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:

Shannon@caringwithcarers.mysites.io