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The importance of quality supervision for social workers is vital for good practice, writes Nathalie Towner. A supervision is an opportunity to discuss workload but also an essential part of developing a social worker's career.

Who is involved?
Supervision is generally between a line manager and a member of staff. "It's a way of helping them manage their work and for me to monitor their cases and help with developmental needs," says Carole Tennant, practice supervisor, learning disability team in Boston at Lincolnshire Council. She is a supervisor for two members of staff and has monthly meetings with them. "If a person doesn't feel supported this will impinge on their work."


What is discussed?
A range of topics should be covered in supervision. Mary Dykes, team manager for the social work department at the University Hospital of Wales supervises seven senior social workers. "We go over caseload management, ongoing referrals, how they are balancing admin and development issues and the general management of workload," she explains. "I need to find out about their general workload management, because if they are constantly overstretched their health will suffer." The time should also be used to discuss further training and any other issues affecting work. "I'll also touch upon any support needs and personal issues to see how they are managing their work-life balance."

Be prepared
Both supervisor and the person under supervision will need to do some preparation to get the most out of the meeting. "I will look back at previous supervisions to pick up on any action points and I will also bring up any procedural changes that are happening in the department," says Tennant. "I will expect them to come with the details of their cases and any issues they want to raise." Tennant adds that staff being supervised respond better if involved and part of the process, rather than being told what to do. "It's also good to start and end with positives."

Information gathering
This is an ideal opportunity for supervisors to pick up on any problems. "We do an invidious job, there are no right answers but we can put our heads together and come up with a solution," says Dykes. Certain information gathered during supervision will also need to be fed up to senior managers, so they are aware of issues at the coalface. "It's important that management doesn't miss out on the useful experiences of people on the front-line and learn how services are performing."


Time and space to talk
Not all supervision will be formal. Many supervisors will see their team members most days and will be able to go through pressing issues when they occur. However, these ad-hoc chats will never replace the need for formal supervision. Tennant says it's important to have time away from the day-to-day work. "Supervision gives people space where they are likely to discuss personal issues and go through anything they are not comfortable with," she says.

Getting the best out of people
Supervision is not just for social workers starting out in their careers. Dykes says it is healthy for social workers to keep evaluating their practice. "A good authority will have a well thought out supervision policy in place on both an informal and formal basis," she says. "There should be an open-door policy to the supervisor. It's important to work in a culture of sharing and being able to talk things through."