Sometimes we receive referrals that state “Father Unknown”, and when this is explored in a meeting with the agencies we have been told “The father is unknown, he isn’t on the birth certificate, he hasn’t seen the child for 8 years, he hasn’t made contact”.
The last eighteen months are going to play a significant role in shaping our future generations and it is important that we remember these times.
The profession of social work has long regarded professional supervision as central to the maintenance of best practice.
I am extremely excited to be branching into this space on a professional basis, as supervision benefits not only the individual but also their organisation and clients.
Supervision of the individual provides an opportunity to reflect on practices, deliver better outcomes by exploring and discussing new ideas, enhance problem solving skills as well as improve clarity and objectivity in problem solving.
Supervision is shown to empower, motivate and increase work satisfaction of the individuals undertaking it.
For organisations, supervision promotes best-practice in the workplace, encourages a positive culture, increases employee skills in problem solving and decision making, enhances professional development, reduces staff turnover, and gives organisations the confidence that their staff are practicing safely and ethically.
Supervision benefits clients by providing an impartial third party in the work between an individual and a client. This helps to reduce the risk of serious oversight and helps the individual reflect on their own feelings, thoughts, behaviour, and general approach to the client.
The quality of the supervisory relationship is fundamental to performing the functions of supervision. The establishment of trust and respect opens space for a safe and supported environment where the challenges of critical self-reflection and professional growth can occur. In an environment of increasing demands (longer waitlists, larger caseloads, and more demands for accountability), supervision provides support to help the social worker handle stress by providing encouragement, reassurance, and appropriate autonomy.
If you or your agency are looking to work with a supervisor who not only has extensive frontline experience within the Social Work and Therapeutic Life Story Work sphere but is also passionate about developing a cultural change in the way the out-of-home care children and young people are seen and engaged, please reach out.
Contact us below at:
Our insight into trauma.
2020 for us, is what a childhood is like for children in foster care.
I just can’t seem to make my voice loud enough.
I can’t seem to find the right platform, or speaker.
I am constantly searching for something to amplify my voice to the millions.
I have a relentless dull rage flowing through me, gently growing. A rage for children who I believe, are mostly forgotten.
We have looked at the experience of the child, caseworker, and birth parents, and their distinct OOHC journeys and experience with TLSW. Today we will consider the role of the Foster Carer. The integral, foundational role that requires so much of the individual, and can in turn give back so much.
Steadfast. Resilient. Compassionate.
Challenging. Rewarding.
Adjectives synonymous with the identity of the Foster Carer and their journey.
We have looked closely over the last few weeks at TLSW and the effects and benefits of this impactful program in the OOHC sector. We looked first through the eyes of the child, and then through the eyes of the caseworker, and could see so very clearly how positive this program is to their journeys. Today we look through perhaps the hardest lense, and that is through the eyes of the biological parent.
Welcome to our blog mini-series featuring the program Therapeutic Life Story Work. We will be releasing one blog per week over a six-week period to help our audience discover and understand this valuable program.
Find out more how to become a foster carer in the inner west of Sydney
Number One ~ The Benefits