Supervisor resource 2 - How people using services benefit from supervision
Supervision and outcomes for people using services
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) found that supervision led to outcomes (measured by workers), including empowerment and participation of service users, fewer complaints, and increased positive feedback. However, they noted, that there is a lack of research on how supervision impacted the desired outcomes of those using services.
“changes to the supervisory process are not informed by the perspectives of service users and carers and miss a crucial aspect of understanding how supervision impacts on practice”
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
Supervision can support social workers’ resilience
The people who use our services may benefit from a more resilient and stable workforce. Effective supervision has a clear role in supporting worker resilience. Child protection workers were less likely to leave their roles and community workers got significant protection from stress and burnout when given supportive supervision within an organisational culture positive about good supervision practice (Hawkins & McMahon, 2020).
These concepts are discussed further in the wellbeing and resilience resource. Views from people who use services are also discussed in later sections. In the seven-eyed model section, we consider feedback from user groups including care experienced young people and adults with disabilities on supervision issues.
Useful ideas
- Read the vignette from the training resources for supervisors and think about how you could help an NQSW with the person who is using services in this situation.
- Consider how you could incorporate the views of people who use services and those who care for them in contributing to local supervision and professional development policies.
- Perhaps you might involve users of services to give input to such policies or in training sessions your organisation may run for social workers including NQSW practitioners.
Information and links
- Please remember that clicking these links will take you to pages and resources external to the SSSC NQSW website.
- You can read the full SCIE report mentioned in this resource here Effective supervision in social work and social care.
