STAFF SUPERVISION

POLICY & PROCEDURES SOCIAL WORK

Martlie Swart – Principal Social Worker August 2016 Second Version

SUPERVISION POLICY Social Work / Social Care Services

Contents Page Scope 3

Definitions 3

Underlying values, principles and assumptions 3

Frequency of supervision 3

Quality of supervision 4

Purpose of supervision 4

Mandatory Actions 5

List of topics to be covered in supervision 6

Records 6

Monitoring and Review 7

Guidance Notes

Appendix: 8

Contract 8

Agenda: Personal Supervision (1:1) 9

Agenda: Case Supervision ( SoS) 10

Personal Folder Divisions/Headings 11

Supervision Monitoring Form 27

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STAFF SUPERVISON POLICY SOCIAL WORK /CARE SERVICES

1. SCOPE This policy applies to all social work/ social care managers and staff: Those providing services direct to members of the public and those providing support services; those on temporary and those on permanent contracts; and volunteers. Students and trainees on placement may have separately negotiated supervision contracts, but the same principles will apply.

2. DEFINITIONS Supervision is here defined as any communication between two or more staff, one of whom is a line manager, where the primary purpose is to enhance staff performance and effectiveness in carrying out the requirements of their post and the meeting the objectives of the organisation.

• Planned/ formal supervision - pre-arranged sessions with an agreed agenda. • Informal/ unplanned supervision – a response to a task or event when it is inappropriate

to wait for the next planned supervision. • Supervision is divided into two separate activities:

• Case Consultation / Case Supervision • Personal Supervision (1:1)

3. UNDERLYING VALUES, ASSUMPTIONS AND PRINCIPLES This Supervision Policy has been developed in line with the Directorate Practice Standard on Supervision which read as follows: Practice Standard 5: “Effective and Appropriate Supervision: This Standard is about making high quality, regular supervision an integral part of social work practice. This should start with students on placement, and continue through ASYE and throughout the individual’s social work career. Supervision should be based on a rigorous understanding of the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF). Supervision should challenge students and qualified practitioners to reflect critically on their practice and should foster an inquisitive approach to social work. 4. FREQUENCY OF SUPERVISION All employers should ensure that supervision takes place regularly and consistently and last at least an hour and a half of uninterrupted time. Managers and workers have a joint responsibility to makes sure that supervision takes place:

• For students on placement - as agreed with student and educational setting. • For newly qualified social workers - at least weekly for the first six weeks of employment

of a newly qualified social worker, at least fortnightly for the duration of the first six months, and a minimum of monthly supervision thereafter

• For social workers who have demonstrated capability at ASYE level and above - in line with identified needs, and at least monthly

• For overseas qualified social workers – fortnightly for the first six month.

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Newly qualified social workers Every two weeks for the first twelve months and monthly thereafter Social workers returning to work or who have had a major role change Every two weeks for an agreed period, then monthly. Overseas qualified social workers within their probation period: Every two weeks for an agreed period, then monthly. Social workers with more than twelve months experience Monthly 5. QUALITY OF SUPERVISION All employers should:

• ensure that social work supervision is not treated as an isolated activity by incorporating it into the organisation’s social work accountability framework.(Standard1)

• promote continuous learning and knowledge sharing through which social workers are encouraged to draw out learning points by reflecting on their own practice in the light of experiences of peers.

• ensure that the Professional Capabilities Framework, at an appropriate level, is used as the basis for evaluating capability and identifying development needs.

• ensure that supervision supports students and qualified social workers to meet the HCPC Standards.

• encourage social workers to plan, reflect on and record learning activity, using recording tools such as an e-portfolio.

• provide regular supervision training for social work supervisors. • assign explicit responsibility for the oversight of appropriate supervision and for issues

that arise through supervision provide additional professional supervision by a registered social worker for practitioners whose line manager is not a social worker.

6. THE PURPOSE OF SUPERVISION The purpose of supervision is to offer a Managerial, Representative, Supportive and Developmental element to practice. The management element will address:

• Overall management of the quality of work practice; • Overall management of workload and priorities of resources • Provision of a safe environment in which to work • Professional discussion of performance against individual and team objectives • Role of supervision in ensuring that Council policies are communicated and made clear by

both parties

The representative element will address: o Advocacy between the practitioner, senior management, the team and any outside

agencies o The transfer of relevant information between the practitioners, senior

Management, the team and any outside agencies o The supportive element will address: o Support for the practitioner as a professional and as an individual person in her/his

own right, including acknowledgement of issues of diversity 4

o Support for wellbeing at work o The developmental element will address: o Identifying individual strengths o Identifying areas for development in order to carry out the job to the required

standard and objectives o Identifying development opportunities o Planning how development needs could be met o Ensuring that the practitioner has induction training o Evaluating development opportunities taken

The supportive element will address:

• Workload • Stress • Safety in dangerous situations and the • Emotional effect of difficult cases must be addressed. • Annual Leave • Sickness • Equality and Diversity • Achievements • Recognition of Good Practice and Strengths

The Developmental element will address:

• Training • Continuous Professional Development • Probation/Performance Appraisal Targets • Probing and challenge • Work-relationships

(Adapted from; ‘What ever happened to supervision?’ 23.04.09, Community Care) from Tony Morrison: Staff Supervision in Social Care 2001) 8. MANDATORY ACTIONS:

• All staff will have supervision contracts in place • All supervision contracts will be reviewed and renewed annually. • All staff will have annual appraisals in place that are being acted upon and progressed

within agreed timescales and monitored monthly during Personal Supervision Sessions. • All new staff will be subject to the Probation Scheme in place that are being acted upon

and reviewed within supervision. • All staff will have a personal supervision folder with the required sections. • All personal supervision sessions will be held in accordance with the agreed agenda. • All personal supervision sessions will be recorded and signed within 3 working days of the

session. • All case supervisions will be recorded on MOSAIC within 3 working days of the session

being held. • All case supervision session will be held in accordance with the agreed agenda. • Supervision sessions for both case consultations and personal supervision will be

scheduled in advance, using the Outlook Calendar.

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• Social Workers will prepare for supervision by ensuring that previous actions agreed were completed, brining evidence of progress, seeking appropriate assistance and using a range of learning opportunities.

• Managers should ensure that all new policies/procedures and guidance is shared within supervision.

• Managers will prepare for supervision sessions in advance. This includes reviewing previous minutes and actions, reviewing case audits and including learning and action points and ensuring that actions agreed were performed.

• A venue should be booked in advance and supervision should be uninterrupted and only cancelled/postponed for sickness, urgent court appearances or when there is an urgent need to attend to the immediate safety of a child.

• The supervision monitoring form must be maintained and made available for inspection and audit by senior managers. This monitoring form must be brought to all supervision sessions between managers and their supervising managers.

• Staff has a professional responsibility to be accountable for their own conduct, development and delivery of a high quality service.

9. LIST OF TOPICS TO BE INCLUDED IN PLANNED SUPERVISION All of these topics should be covered at least quarterly, but the priority given to each one will vary, depending on the nature of the setting and the staff member’s workload. • Review of work done, evaluation of performance and achievements in relation to targets,

objectives, priorities and standards. Perspectives of users, staff members and supervisor. • Need for any personal support to staff where work can be difficult and stressful. • Review of records, which may include checking a sample of current records, to ensure they

are up-to-date, complete, accurate and clear, and that they comply with relevant policy and procedures including security and confidentiality.

• Review of any effects of gender, race, culture or disability on dealings with service users, colleagues and supervisor.

• Awareness and understanding of relevant policies, procedures and standards. • Adequacy of relevant policies, standards, systems and procedures. • Monitoring of action plans arising from H&S audits • Review of attendance management. • Review of individual professional development. • Review and evaluation of learning and development activities undertaken. • Feedback on supervisor’s performance. • Suggestions for improving performance. • Any other topics either party wishes to discuss. • Agreement of clear, realistic, measurable objectives and activities for work and personal

development during the period to the next planned supervision.

10. RECORDS • Records on planned supervision sessions should be kept by those involved. • These records should be signed and agreed by line manager and staff member, and should

outline the issues discussed, decisions reached and action agreed. • Supervision records are the property of the employer and should be available for

management examination when requested. • Appropriate confidentiality of records will be maintained. • Where a staff member obtains a different job within a Directorate supervision records

will be transferred to the new supervisor.

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• Records should be kept for 6 months after a staff member has left the Directorate and then destroyed.

• Records for social work staff (field and residential) should go on their personnel file when a staff member leaves, and then archived.

11. MONITORING AND REVIEW

• Supervision will be monitored and audited by senior management. • Staff new to the Directorates will be made aware of the policy at induction stage.

• All managers will receive a copy of the policy as part of their Induction.

12. NOTES FOR GUIDANCE Methods Supervision is to be seen as a process, to be achieved by a range of methods. Wherever possible, supervision should be undertaken primarily on a one-to-one basis. Alternative and additional methods to consider include supervision through team meetings, co-working, peer support, and independent support groups. Supervision may be structured or unstructured; it may include ‘live’ supervision / observation of work, examination of records, taped material, or simulation. Supervision may include reflection on incidents and problem solving. The choice of methods to be used will depend on the types and settings of the services provided, and on the needs and resources of the staff group and of individuals within the group. Physical arrangements Arrangements for planned one-to-one supervision should ensure as much privacy as possible, and prevent interruptions from visitors or the telephone

Supervisors Line managers should be involved in supervising all staff whom they directly manage as they are responsible for managing performance, training and development and performance appraisals for their staff. Other staff may also be involved in non-managerial aspects of supervision, e.g. to provide specialist consultation, professional advice, or to provide support in containing work stresses.

Use of examples In order for supervision to be consistent across a service area, examples are given in the appendices of a supervision contract, a supervision record, and a log to record the regularity of sessions. It is strongly suggested that the documents in each team/ section follow these models, with only minor adjustments where necessary to reflect differences in operational procedures, for example the frequency and duration of supervision sessions. Appropriate topics should be standing items for discussion with others added as and when they are relevant. The log is designed to monitor the regularity of supervision, and remind staff to re-schedule missed appointments.

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APPENDIX 1

Supervision Contract

1. Formal 1:1 supervision will take place at least once in every four-week (28 days) period.

Additional supervision sessions maybe requested at the discretion of either party, or as a result of an incident.

2. Case Supervision/consultation on a case will occur at least once every 28 days but cases could require more supervision depending on the worker’s level of experience and complexity of the case.

3. The supervision dates will be fixed in advance at a mutually agreed time. 4. Both parties will honour the appointments made in advance. If cancellation is necessary

an alternative date will be agreed. 5. Supervision notes will be prepared by the supervisor recording the items discussed and

actions agreed; these notes must be signed by both parties. A copy will be sent to the staff member.

6. Formal supervision sessions will not preclude opportunities for informal discussion on

matters of importance that arise from day to day.

7. Personal (1:1) supervision is not negotiable and should not be overtaken by case discussions.

8. The purpose of the formal case supervision session will be to assist the staff to fulfil the

responsibilities and tasks of their post. Each session must include the following agenda items:- Feedback and review of supervision, caseload review, planning and decision making.

9. Personal (1:1) supervision will include review of practice, personal issues and staff training/development, absence monitoring, data accuracy, performance appraisal. Additional agenda items will be jointly agreed.

10. The contents of supervision will remain confidential, unless there are implications for

directorate guidelines or policy. Any personal issues discussed during supervision will be treated as confidential, unless such disclosures directly affect the work/client situation. In some cases this may necessitate a three way meeting with the supervisor’s line manager.

11. Supervision records are the property of Reading Borough Council and should be available

for line manager’s examination when requested. Signed ................................................... Date ........................... (Supervisor) Signed ................................................... Date ........................... (Staff member)

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Personal Supervision Record (1:1) RBC Children’s Social Care

Supervisee Supervisor Date 7 April 2016 SUBJECT DISCUSSIONS/DECISIONS/ACTIONS/AGRE

EMENTS ACTIONS/COMPLETED/STAND-OVER

Health, Safety and Personal

Annual Leave

Sickness

Equality and Diversity

Training and Education

Career Development

Workload

Stress and Time Management

Procedures and Policies

Practice Standards: Challenges and Accomplishments

Performance Appraisal /Probation

Supervisees of Supervisee

Strengths

Needs

Evaluation/Feedback

Workers views on how the 1:1 session was experienced and future expectations.

Next meeting: Date: Venue: Signed: Supervisee Name: Date: Signed: Supervisor Name: Date:

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Personal Supervision

Name of Practitioner

Job Role/Title

Team

Work Address

Line Manager

Establishment

Working Pattern

Start Date

Salary Scale/Scp Point

Emergency Contact Nr

Landline Extension

Work Mobile

Work Email Address

After Hours Contact Nr

Home Address

Next of Kin & Contact Nr

It is important that personal supervision is given the same priority as case supervision. This is to ensure that the supervisee is being supported in their career development- ensuring that they have access to training to enhance their practice. Personal supervision should also serve to acknowledge the emotional impact of the work we do. As Munro stated: “The emotional dimension of working with children and families plays a significant part in how social workers reason and act. If it is not explicitly addressed and discussed then its impact can be harmful

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Contents Minutes: Supervision Sessions

Specific Casework/Practice Issues or Challenges

Performance Appraisals

Annual Leave

Sickness

Training and Development

General

Disciplinary

Probation

Induction

Supervision Agreement/Contract

Supervision Policy

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Practice Standard for Employers of Social Workers in

England: Supervision Framework

13

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Supervision Session Minutes

14

Performance Appraisals

15

Induction

16

Probation

17

Annual Leave

18

Sickness

19

Training and Development

20

Disciplinary

21

Achievements

22

Supervision Contract

23

Supervision Policy

24

General

25

Specific

Casework/Practice Issues/Concern

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APPENDIXm4 SUPERVISION MONITORING FORM

Staff member ……………………………... Supervisor……………………………………….

Date/time Completed Cancelled (by whom)

Reason for cancellation

Alternative date

Formal/ Informal

Team/Group Signature Supervisor

Signature Staff member

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