Supervision In Social Work

A book on social work supervision is desperately needed to bridge the gap between the demands of the field and the absence of literature. Social Work Supervision: Contexts and Concepts aims to provide readers with basic knowledge of theories, research, and practice of supervision. The book addresses the needs of social work supervisors, frontline practitioners, students, and educators and contains a comprehensive literature review of the historical development, theories and models, and empirical research studies of the subject. Equally important, this is a book from practice experience in supervision that enhances the competence of supervisory practice. It will help social workers, supervisors, and administrators to realize and revitalize their "mission" in social work, that is, to benefit clients.

Taking into account the changes in public policy and reductions in financial resources that have occurred over the last ten years, the fourth edition of Supervision in Social Work defines the place of supervision in the social agency, its functions, its process, and its problems. Explored in detail are topics of risk management, of countering worker burnout through supportive supervision, and the problems and stresses associated with becoming and being a supervisor.

Supervision is currently a "hot topic" in social work. The editors of this volume, both social work educators and researchers, believe that good supervision is fundamental to the development and maintenance of effective practice in social work. Supervision is seen as a key vehicle for continuing development of professional skills, the safeguarding of competent and ethical practice and oversight of the wellbeing of the practitioner. As a consequence the demand for trained and competent supervisors has increased and a perceived gap in availability can create a call for innovation and development in supervision. This book offers a collection of chapters which contribute new insights to the field. Authors from Australia and New Zealand, where supervision inquiry is strong, offer research-informed ideas and critical commentary with a dual focus on supervision of practitioners and students. Topics include external and interprofessional supervision, retention of practitioners, practitioner resilience and innovation in student supervision. This book will be of interest to supervisors of both practitioners and students and highly relevant to social work academics. This book was originally published as a special issue of Australian Social Work.

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of social work supervision internationally and presents an analytical review of social work supervision theory, practice, and research. Presented in seven parts: International perspectives Supervision settings Roles, responsibilities, and relationships Models and approaches The interactional process Leading and managing supervision Emerging areas The book examines how supervision contributes to the well-being, development, and practice of social workers. It also sets the agenda for the future development of social work supervision internationally. Social work supervision is examined across countries, practice settings, and in terms of participants' roles, relationships, and responsibilities. Contributors show how and why social work supervision is integral to social work and the rich diversity of ways supervision can be practiced. Bringing together an international team of social work supervision scholars, researchers, supervisors, and practitioners, this handbook is essential reading for social workers, supervisors, managers, policy advisors, and professional leaders.

This book is an accessible guide to the essential skills of social work supervision. It covers the development of the supervisor-supervisee relationship, the assessment and management of risk, understanding and managing poor performance, and support for the supervisors themselves.

It is vital that social work managers and leaders are able to deliver and manage effective supervision to their teams. Recent social work reports such as the Munro Review into Child Protection (2011) identified poor supervision as a barrier to good and effective social work practice and highlighted the need for quality supervision to become embedded within departments. This book demonstrates how both managers and their staff can engage with supervision with a view to successful outcomes. There are detailed sections on audit tasks and reflection questions to enable readers to increase awareness of their role as well as develop action plans for improvement in their practice.

This title is a comprehensive text for the social work supervisor, examining the changing social work scene of the 1990s, and breaks new ground into areas such as anti-oppressive supervision, supervision of post-traumatic stress, and group supervision. This book provides clear theoretical framework, bringing theory and practice together through numerous practice examples of supervision in action.

This book is a timely review of scholarship in social work supervision; re-examining the state of knowledge, research and practice; and asking if it is time for a new paradigm for the field. The contributors present a universal paradigm in social work around what we understand social work to be, not only through its practice of supervision but also what this contributes to the challenge of any dominant ideas or ideals about the supervision agenda in an increasingly globalised social work context. Capturing new developments from different regions of the world, the book shows how these can inform critical practice, professional development and well-being, and have a wider impact on accountability, effectiveness and work performance. The book will be appreciated by people needing or using services, novice or learner social workers, and those responsible for training or educating in supervision knowledge and skills or preparing to take up this important role. With applications for both academic research and practitioner-based learning, this book will help to ensure the best quality and supportive practice within the workforce and community it serves. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Journal of Social Work.