Supervision Defined
"Clinical supervision is regular, protected time for facilitated, in-depth reflection on clinical practice. It aims to enable the supervisee to achieve, sustain and creatively develop a high quality of practice through the means of focussed support and development. "
Skills of Clinical Supervision for Nurses
Meg Bond and Stevie Holland
"Supervision is an exchange between practising professionals to enable the development of professional skills and competence."
Butterworth 1998
Forms of Supervision
Internal - supervision delivered by a member of the organisation (often the manager)
External - supervision delivered by someone who is external to the organisation and has no vested interest in performance
Peer - either peer group supervision or one to one peer supervision can be organised if participants have the requisite skills/training
Team or group supervision - a skilled supervisor facilitates supervision in a group setting
Why have it?
Supervision is a mechanism for
- improving the quality of service to clients
- Maintaining and safeguarding standards of practice
- Valuing the development of professional and practice knowledge.
Foci of Supervision - what's it for?
- provide regular opportunities to reflect on your work
- develop skills and strategies that allow you to be more effective in your role
- gain insight and understanding about why things turned out the way they did
- receive feedback on your actions/approach/behaviours
- be validated and supported as a person and as a professional
- ensure that you are not left to carry, alone, difficulties, problems etc. as a result of the work that you do
- have space to offload and express personal responses/feelings that arise as a result of your work
- plan and utilise personal and professional resources better
- be proactive rather than reactive
- manage your self in your role
- check decisions and choices you have made in the course of your work
- be proactive in career choices and pathways
- ensure quality of work.
