In the helping professions, supervision is a regular, protected time for facilitated, in-depth reflection on clinical practice. Effective supervision takes place within a relationship of respect and trust which evolves over time. It is based on a negotiated agreement, is regular, is prioritised, and led by the supervisee’s agenda.
For social workers, supervision is a registration requirement. The Social Work Registration Board has the expectation that practitioners access regular supervision to ensure competent and accountable practice. The Board “considers that the interests of the public are best served by the profession requiring all registered social workers to be in a formal supervision relationship.” (www.swrb.govt.nz)
I offer a safe place where there can be review, questions, celebration, grappling with, and discussion of what and how a social worker thinks and works. I have completed education and training with Margaret Morrell (Vibrant Training) and NZ Coaching and Mentoring. My approach is reflective. We all have our stories and our interpretation; in supervision there is the opportunity to take a step back and consider how our own Story intersects with the Stories of our clients.
In supervision we can look at:
- client work (eg. successes and difficulties in your casework or groupwork, situations which can challenge your beliefs/values, reflecting on work done, working out the next steps…)
- organisational topics (eg. working with colleagues/ manager, meeting agency’s objectives, when your personal values are in conflict with agency’s policies…)
- “you” (eg. professional goals and development, self care, stress levels, personal issues impacting on work life…)
We work together on what is important to you so that supervision becomes an integral component of your professional practice. I supervise also those people who come from other professional backgrounds.
I offer an initial meeting, free of charge, so that we can get a sense of each other and whether we want to work together in a supervisory relationship. Supervision via Zoom is also possible.
I work from Village Health, 30 Lincoln Road, Christchurch, on Mondays and Tuesdays.