Employee Supervision Policy
Statement
The aim of this policy is to provide a framework for the support and supervision of all staff working at Next Challenge. The policy has been written, following consultation, to ensure it meets the needs of the service, the staff and their supervisors, regardless of the professional area in which they work.
Next Challenge aims to provide appropriate, responsive and flexible services for families accessing allied health services and can only do this if the staff employed by the Directorate:
Scope of this policy
This policy applies to:
Functions of supervision
The four main functions of supervision are:
1. Management
This function is to ensure that the work for which the supervisee may be held accountable is carried out to a satisfactory standard. Discussion during supervision should include:
2. Learning and Development
This function is to encourage and assist staff in reflecting on their own performance, identify their own learning and development needs and develop plans or identify opportunities to address those needs.
The learning and development function will be achieved through:
3. Support
This function recognises that supervisees may require support to carry out their role; this may be because of particular situations, specific incidents or personal issues that may temporarily impact on their work performance. By offering support within the supervision context supervisees should be given the opportunity to reflect on the impact of the work upon them and prevent issues adversely affecting them and their work.
This will be achieved through:
4. Negotiation
This function is to ensure that the relationship between the supervisee, their team, the organisation and other agencies with whom they work are effective.
This will be achieved through:
Supervision methods
All novice and experienced staff members should have either fortnightly or monthly 1:1 clinical supervision meetings with their allocated senior supervisor. Senior therapists can meet on an ad hoc basis as required and are encouraged to seek external supervision. Next Challenge also supports all staff members through operation meetings, discipline-specific team meetings and monthly reflective practice meetings. The reflective practice meetings are multidisciplinary meetings with a broader focus than individual clinical supervision.
Operational Supervision
Operational supervision meetings aim to educate and orient new staff to the administration systems and processes at Next Challenge through 1:1 or diad meetings. Operational supervision meetings will typically occur at the commencement of staff employment and will involve weekly 30 minute meetings with a senior member of staff for 6-8 weeks, or until the staff member is competent and feels confident in their knowledge of Next Challenge systems and processes. For staff accessing 1:1 clinical supervision, these reflective practice meetings will be separate to clinical support.
Discipline Specific Meetings
Termly discipline specific meetings will involve a group of therapists from the same discipline meeting together to support sharing of information, updates to evidence based practice, case discussions and administrative updates. The length of these meetings is subject to change and may vary from 1 hour to 3 hours. These meetings will be facilitated by a lead therapist. For staff accessing 1:1 clinical supervision, these reflective practice meetings will be separate to clinical support.
Reflective Practice Meetings
Monthly reflective practice meetings will involve a group of multi-disciplinary staff meeting together to support:
Unplanned or 'ad-hoc' supervision
The pace of work, changes and the necessary frequency of supervision means that staff often have to clarify a process, obtain a decision or seek immediate support between formal supervision sessions. Staff who work closely with their supervisor may be communicating daily about work issues, problems arising, changes in policies or procedures. In addition, senior staff members may benefit from seeking support and clarification from another therapist. This form of supervision is a normal and acceptable part of the staff/supervisor relationship. Where supervisees and supervisors work closely together this does not negate the need for one to one time together on a regular basis. The focus of these sessions is on the individual, their development, performance and any issues arising from their work that do not arise on a day-to-day basis.
Supervision Frequency:
The aim of this policy is to provide a framework for the support and supervision of all staff working at Next Challenge. The policy has been written, following consultation, to ensure it meets the needs of the service, the staff and their supervisors, regardless of the professional area in which they work.
Next Challenge aims to provide appropriate, responsive and flexible services for families accessing allied health services and can only do this if the staff employed by the Directorate:
- Understand what is expected of them.
- Have the skills, knowledge, behaviours, values and attitudes necessary to carry out their role.
- Are fully supported in their work and managed effectively.
Scope of this policy
This policy applies to:
- All staff employed by Next Challenge whether on casual, full time or part time basis.
- Supervisors employed by Next Challenge with responsibility for the supervision of staff
Functions of supervision
The four main functions of supervision are:
1. Management
This function is to ensure that the work for which the supervisee may be held accountable is carried out to a satisfactory standard. Discussion during supervision should include:
- The overall quality of the supervisee's performance and work output/timescales/outcome.
- The policies and procedures relating to their work and that these are understood and followed.
- The role and responsibilities of the supervisee and that these are clearly understood, including the boundaries and limits of their role.
- The development and monitoring of action plans/targets and objectives.
- Monitoring of the supervisee's workload.
2. Learning and Development
This function is to encourage and assist staff in reflecting on their own performance, identify their own learning and development needs and develop plans or identify opportunities to address those needs.
The learning and development function will be achieved through:
- Reflecting on supervisees learning style, facilitators and barriers to learning.
- Assessing development needs and identifying learning opportunities.
- Giving and receiving feedback.
- Encouraging the supervisee to reflect on learning opportunities and applying that learning to the workplace.
3. Support
This function recognises that supervisees may require support to carry out their role; this may be because of particular situations, specific incidents or personal issues that may temporarily impact on their work performance. By offering support within the supervision context supervisees should be given the opportunity to reflect on the impact of the work upon them and prevent issues adversely affecting them and their work.
This will be achieved through:
- Creating a safe, secure and effective environment within supervision.
- Clarifying the boundaries between support and counselling.
- Enabling and empowering expression of feelings in relation to the work role.
- Monitoring the health of the supervisee and referring to other support services when required.
4. Negotiation
This function is to ensure that the relationship between the supervisee, their team, the organisation and other agencies with whom they work are effective.
This will be achieved through:
- Briefing Directors about key issues.
- Dealing sensitively but clearly with concerns and complaints about colleagues and others with whom they work.
- Consulting and briefing staff on changes and developments that affect their area of work.
- Advocating between employee or team and other parts of the agency or with outside agencies.
Supervision methods
All novice and experienced staff members should have either fortnightly or monthly 1:1 clinical supervision meetings with their allocated senior supervisor. Senior therapists can meet on an ad hoc basis as required and are encouraged to seek external supervision. Next Challenge also supports all staff members through operation meetings, discipline-specific team meetings and monthly reflective practice meetings. The reflective practice meetings are multidisciplinary meetings with a broader focus than individual clinical supervision.
Operational Supervision
Operational supervision meetings aim to educate and orient new staff to the administration systems and processes at Next Challenge through 1:1 or diad meetings. Operational supervision meetings will typically occur at the commencement of staff employment and will involve weekly 30 minute meetings with a senior member of staff for 6-8 weeks, or until the staff member is competent and feels confident in their knowledge of Next Challenge systems and processes. For staff accessing 1:1 clinical supervision, these reflective practice meetings will be separate to clinical support.
Discipline Specific Meetings
Termly discipline specific meetings will involve a group of therapists from the same discipline meeting together to support sharing of information, updates to evidence based practice, case discussions and administrative updates. The length of these meetings is subject to change and may vary from 1 hour to 3 hours. These meetings will be facilitated by a lead therapist. For staff accessing 1:1 clinical supervision, these reflective practice meetings will be separate to clinical support.
Reflective Practice Meetings
Monthly reflective practice meetings will involve a group of multi-disciplinary staff meeting together to support:
- Clinical decision making;
- Staff emotional loads and burnout;
- Efficiency of staff meeting time used for greatest output / change in practice.
Unplanned or 'ad-hoc' supervision
The pace of work, changes and the necessary frequency of supervision means that staff often have to clarify a process, obtain a decision or seek immediate support between formal supervision sessions. Staff who work closely with their supervisor may be communicating daily about work issues, problems arising, changes in policies or procedures. In addition, senior staff members may benefit from seeking support and clarification from another therapist. This form of supervision is a normal and acceptable part of the staff/supervisor relationship. Where supervisees and supervisors work closely together this does not negate the need for one to one time together on a regular basis. The focus of these sessions is on the individual, their development, performance and any issues arising from their work that do not arise on a day-to-day basis.
Supervision Frequency:
COMPETENCY LEVEL |
MEETING FREQUENCY |
Novice Therapist *New graduate with up to 2 years experience |
Weekly or fortnightly clinical supervision + operational supervision as required |
Experienced Therapist |
Monthly clinical supervision + operational supervision as required |
Senior Therapist |
Ad hoc support as required + operational supervision as required |
Changes to Supervision
Next Challenge endeavour to provide staff with a consistent supervisor/supervisee however there may be circumstances where the supervisor/supervisee may change according to availability patterns. If a supervisor is absent from work for a long period the Director will ensure that effective arrangements are in place for the supervision of the staff in that section.
Supervision records
Supervision meeting notes should be documented using the staff supervision template. It is recommended that documenting supervision meetings and actions is a shared responsibility between the staff member and their supervisor, with the staff member taking more responsibility for documentation over time.
P-PEP
Next Challenge staff members can also participate in a P-PEP session annually or on request. The P-PEP is a career development tool used to support staff members’ reflection on their career stage/cycle, as well as future planning and exploration of personal and professional opportunities.
Competency Progression
Each staff member’s level of competency is determined by tracking and monitoring competency development using the competency progression portfolio.
New staff members’ minimum standards should be reviewed after 3 months of working at Next Challenge by a member of the management team. After this, clinical competencies should be:
Confidentiality and Access
Supervision is a private but not a confidential process. This means that the records are the property of the organisation, not the individual. From time to time supervisors will need to discuss the content of supervision sessions with others (e.g. Director), this should always be with the knowledge of the supervisee.
Access to supervision records should be controlled and all records will have access restricted to the supervisor and supervisee to maintain privacy. The supervision records will be kept on Google Drive. Supervisees should be aware, however, that other than themselves and their supervisor others will, from time to time, access records, these might include:
Quality Assurance
In order to be effective the supervision process requires monitoring and quality assurance arrangements.
The quality assurance process ensures that:
Complaints
Supervisees should be clear about whom they should contact if they feel the terms of their supervision agreement are not being met. How supervisees make a complaint and who to (named manager) should be included in the Individual Supervision Agreement. Supervisees should always discuss any complaints or dissatisfaction in the first instance with their supervisor and endeavour to reach an agreement within the normal supervision process. If the complaint cannot be resolved by discussion with the supervisor the supervisee should raise the issue with their supervisor's manager.
Date written: October 2021
Date Review Completed: October 2021
Due for Review: October 2023
Changes to Supervision
Next Challenge endeavour to provide staff with a consistent supervisor/supervisee however there may be circumstances where the supervisor/supervisee may change according to availability patterns. If a supervisor is absent from work for a long period the Director will ensure that effective arrangements are in place for the supervision of the staff in that section.
Supervision records
Supervision meeting notes should be documented using the staff supervision template. It is recommended that documenting supervision meetings and actions is a shared responsibility between the staff member and their supervisor, with the staff member taking more responsibility for documentation over time.
P-PEP
Next Challenge staff members can also participate in a P-PEP session annually or on request. The P-PEP is a career development tool used to support staff members’ reflection on their career stage/cycle, as well as future planning and exploration of personal and professional opportunities.
Competency Progression
Each staff member’s level of competency is determined by tracking and monitoring competency development using the competency progression portfolio.
New staff members’ minimum standards should be reviewed after 3 months of working at Next Challenge by a member of the management team. After this, clinical competencies should be:
- Tracked and documented regularly in supervision meetings (using specific examples)
- Formally reviewed when the staff member and supervisor feel it is appropriate
- Submitted to Directors when the staff member and supervisor feel confident the staff member has demonstrated consolidated competencies at the next level. A minimum of 3 different examples in at least 5 of the 8 categories are required before submitting to Directors.
Confidentiality and Access
Supervision is a private but not a confidential process. This means that the records are the property of the organisation, not the individual. From time to time supervisors will need to discuss the content of supervision sessions with others (e.g. Director), this should always be with the knowledge of the supervisee.
Access to supervision records should be controlled and all records will have access restricted to the supervisor and supervisee to maintain privacy. The supervision records will be kept on Google Drive. Supervisees should be aware, however, that other than themselves and their supervisor others will, from time to time, access records, these might include:
- Senior Managers
- Directors
Quality Assurance
In order to be effective the supervision process requires monitoring and quality assurance arrangements.
The quality assurance process ensures that:
- The standards of supervision as outlined in this policy are being followed.
- Staff are being supervised and processes are being followed.
- Supervision sessions are being recorded.
- Competency Progression Portfolios are being developed, reviewed and used.
- The supervision process promotes equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.
- The auditing of a random selection of supervision files
- Discussion during meetings between Director and supervisor, about the supervisor's practice in supervising staff.
Complaints
Supervisees should be clear about whom they should contact if they feel the terms of their supervision agreement are not being met. How supervisees make a complaint and who to (named manager) should be included in the Individual Supervision Agreement. Supervisees should always discuss any complaints or dissatisfaction in the first instance with their supervisor and endeavour to reach an agreement within the normal supervision process. If the complaint cannot be resolved by discussion with the supervisor the supervisee should raise the issue with their supervisor's manager.
Date written: October 2021
Date Review Completed: October 2021
Due for Review: October 2023
