Tip sheet: inviting feedback from supervisees

Supervisees can be reluctant to provide feedback or feedforward to their supervisor due to the power imbalance. Inviting feedback helps develop a culture where this becomes a part of relationships and supervision practice.

There will be aspects of supervision that are working well and other aspects that can be improved. The following questions elicit supervisee’s perceptions of the supervisory process and relationship. These questions are collaborative and emphasise joint responsibility for making supervision effective.

• What is working well for you in supervision and what things do you think we could improve?
• In thinking about the four functions of supervision (managerial, development, support and systemic), which do we do well? Which do we need to do more of, or improve?
• Do you feel supervision is providing a conduit for your voice to be heard with management? (This relates to the systemic function.) How could this be improved?
• How could we make supervision more reflective, ensuring we cover the four phases of the learning cycle?
• Are we reflecting enough on your relationship with community, families and clients?
• Do I allow enough time to discuss your feelings and reactions to the work? Do I allow for expressions of anxieties and fears? Do we celebrate your achievements enough?
• Are we including enough theory and research in our supervision sessions? How could we use theory more in supervision? What frameworks and knowledge have been most helpful for your learning?
• How well has supervision suited your learning style? Have I adapted my supervisory style as you grow and develop?
• Are we including discussions and reflections regarding diversity, power structures, cultural safety and feminist intersectionality – from both the program/organisational perspective and practice?
• How could we do more systemic advocacy and justice-doing (based on Vikki Reynold’s work) within supervision and the team?
• How well do we manage disagreements, uncertainty, and difficult conversations?
• How can we tell if we are meeting your supervision goals?
• What advice would you give to somebody on how to get the best from me as a supervisor?
• What advice would you give to somebody on how to get the best from you as a supervisee?
• How helpful, or unhelpful, has the feedback/feedforward in supervision been?
• As your supervisor, what strengths or areas of your practice do you think I know well? What areas do I need to know more about?
• Is supervision assisting you to feel more sustained, enthusiastic, and confident about the work?

Adapted from Wonnacott, 2012^[1] and Department of Human Services, 2014^[2]