Anchored Minds

Supervision a dynamic and complex process situated in a wider socio-political context in which the supervisor and supervisee bring aspects of their own professional experience, personal experience, historical supervisory relationships, skill and knowledge. It is these experiences which feed into the supervisory space along with the supervisees casework. Attending to the Seven-Eyed model of Supervision Hawkins and McMahon suggest that ‘the practice of supervision will become increasingly essential if humanity is going to preserve and develop its ability to care for the most vulnerable members of society, in a time when resources are stretched and challenges are continuously increasing, in size and complexity’ (Hawkins and McMahon, 2020, p. 285).

In Health and Social Care Settings, supervision is critical to practitioners capacity to grow and develop a sense of themselves in their role and a sense of themselves in relation to those people they work with. Supervision should be regular, consistent and reflective to support practitioners in their practice, development and wellbeing, enabling practitioners to work effectively with children, young people and families.

When supervision is provided with a clear model in mind, and when it is provided and engaged with successfully, it can support emotional growth and enable practitioners to feel better able to deal with the emotional demands of practice, critical thinking, effective decision making, and retention. Inadequate supervision can contribute to practitioner compassion fatigue, burnout and poor retention. Supervisors have a vital role in supporting the equitable professional development of workers including support for Black and Global majority social workers and social care workers who face barriers to progression. At Anchored Minds we are continually learning and attending to race discussion and anti-racist practices in supervision.