A Suggested Format For Supervision Sessions.

The following is an example of one format for an individual supervision session. This format needs to be adapted to both the needs of the setting and persons involved in the supervision session:

Preparation:
 
 

· Ensure that sessions are set in advance and occur at regular intervals (eg. weekly,
fortnightly etc.).

· Where possible avoid late afternoon sessions particularly on Fridays (eg. 4pm).

· Take 10-15 minutes to get yourself in the right space.

· During this time you might read over the notes from the last session and consider what this session may focus on.

· Notify reception that you do not want any interruptions and place a PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door, so that when you close your door once the supervisee arrives, you have reduced the likelihood of any interruptions.
The Session
Phase  Opening Question
Establish the Supervisee's Comfort How are you?
Clarify purpose/agenda What have you?
Decide on a starting point What shall we start with?
Explore issue How did you?
Imagine alternatives What if you?
Focussing the supervisee What now for you?
Supervisory suggestions Perhaps you could? 
Planning You will? 
Summarising  Did we?
Set next session When can we meet next?
 Phase one highlights the importance of checking out how the supervisee is prior to embarking on establishing the agenda and purpose of the session. Sometimes the best thing a supervisor can do is listen to a supervisees concerns and this can take up most of the session. However I would suggest you check this out with the supervisee shortly after their initial response to the How are you? (Morrison,1993).

Clarifying the purpose of the session and setting the agenda this should generally follow the supervisees wishes. The main exception to this is when safety and ethical issues arise, and when these matters arise they should take priority.

Phases four to eight help the supervisee move from their experience through to new through the process of a reflective conversation with the supervisor (see Adult Learning model web page).

Phase nine checks out whether what you discussed was what the supervisee wanted to discuss.
Whilst phase ten closes the session.
 

For your own learning you may wish to consider the following questions:

   How do you prepare for sessions?
   How do you structure your supervision sessions?
   To what extent does this structure mirror the client- social worker session?
 
 
Recommended Reading:

CIT (1995) A Handbook for Clinical Supervisors, Central Institute of Technology, Wellington.

Morrison,T, (1993) Staff Supervision in Social Care.  An Action Learning Approach, Longman, Harlow, Essex, England.
 


 Return to home page

(c) 1999, Kieran O'Donoghue, PO Box 437, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Last update: 3 January 2001

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1