Supervision is the name for the regular, planned and recorded sessions between staff and their line manager. It is sometimes known as formal supervision. It is a partnership between the supervisee, the supervisor and the setting. It is a key task that supports the development of staff skills and practices in work with children, young people and families and the safeguarding of those in their care.
Some practitioners have specific child protection supervision e.g. health colleagues, and this is often provided by someone who is not their usual line manager.
Informal supervision often also happens in the most effective teams as staff seek advice and help in situations that they deal with on a daily basis. This is good practice but should NOT replace a formal supervision session.
What we have in Leeds
In Leeds we have developed the Supervision: Minimum Standards for the Supervision of Staff and Volunteers Working with Children, Young People and Families which provide a framework for and understanding of the minimum requirements and processes of supervision within any service. Services may wish to adopt this policy or use their own service specific policy and adhere to relevant professional standards.
We provide training which enables staff to develop skills, knowledge and understanding to deliver effective supervision, including safeguarding practice, with a view to improving outcomes for children, young people and families
The policy and training encourage staff to appreciate a restorative approach to supervision, which recognises benefits for managers and staff.
Why is supervision important
Supervision is important to:
- Ensure that work is outcome focused with the supervisor holding the supervisee to account for plans put forward for any given family, reflects and builds on good practice, and thoroughly explores and checks the supervisee’s rationale and thinking behind each plan. In addition asks the fundamental question of whether the plan is likely to achieve the desired outcome. And if not, why not, and how does this affect the overall understanding of the case;
- Ensure that performance and practice, including safeguarding, is competent, accountable and soundly based in research and practice knowledge;
- Provide reflective space to analyse work with children, young people and their families as well as specific incidents, assessing risk and need;
- Support professional development needs, including safeguarding practice; and
- Provide reflective space for the staff to discuss and work through the personal impact of their role and responsibilities. This should include support to address the emotional impact of the work where required.
What are the key functions of supervision
Good supervision involves a balance between these three functions, not always within one session, but certainly over the entire supervision process:
Personal support and to encourage reflection
To provide reflective space for the supervisee to discuss and work through the personal impact of their role and responsibilities. This should include support to address the emotional impact of the work where required.
Quality assurance
- ensures that practitioner performance and practice, including safeguarding, is competent, accountable and soundly based in research and practice knowledge
- ensures that safeguarding children practice is consistent with the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership, West Yorkshire Consortium Procedures and organisational procedures
- ensures that practitioners fully understand their roles, and responsibilities and the scope of their professional discretion and authority
- to provide reflective space to analyse ongoing work and specific incidents, to identify good practice and how this can be used within other situations, to assess risk and need and to provide an important check and balance on decision making and planning
Professional development
To ensure that professional development needs, including safeguarding practice are considered and supported.
What are the common principles for supervision
All supervision should:
- involve a two way relationship between supervisor and supervisee
- ensure accountability for role, responsibilities and work undertaken
- be based on the principle of high support and high challenge
- be open and honest
- be restorative in nature
- provide a balance of work and personal support
- be recorded (and shared between supervisor and supervisee)
- be structured within an agreed supervision contract
- be regular
Key contacts and for more information
Children’s Services Workforce Development Team tel: 0113 395 0270
WorkforceDevelopment@leeds.gov.uk.
Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership tel: 0113 395 0297
administrator@leedsLSCP.org.uk.
The Leeds Supervision: Minimum Standards for the Supervision of Staff and Volunteers Working with Children, Young People and Families can be found on the
Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership website.
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