The Role of the Interim Supervisor

Diocese of GloucesterAppendices: Resources

The First Four Years

The role of the interim supervisor

When a training incumbent leaves the church wardens are responsible for the running of the benefice, supported by the area dean and archdeacons (and, of course, any other ministers in the benefice, lay and ordained.) However the church wardens are not responsible for the curate. This lies with the interim supervisor which is why the appointment of interim supervisors always belongs with the bishop.

The interim supervisor is responsible for the curate’s training, formation and welfare and is supported by the co-ordinator of curate training the area dean, and other colleagues in Church House.

Training incumbents are asked to commit themselves to being in post for at least the first two years of the curacy, so it is usual for a curate to be very settled and confident by the time an incumbent leaves for a planned move. However there are always exceptions, and not every vacancy is planned, so the interim supervisor will need to assess where the curate is in the training and formation process, and adapt their style appropriately.

This document is aimed at giving potential interim supervisors a helping hand before they start supervising the curate.Please contact the co-ordinator of curate training for more information or help.

Tasks of the interim supervisor:

To meet regularly with the curate for supervision (see below)
To be available as the first point of contact for advice and support in between supervision sessions
To take part in the annual curacy review by writing a report and meeting with the curacy reviewer
To alert the co-ordinator of curate training of any concerns
If the curate is applying for their next post, to write the incumbent’s reference

Building a relationship with the curate

Although the training incumbent remains responsible for the curate until they leave, (assuming the departure is planned) it is a good idea for the interim supervisor to meet with the curate several times in the months leading up to the incumbent’s departure in order to prepare the way. One of these meetings should ideally be in the form of a ‘handover’ with the training incumbent. The curate should show their supervisor their working agreement, their last curacy review report, and a copy of the Hind Learning Outcomes. The co-ordinator of curate training will give them a copy of the curate handbook (which is also available online). If time allows it is a good idea for the interim supervisor to visit the curate’s church(es) or other place of ministry to familiarise themselves with the context in which the curate is ministering.

The interim supervisor and curate need to draw up an addendum to the working agreement for the period of the vacancy. It is helpful if this is as detailed as possible in particular giving attention to the frequency and length of supervision, other support that will be available and the hours/sessions the curate will work (if this changes). This needs to be agreed with the church wardens and the co-ordinator of curate training. When agreed this will be attached to the existing working agreement for the period of the vacancy. (If a new incumbent is expected this will be a very helpful document for them to see when they arrive).

A vacancy, planned or unplanned can be very stressful for a curate. If they have formed a strong relationship with the leaving incumbent they are likely to experience some grief at the loss of the relationship, and some trepidation at the potential loss of a good training experience. They will need to invest afresh in a new training relationship with the interim supervisor and that negotiation takes time and emotional energy. They will also be facing the unknown of what will be expected of them in the vacancy and wondering if they will be up to the task. Therefore great sensitivity and confidence may be needed in the initial meetings to reassure the curate that ‘all will be well’.

Relationships in the ‘team’

Most curates work in some kind of team of clergy and/or lay people. The curate will naturally feel a pastoral responsibility for others in the team. The congregation may also turn to the curate for the pastoral care and decisions they would have expected the incumbent to provide. One of the major tasks for a curate in a vacancy is to work out what they can and can’t do or should and should not do. On the one hand this is an opportunity for a curate to experience what it might be like as an incumbent, having greater responsibility and greater freedom, and most curates tend to rise to the challenge and ‘fly’ during this period, giving them great confidence in applying for future posts. But on the other hand this is primarily a training experience for the curate and they are not responsible in the way an incumbent is. There are few hard and fast rules so the interim supervisor needs to help the curate navigate these choppy waters: encouraging them to step confidently into greater freedom, while not being stretched too far and supporting them in enabling the lay ministry also to flourish without hogging the responsibilities for themselves.

Who supports the interim supervisor?

The interim supervisor is primarily supported by the co-ordinator of curate training. However questions about the local context may be better addressed to the area dean, and questions about legal matters may go straight to the archdeacon or registrar.

Training and the Hind Learning Outcomes

Curates are being assessed against the Hind Learning Outcomes. They know these well as they were used at their BAP to assess their readiness for training, have been used as the basis of reports during training, and are used each year during the curacy review process. This document can be found on the website. The first column (A) shows the level the curate should be at when they were ordained. The second column (B) shows what they are aiming for at the end of their curacy if they are going to be assistant ministers. The third column (C) shows what they are also aiming for at the end of their curacy if they are going to be incumbents. It is important to find out early on whether the curate is training for assistant or incumbent ministries, where they are in their development and what their focus is for the next year. The annual review reports will give most of this information, especially if they have had a second year review which is the most thorough.

A curate in the second half of their curacy should be very clear about what they need to achieve to complete their training. A curate in the first half of their curacy may need a little more help to give them that clarity. Documents that may help are:

Assessment grid for potential incumbents

Assessment grid for assistant ministers

An alternative checklist of learning

Supervision

The frequency and content of supervision will vary according to the curate’s experience, needs and personality. A full-time curate at the start of their curacy would expect supervision of an hour every week. This may become less frequent as time goes on but will not be less than an hour once a month. (That would be quite a gentle ‘hands off’ approach for a curate who needs little support but will value the ongoing reflection on their practice.) The most helpful arrangement is usually to start with the level of supervision offered by the training incumbent, and adjust the frequency and length according to the curate’s needs.

This document (on the website) will give you an idea of what we mean by good supervision in this diocese:

How to Give Good Supervision

The Tasks of Supervision

The role of the supervisor for a curate is complex because of the different hats the supervisor wears. The three main hats are: manager, educator and supporter…

Eleven categories of work involved in supervising a curate…

…related to three core functions

Supervision should provide a regular space:

1 To discuss and agree work, learning goals and boundaries that are fundamental for the curacy, and review these annually

Educational /managerial /supportive

For the curate to reflect upon their work, seeking to develop understanding and skills

Educational

For the curate to receive feedback and other perspectives from the TI, seeking to develop their understanding and skills

Educational

For theological reflection; the curate integrating experience and learning with their understanding of the gospel and ministry

Educational /supportive

For the curate to be supported and encouraged, being affirmed for their work, enable to express and explore distress or difficulty, and given opportunity to share problems or projections experienced in ministry

Supportive

To enable the curate to plan and use their time and skills well

Managerial /educational

To ensure the quality of the curate’s work

Managerial /educational

To monitor progress in learning, and review and revise learning plans as necessary

Managerial /educational

To help the curate to discern future priorities or possibilities in ministry

Supportive

For handling issues or tensions between curate and TI

Managerial /supportive

To discuss and agree reports and other documents within the assessment process

Managerial /educational

Rick Simpson (2011) ‘Supervising a Curate’ Grove Booklet P128

The process of training and formation follows a spiral:

Experienced supervisors will be at the level of ‘unconscious competence’ in many or most aspects of their ministry (you just do it without thinking), but may be supervising curates who are at conscious incompetence (they know what they don’t know) or at different levels for different tasks. It is wise to check out with the curate where they think they are in any area of training in order to judge the right balance of challenge and support to give.

Conclusion

The role of interim supervisor is clearly complex, but experience shows it is also hugely rewarding. The interim supervisor provides support, guidance and training during a critical time of the curacy. This is an opportunity to help a curate flourish at a time when they could be overwhelmed by responsibility, expectations and workload. This is a ministry which is greatly valued in the diocese by all those involved in guiding communities through a vacancy.

Resources

The following books can be borrowed from the department or the Resources Centre:

Rick Simpson (2011) ‘Supervising a Curate’ Grove Booklet P128

Keith Lamdin and David Tilley(2007) ‘Supporting New Ministers in the LocalChurch – a handbook’ SPCK

Tim Ling and Lesley Bentley (Eds)(2012) Developing Faithful Ministers – a practical and theological handbook. SCM

See also on the diocesan website under ‘curate and training incumbents’

There is a separate handbook for each year of the curacy which you can download.

‘What to do when the incumbent leaves’

How to Give Good Supervision

Learning Style and Ministry

Hind Learning Outcomes

Assessment grid for potential incumbents

Assessment grid for assistant ministers

If you would like hard copies of any of these please contact Charlie Kawczynski 01452