Professional Supervision Policy
What's Important To Us
It is important that our staff feel supported in the work that they do. Our work is complex and we need to ensure that there are opportunities to reflect on practice, learn new or different ways of doing things, and maximise the sharing of collegial skills and experience so that we see our individual and collective practice strengthen over time.
Policy
Professional supervision is a formal, individual and group process which includes, but is not limited to:
- Open-door and formal consultations with supervisors, practice leaders, senior practitioners and regional practice advisors
- Peer supervision
- Supervision consultation (Child and Family/Young Person and Family Consult)
- Cultural supervision
- Internal case planning meetings/case consultations/practice advice
- Debriefing post-visits/-interviews
Formal, individual professional supervision will occur according to the following requirements:
| Position | Frequency of Supervision |
| All front-line social workers including residential[1] social/youth workers and Contact Centre[2] practice staff with less than or equal to 12 months CYF experience. |
1 hour per week |
| All front-line social workers including residential[1] social/youth workers and Contact Centre[2] practice staff with more than 12 months CYF experience. |
1 hour per fortnight |
| Co-ordinators, senior practitioners, supervisors (site and residential), practice leaders/managers and specialist services. | 1 hour per fortnight |
| Trainers and regional practice advisors. | 1.5 hours per month |
Written notes of formal, individual supervision sessions are required to be kept in an individual supervision file.
[1]For residential social work staff and youth workers, supervision is aggregated over a three week period and includes formal team or group supervision.
[2]For Contact Centre staff, supervision is aggregated over a four week period and includes one hour individual formal supervision in addition to immediate consultations with the supervisor and group supervision to assist clinical decision making.
