1.1supervision
supervision standards
1.1.1Children’s Services have adopted following standards for supervision.
Standard 1: Inclusive of all staff
1.1.2The supervision system applies to all staff irrespective of role, hours worked or employment status.
Standard 2: Frequency
1.1.3All staff receive regular supervision from a named supervisor and supervision sessions are booked in advance and held regularly at agreed intervals for all staff as follows:
- Full time and part time field Social Workers (case holding) have an individual supervision session every four weeks as agreed
- New full and part time residential Social Workers have an individual supervision session every four weeks during induction. Agency staff are supervised every eight shifts worked
- Managers and Quality Performance and Review staff have an individual supervision session every four weeks
- Administrative and support staff have an individual/group supervision session monthly
1.1.4Greater frequency can be agreed as appropriate and necessary, for a limited time period following a particular incident or as a result of a particular need. The Directorate allows all staff time in their workload for this to be achieved.
Standard 3: Duration
1.1.5Individual supervision sessions are a minimum of one hour unless a pro rata shorter time is jointly agreed for part time staff. More commonly supervision sessions will be between 1-2 hours maximum.
Standard 4: Recording
- All case discussions, decisions and action plans relating to the child are recorded on the Frameworki supervision episode
- All discussions relating to the supervisee are recorded by hand and placed on the hand held personal staff supervision file
- All supervision sessions must be recorded by the supervisor using a Supervision Record Form and a Case Supervision Record. The Supervision Record Form should be used to record general issues arising in supervision and the Case Supervision Record for detailed discussion of individual cases.
- Case Supervision Records should be filed on service user case files with a copy kept in the supervision file along with the Supervision Record Form.
- The records of supervision must be seen and signed by both supervisor and supervisee.
- All supervision recording should relate to the purpose of supervision. Personal information about a supervisee should only be recorded if it impacts on the individual’s work, and should meet the requirement of the Data Protection Act 1998. Supervision notes should only contain factually correct detail of which the supervisee is aware and on which the supervisee has had the opportunity to comment
- Supervision records are held by the supervisor and must be kept confidential and secure; they will be passed to a new supervisor on transfer of the supervisee. The supervisee will be given a copy and the records are available to senior managers
- When a member of staff leaves the employment of the organisation, the supervision file will be forwarded to HR section to be retained with the staff records in accordance with the records retention policy of the authority
Standard 5: File Audits/Quality Assurance
- All case files are regularly reviewed and audited using the electronic episodes on Frameworki
- Supervisor’s preparation for supervision needs to include regular reviewing of supervisee’s case files. Senior managers will also be undertaking regular random case file audits
- All staff supervision hand held files are regularly reviewed
- Supervisors practice will be monitored by managers through their supervision process. This includes discussion and spot checks of supervision records
- A nominated manager will conduct regular audits of supervision standards and practice. Supervisees should complete a Feedback Form at least annually, which will be reviewed by the manager of their supervisor
Standard 6: Occupational Standards Based
1.1.6Supervision is based on the relevant National Occupational Standards applicable to the individual member of staff.
Standard 7: Supervision Agreement
- There is a written Social Care Supervision Agreement between supervisor and supervisee
- The agreement covers names, frequency and duration of sessions, location, standing agenda items, preparation, case records, supervision records, confidentiality, cancellation, training and development, agreement review date
1.1.7The Agreement must be reviewed within 3 months and thereafter annually.
1.1.8The supervisee must be given a copy or have access to it in the supervision notes file.
hand held supervision records
1.1.9Since the launch of Frameworki supervision records relating to children are no longer stored in hand held supervision files. The following practice guidance relates to how hand held supervision records (See Practice Standard 4 above) should be used:
- Every member of staff should have a hand held supervision file for all supervision records that do not relate to children and families
- The supervisor should retain this file and the supervisee should be given access and provided with copies as required
- Every hand held supervision file should contain a Social Care Supervision Schedule detailing the supervision for the full year, the IPAD & IPAD review dates and the Social Care Continual Professional Development Record
- Notes in the hand held supervision file should be recorded on the Supervision Record Form. Copies are available from Team Administrators
1.1.10The hand held supervision file should also include the following:
- Copy of the supervision agreement
- Any audit or performance reports that are considered relevant
- Compliments and/or thanks received and feedback about learning points from complaints
- Records of supervisory discussions about professional issues and considerations. These may be related to or prompted by actual casework scenarios or form part of a more general exploration/discussion
- Copy of GSCC registration document
- Date of most recent CRB enhanced check
- A record of leave
- A copy of any return to work interviews
- A copy of any occupational health referrals and reports
- Details of any formal procedure, like a capability action plan
- Anything else relating to the supervisee's personal professional development
monitoring of supervision
1.1.11A supervisor’s practice should be overseen and monitored through the supervision process. This will include discussion and spot checks of supervision records by their line manager.
1.1.12Regular audits of supervision standards and practice will be undertaken and reported to the Performance Management Group.
1.1.13Supervisees should complete a Feedback Form at least annually, which must be reviewed by the line manager of their supervisor.
file audits
1.1.14Supervisors must examine and sign all client files for which they have responsibility at a minimum frequency of once in every 3 months for longer term work with children and families and more frequently for shorter term intervention.
1.1.15Supervisors must write on the file (on the Detailed Record or Closure/Transfer Record for fieldwork) to show that they have examined the file.
conflict resolution
1.1.16In the event of any dispute or disagreement between supervisor and supervisee that cannot be resolved satisfactorily between the two parties, the supervisor’s line manager must be informed and a three way meeting convened.
1.1.17The aim of this meeting is to achieve a satisfactory resolution. Whilst it is the intention to resolve difficulties informally wherever possible, all parties must be aware of formal grievance and disciplinary procedures.
management action
1.1.18Managers often give additional advice and guidance and take decisions outside of the formal supervision sessions referred to above. This is mostly due to the need to respond to a child's changing needs and circumstances in a timely manner and when waiting for the next formal supervision session would be inappropriate.
1.1.19In order to ensure that there is consistent practice regarding management action please note that:
- All management action must be recorded on Frameworki as part of the child's electronic case record
- The correct place for recording management action is in the detailed case note records
- All such entries must be recorded under the heading "management action"
- Management action should summarise key information considered and outline the action required by whom and within what timescale