently?
• Is the practitioner just collecting pieces of information - or are they building up a picture of the total system that makes up the child’s world which they are then analysing to understand and respond appropriately to?
• What theoretical framework is the practitioner using in their work on this case?
• What learning and development needs for the practitioner are emerging from this case?

Partnership Working

Examples of issues to be explored:

• Who needs to be involved in this case, and are they?
• Are we / partners working together or in silos?
• Are we / partners adopting a “Think and Act Family” approach?
• Is information sharing taking place – and are we communicating meaning?
• Who is the lead professional?
• Are things stuck; is escalation necessary?
  
  

3. Outcomes: This area explores what difference is being made to the lives of the child and family, the impact. Obviously, the impact achieved will be contributed to by a range of influences, so this exploration will tell us things about the impact of more than just the practitioner. Nonetheless, there is need to explore the particular contribution of the practitioner.
   • What would “good” look like for his child / family? If our interventions and plans were successful, what would the child’s / family’s life look like? (i.e. the desired outcomes);
   • How would we know (measure) if the good is being achieved?
   • What’s the evidence that progress is being made towards achieving the good?
   • If no progress is being made, do we need to do things differently - or have we got the wrong plan?
   • Why are we doing what we are doing? What’s the research evidence–base for our actions and plan?
4. Actions: Based on the exploration of quality, quality and outcome, what are the decisions we now need to make and the actions to take?

9. Observation of Practice

The supervisor will at least once a year observe the direct practice of the supervisee. A record of the observation should be kept on the supervision file.

10. Location

Supervision should take place in a private room; it should be free from interruption and should be as comfortable as practicable. The supervisee should ensure there is access to ICS so there is a process of concurrent quality assurance.

11. Monitoring of Supervision

The supervisors records of supervision will be regularly (3 monthly) checked and monitored for content and quality by their line manager. A note should be made on the file and a record of actions required. Supervisees should be given the opportunity to comment on the standard of their supervision at least annually, as part of the quality assurance framework.

12. Conflict Resolution

Where after sustained effort there is a conflict or disagreement that cannot be resolved between the social worker and their supervisee, then the line manager should be informed and a three way meeting arranged to discuss and resolve the issue, the line manager will decide where agreement cannot be reached.

13. Unplanned Supervision

Unplanned supervision refers to consultation and decision making outside the formal supervision process. There should always be regular communication between the supervisor and supervisee in order to clarify matters and ensure consistent safe practice. The supervisor should ensure that discussions and decisions are recorded on ICS case notes under Manager’s Decision within 24 hours.

Where a social worker in the absence of their supervisor consults with another manager, the supervision record for the case should be checked to inform decision making. A record of the decision should be entered on ICS within 24 hours and the supervisor notified of the entry.

14. Storage, Retention and Access

The supervisor has the responsibility to ensure that each supervisee has a supervision file and it contains up to date records. This can either be in electronic or manual form. However supervision files must be accessible to the people listed below. Every line manager must be aware of how to access supervision files. If the supervisee leaves the employ of the authority the supervision file should be sent to Human Resources for retention.

Supervision files should be structured into four sections:

• Section 1: GSCC details, confirmation of date of CRB and car insurance where applicable;
• Section 2: PDCS/probation reports;
• Section 3: Supervision records;
• Section: Other.

Supervision files should be kept safe and secure and only be accessed by other legitimate persons for example:

• Line and Senior Managers;
• Deputising managers in the absence of the supervisor;
• Investigating Officers for disciplinary purposes;
• Ofsted Inspectors.

Appendix 1: Supervision Agreement

Click here to view Appendix 1: Supervision Agreement.

Appendix 2: Case Supervision Record

Click here to view Appendix 2: Case Supervision Record.

Appendix 3: Supervision Record

Click here to view Appendix 3: Supervision Record.

End