Supervision is a shared responsibility. This means that the organisation, supervisor and supervisee all have a role in making supervision and the supervisory relationship work.
Some organisations think it is enough to have a supervision policy and structures in place to provide supervision. This ‘set and leave’ approach does not ensure quality supervision occurs and the needs of supervisees and supervisors are being met.
‘Too often we settle for having supervision rather than good supervision.’
—Wonnacott and Morrison, 2010[1]
Strong organisational leadership is key to improving and prioritising supervision practices. This includes systems that ensure regular supervision occurs. Strong leadership also involves displaying behaviours that support supervision, such as:
- putting ethics into practice
- embracing strengths-based approaches
- promoting advocacy and transparency
- applying principles of self-determination, cultural safety and trauma-informed practice.
The context in which supervision occurs matters and influences the supervisory relationship. Research shows that establishing a trusting and positive supervision relationship is a key driver to successful supervision.[2]
The following table can be applied to the different types of supervision to varying degrees.
Table 1: Supervision roles, responsibilities and outcomes
Organisation
| Role | Responsibility | Outcome |
| Provides direction and leadership about the importance of participating in supervision for all staff regardless of experience or level. | Ensures everyone has an understanding and appreciation of why supervision is important. Ensures all staff have an understanding how supervision, professional development and performance reviews are interconnected. Ensures participation in supervision is included in position descriptions and performance reviews. | Supervision is prioritised at every level. Expectations regarding supervision are documented and well understood.
|
Prioritises training about supervision and supports the development of supervisors.
| Prioritises induction/training about supervision, reflective practice and trauma- and violence-informed principles for new practitioners. Develops succession planning strategies and provides clear pathways to become a supervisor. Prioritises supervision training for new and experienced supervisors. | Staff have a clear understanding about supervision and their responsibilities. Supervision training is viewed as a necessity for all staff. Supervisors are supported in their role. |
Creates a culture supporting diversity, cultural safety in the workplace, and lived experience.
| Ensures workforce strategies include the provision of culturally responsive supervision to develop and advance Aboriginal staff. Creates a safe environment, which allows staff from diverse backgrounds to talk about their own experiences of marginalisation and encourages others to hear this with humility and curiosity about their unknowing. Creates a culture which embraces practitioners with lived experience of family violence and sexual assault. There are clear channels to input supervision learnings about lived experience in the workforce into relevant policies and forums. | Aboriginal staff, either in ACCOs or mainstream agencies, can access culturally safe clinical supervision as per the Dhelk Dja Agreement.[3] Staff understand how to embed cultural safety principles, policies and theory in supervision. Staff feel safe enough to disclose their own lived experience if they want to. |
Embraces trauma- and violence-informed principles - Prioritises psychological, physical and emotional safety.
| Understands possible causes of performance concerns such as systemic barriers, context, stress and workload. Facilitates discussions with the workforce about the culture and systems that can support and sustain effective supervision. Works towards having greater congruence between the policies and strategic goals with the actual organisational culture. | The organisation has a positive and safe workplace culture which incorporates trauma- and violence-informed practices and embraces compassionate leadership. |
Creates a ‘just’ culture, promoting lifelong learning and development.
| Allows vulnerability and an acceptance that mistakes can and do occur. Ensures continuous improvement processes are in place to support supervision. Develops mechanisms for practitioners to raise issues regarding quality of supervision and develop strategies to address this. | Staff feel valued and part of the solution-finding process and are provided professional development opportunities to develop own best practice.
|
| Ensures there are adequate resources to support supervision. | Ensures the ratio of supervisees to supervisor is manageable so that supervisors have the time and energy to provide quality supervision. Ensures there are suitable and private spaces for supervision to occur. | The organisation and supervisors have the resources they need to provide effective supervision. |
| Ensures supervision is high-quality and aligns with best practice approaches. | Embeds supervision within a trauma- and violence-informed culture. Understands, models and supports reflection and reflective supervision and practices across the organisation. | Staff understand core trauma- and violence-informed principles and theory and how this can positively impact on workforce sustainability and clinical practices. |
| Ensures that supervision aligns with relevant laws, agreements, and policies. | Complies with, and provides evidence, of meeting the Social Services Standards. Develops systems to monitor and ensure supervision regularly occurs. Ensures there are up-to-date policies and procedures regarding supervision. These need to consider issues regarding confidentiality. | The organisation meets regulatory and best practice requirements in providing quality supervision for all staff. |
| Coordinates and leads advocacy. | Supports centring the voices and experiences of victim survivors in advocacy and supervisory practice. Uses information from supervision to identify structural and system barriers affecting practice (systemic function).
| Supervision feeds into identifying structural and system barriers affecting practice and planning advocacy on a systemic level. |
Supervisor
| Role | Responsibility | Outcome |
| Ensures the supervisee understands what supervision is and sets the scene regarding mutual expectations and how they will work together. | Completes a supervision agreement with each supervisee and reviews every six months. Supports the supervisee in receiving supervision training. Continues discussions during supervision about the benefits and functions of supervision. | Supervisees have up-to-date supervision agreements. Supervisee and supervisor are aligned regarding their understanding of their roles in the supervision process.
|
Works to make supervision as effective as they can.
| Considers their energy levels, peak times of the day and ability to be present during supervision. Engages in supervision when centred and grounded, as much as possible given the fast-paced nature of the work. Adapts and tailors supervision to the needs of each supervisee. Engages with the organisation about the culture and system that can sustain supervisors in developing effective supervision. | Supervisor feels able and sustained to provide quality supervision. Supervisee feels supported, nurtured, heard and valued. All four supervisory functions are covered in supervision. |
| Supports the wellbeing of supervisees. | Monitors caseloads and provides an appropriate buffer to system demands. Checks in on how the supervisee is feeling during supervision sessions. Regularly asks what further support supervisees needs to perform the role. | Supervisees feel valued, seen, supported and respected. |
Creates learning partnerships with supervisees.
| Adopts an open and curious approach. Acknowledges that they do not know everything, and the supervisee can contribute to their own learning. Adapts, accommodates, and attunes to the supervisee’s learning preferences. Adopts a strengths-based approach. | Supervisees take responsibility and lead their own supervision sessions.
|
| Supports the professional development of the supervisee. | Explores additional training the supervisee needs and facilitates attendance. Focuses on family violence and sexual assault risk and follows up on risk management activities. Applies a child-centred and family-focused approach to practice during supervision. Uses the Family violence capability frameworks to identify further support needs with the supervisee. | Supervisees improve their levels of confidence, knowledge, skills and practice. Staff are aware of the accountabilities of their role. |
Co-creates and maintains a trusting relationship with the supervisee.
| Facilitates a trusting relationship where mistakes and anxieties can be explored and helps supervisees contain and process their emotions. Uses a ‘critical but mindful friend’[4] approach with the supervisee. Values supervisee input. | A trusting relationship develops between supervisor and supervisee such that challenging conversations can occur. Relationship ruptures and repairs are normalised. |
| Supports reflective practice. | Explores practitioner’s fears, and the factors influencing practitioner assessment of their own safety.[5] Uses a coaching approach whereby reflective questions are used to enhance supervisee insight and learning. Assists practitioners to reflect on how their own personal and professional history might impact their professional attitudes and behaviour.[6] | Supervisee experiences a reflexive stretch in most sessions.
|
Supports learning about diversity and focuses on cultural safety during supervision.
| Applies an intersectional feminist lens during supervision and other forums which allows staff from diverse backgrounds to talk about their individual experiences, with others hearing this with humility and curiosity about their unknowing. Considers cultural empowerment and explores the impacts of cultural load for First Nations staff. | Supervisees and supervisors are aware of their unconscious biases and adopt culturally safe practices. First Nations staff feel more supported in their role. |
Prioritises their own supervision.
| Reflects on their own supervisory and leadership style and considers the impact of this. Discusses their learning needs during their own supervision. Uses their own supervision and human resources support to explore use of formal authority, for example if there are performance issues. | Supervisor feels confident and supported in providing reflective supervision. Supervisor receives regular, quality supervision and grows as a supervisor.
|
| Explores differences in power relations at individual, team, organisation and systemic levels. | Reflects on the supervisor – supervisee power differential during supervision. Reflects on use of power in relationships and how to work collaboratively and in partnership with others. | Supervisees and supervisors are aware of power dynamics. Staff work in partnership with clients and other professionals. |
| Complies with supervision policies and laws | Ensures supervision notes/ records are kept, providing evidence of strength-based approaches, and supporting Aboriginal people to exercise their cultural rights.[7] | There is a record providing a brief outline of every supervision session. These are kept in a safe place to ensure confidentiality. |
Supervisee
| Role | Responsibility | Outcome |
| Commits to fully participate in and be open to supervision. | Co-creates, monitors and maintains a trusting relationship with the supervisor. Understands that being open about mistakes is a critical component of continuous improvement. Engages fully in supervision and accepts that it requires effort and ‘work’ on both parts. | Supervision sessions are purposeful and beneficial. Supervisee feels valued and supported by their supervisor, team and organisation. Supervisor feels engaged, valued, respected. |
Shares responsibility for their own learning and wellbeing needs.
| Engages in induction/ supervision training. Comes to supervision prepared, both physically and mentally. Understands the importance of collaborative supervision and seeks out alternate sources of supervision for their learning needs. Explores and discusses training options during supervision. | Supervisee learns about themselves, use of self in the work and about their role, responsibilities and professional boundaries.
|
Helps lead the supervision sessions.
| Takes ownership of their own supervision by regularly attending, setting the agenda, asking key questions and focusing on their learning and wellbeing needs. | Supervisee feels more confident and sustained in their work.
|
Articulates and brings theory into practice.
| Understands the processes of reflective practice and that the ability to critically reflect on own practice is desirable.
| Clients receive client-centred professional services that are accessible, responsive, accountable, and demonstrate contemporary best practice. |
References
[1] T Morrison and J Wonnacott, Supervision: now or never – reclaiming reflective supervision in social work, 2010.
[2] R Egan, J Maidment and M Connolly, ‘Trust, power and safety in the social work supervisory relationship: results from Australian research’, Journal of Social Work Practice, 2016, 31(3): 307–321, doi: 10.1080/02650533.2016.1261279.
[3] NL Beckerman and DF Wozniak, ‘Domestic violence counselors and secondary traumatic stress (STS): a brief qualitative report and strategies for support’, Social Work in Mental Health, 2018, 16(4):470–490, doi: 10.1080/15332985.2018.1425795.
[4] Hewson and Carroll, Reflective practice in supervision.
[5] D Mandel, Worker safety and domestic violence in child welfare systems, Safe and Together Institute. n.d.
[6] Mandel, Worker safety and domestic violence in child welfare systems.
[7] Department of Health and Human Services, Human service standards evidence guide, State of Victoria, 2015, accessed 4 October 2023.
Updated