The Need for Supervision Policies

Why have a Policy?

You may be wondering why have a discussion on the need for Supervision Policies. The reason for this is quite simple. A Supervision Policy reveals whether an organisation or agency is serious or not about supervision. It also sets and provides both a context and organisational culture to the supervision that is undertaken within it.

What's Happened Recently in Aotearoa New Zealand

It is interesting to note that in Aotearoa New Zealand in the last three years the profession through ANZASW, and the statutory organisations the Community Probation Service and the Department of Child, Youth and Family have revised their professional supervision policies.
Within the profession itself in Aotearoa/New Zealand, we are fortunate that there is a Policy Statement from the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers which in essence provides a "vision" statement for Social Workers and Supervisors to strive towards.
The Profession's policy statement sets a benchmark against which organisational or agency policies need to be measured and aligned.

Examining and Developing a Supervision Policy

There is value in both supervisors and social workers examining their agency's supervision policy (if they have one) and if the agency does not have one, pro-actively working towards developing one.
In terms of examining your policy, a worthwhile starting point is to contrast the policy with purposes and principles of supervision outlined below and to consider the following questions: · To what extent does this policy address each of the purposes of supervision?

· To what extent does this policy follow each of the principles of supervision?

Once you have considered those questions, consider: · How well this policy is aligned with the ANZASW policy statement?

The purposes of supervision

To ensure that the social worker is clear about roles and responsibilities.
To encourage the social worker to meet the profession’s objectives.
To encourage quality of service to clients.
To encourage professional development and provide personal support .
To assist in identifying and managing stress in the social worker’s professional role.
To consider the resources the social worker has available to do their job and manage issues arising where they are inadequate.
To provide a positive environment within which social work practice can be discussed and reviewed (Morrison,1993; ANZASW, 1998).

Principles of supervision

All social workers require supervision.

The best interest of the client must always come first except where there are threats to safety.

Supervision is mandated by agency policy.

Supervision is culturally safe and gender appropriate for the participants.

Supervision is a shared responsibility.

Supervision is based on a negotiated agreement which ahs provision for conflict resolution.

Supervision is regular and uninterrupted.

Supervision promotes critically reflective, competent, responsible, and empowered practice.

Supervision promotes anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

Supervision is based on an understanding of how adults learn.

Supervision provides for appropriate consultation when needed in regard to issues related to gender, culture, sexual orientation and identity, disability, religion or age.

Developing a Supervision Policy

In regard to developing a Supervision policy, the following guidelines are suggested:

1. Read widely about Social Work Supervision. A good starting point is Bennie, G, (1995) Social Work Supervision An Annotated Bibliography, Massey University, School of Sociology and Social Work.

2. Review previous policy statements (if any exist).

3. Obtain and review policy statements from other agencies.

4. Discuss the value of a policy with other Social Workers, Supervisors and Management and get
their support.

5. Get a working party together.

6. Prepare a first draft and put this out for written feedback.

7. Review feedback and revise draft where necessary.

8. Put revised draft out for consultation and discussion.

9. Amend the revised draft following feedback.

10. Submit finalised policy for publication and endorsement by management.

Obviously management support for an agency policy is important. In the case where you may not have management support for the development of a supervision policy and there is sufficient agreement between Social Workers and Supervisors on the need for a policy, an alternative process is to establish a "Memorandum of Understanding" between the Social Workers and Supervisors in relation to supervision. Essentially, this memorandum becomes a defacto policy statement, which will provide a culture, and context within which social work supervision can occur. Another strategy maybe to contact the Social Workers Association and seek their support in the development of a policy in your agency.

It is important to remember that Supervision is a partnership involving the:

Supervisor

Supervisee (social worker)

the Agency and the Profession.

Finally this paper ends with a supervision policy checklist which has been adapted from Morrison (1993).

Checklist

An explicit policy statement should deal with the following area:

Definition and Purpose of Supervision;

Philosophy underpinning supervision and its relationship to the overall values and objective of the organisation;

The supervision of supervisors;

The supervisors mandate and an explicit accreditation process for supervisors.

Experience, training or qualifications required of supervisors;

The place of supervision within supervisors' job descriptions and priorities;

Structure, frequency and contracts for supervision;

Resources to carry out supervision: time, space, and minimisation interruptions;

Functions, processes, model and mode of supervision;

Standards, content and status of recording supervision;

The promotion of anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive, culturally safe and gender appropriate practice in supervision;

Provision for appropriate consultation where there are matters relating to gender, culture,

sexual orientation, disability, religion or age;

Rights and responsibilities of supervisors/ees;

Provision for situations in which the supervisory relationship is breaking, or has broken down;

Confidentiality and its limits;

Evaluation and reviewing of supervision.

Supervision's relationship with performance management.

References and Recommended Reading

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, (1998) Policy Statement on Supervision.

Bennie, G, (1995) Social Work Supervision An Annotated Bibliography, Massey University, Department of Social Policy and Social Work.

O’Donoghue, K. (1998) Supervising Social Workers: A Practical Handbook, Massey University, School of Social Policy and Social Work.

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

New Zealand Social Work Training Council, (1985) Supervision Resource Package, Wellington, New Zealand Social Work Training Council.

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Last Update 3 January 2001.

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