Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Stepping into a supervisory role in social work involves a shift of status, perspective and identity. New supervisors bring skills and experience which can be both asset and hindrance as they make the transition. Frequently they encounter gaps in training, support and supervision as well as dissonance between espoused policy and their own experience. This article identifies ways in which supervisors can be resourced to meet the challenge of their role and, as a result, be better placed to support others. It explores what is involved in supervising the supervisors, drawing on the experience of teaching managers on post-qualifying courses in professional supervision in Scotland.APPROACH: Themes commonly applied to the supervision of practitioners are explored in relation to those who are one or more steps removed from direct practice; seeking to identify what has shared relevance and what may be distinctive to those in a supervisory role.CONCLUSION: A congruent approach to support and supervision across all levels of an organisation helps foster a reflective culture which can engage with emotions and with complexity.
Highlights
Stepping into a supervisory role in social work involves a shift of status, perspective and identity
Lack of preparation or training is a common experience for new supervisors (Beddoe & Davys, 2016; Mor Barak, Travis, & Bess, 2004) and many find their way as best they can; influenced by their own supervision history; resolved to emulate what they appreciated most as a practitioner and avoid those behaviours or attitudes which they found unhelpful
The appropriate privacy and confidentiality of these conversations means that the interaction between supervisor and supervisee is rarely observed with the result that there are limited opportunities to learn from others or get direct feedback on one’s own supervisory practice
Summary
A congruent approach to support and supervision across all levels of an organisation helps foster a reflective culture which can engage with emotions and with complexity. Influenced by Morrison’s (1993) early observation that the unmet support needs of managers may contribute to their subsequent neglect of the support function when supervising others, there is particular focus on the restorative function and the purpose this serves for those not directly engaged in practice This leads on to further exploration of the interplay between supervision and direct work: the role of supervisors in modelling relationship-based approaches and the ways in which emotions, anxiety in particular, infuse every level of an organisation involved in social care. Stoltenberg and Delworth (cited in Hawkins & Smith, 2012) suggest that new managers gain a growing appreciation of complexity in their supervisory task but may be reticent to seek help from others This resonates with research findings that managers’ learning and development needs are given low priority both by themselves and by their organisations (Ofsted, 2012; Patterson & George, 2014). The challenge is heightened for those promoted within their own team or supervising in an integrated setting with staff from a range of professional backgrounds
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