Supervision Framework: Decision making and interventions
This aspect of supervision provides the opportunity to focus on the challenges faced by social workers in carrying out their work. It includes reflection on what work has been done, plans for future interventions and actions, and discussions on improvements in practice.
There should be a focus on protecting the public and delivering effective services, with time spent reflecting on the relationships that have been formed with children, adults and families, and the mental and phsyical health of the social worker. Barriers to effective working on particular cases, including levels of stress experienced by the social worker, should be identified and addressed.
The supervisor should be an experienced and registered social worker, usually with expertise in the same area of practice, and should encourage shared professional decision making.
Relevant Inform guides:
Guide to compassion fatigue and secondary trauma in human services
Guide to developing social workers’ emotional resilience
Guide to analytic and intuitive reasoning
Guide to effective supervision: What is it and how can supervisors ensure they provide it?
Guide to managing practice from a critically reflective position
Guide to managing stress – a manager’s guide
Guide to promoting reflection in practice: The role of the practice educator
Guide to working in fear – how to work and practise when you feel frightened
Guide to working with emotion: A practice educator perspective
Line manager briefing on bullying and harassment