The “grand challenges” for

supervision: Examining trends in

research and practice

Liz Beddoe

University of Auckland, New Zealand

My aims today• To briefly explore the nature of

changing professional work with reference to theories of professionalism

• To consider the impact of the climate of austerity on supervision

• To consider the research agenda for supervision

Trouble ahead

Changes in professional work � IntrusionIntrusionIntrusionIntrusion of non-clinical management into clinical decision-making (Lymbery 1998; Coburn 2006).

� Stability is no longer a virtue

� Loss of professional autonomy professional autonomy professional autonomy professional autonomy in managed environments (Evetts,2009)

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Climate and people

�Expectations of reflexivity reflexivity reflexivity reflexivity – ability to cope with

constant change

�High stressstressstressstress environments – compulsory resiliencecompulsory resiliencecompulsory resiliencecompulsory resilience

�Austere practice, austere supervisionAustere practice, austere supervisionAustere practice, austere supervisionAustere practice, austere supervision

(Ruch – webinar, 2016)

Symbolic shifts

� Language used even in our own associations can symbolize a shift from 'doing' practice to 'managing' it.

� The intensifying of management talk -outputs - ‘quality’ imitates the knowledge claims in classical professional models (Noordegraaf & Schinkel,p.112)

�Major impact on conceptualisation of supervision from professional to managerial

� Supervision research not keeping up with practice world changes

Two perspectives

�Manthorpe et al., note the presence of a kind of dyadic approach in the discussions of supervision, with supervision grasped either as largely introspectivelargely introspectivelargely introspectivelargely introspective (a therapeutic model) or as its antithesis, an instrumental instrumental instrumental instrumental tool for surveillance tool for surveillance tool for surveillance tool for surveillance and the soft exercise of power and authority.

(2013, p.3)

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Does it have to be one or the

other?

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Middle ground

� Acknowledge the role of regulation

�Need for supervision that is pragmatic and can survive the working environments we are in but holds on to protecting that reflective space

�Developing and evaluating new models

� Importance of ongoing research

(Davys & Beddoe 2010; Beddoe & Davys, 2016)

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• International Delphi study to explore the research agenda for supervision

• Ideas for collaboration were born at a concerned in Stockholm in 2012

• Researchers:

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Messages from research

The big challenges facing supervision here as well?

Rank Challenges identified

1 Time and workload constraints

1= Lack of valuing of reflective supervision

2 Inadequate training for the supervision role

3= Loss of funding for supervisory roles due to cuts

3= Impact of managerialism and risk thinking /surveillance

4= Organisational culture not supporting

4= Lack of focus on mission on social work

4= Lack of consistency of provision/models

5 Insufficient research on supervision

Most urgent research issues

Rank Issue for urgent research

1 Exploring the relationship between supervision and client outcomes

2 Exploring relationship and process and evaluating models

3 Researching how supervision can improve decision-making /critical reasoning

4 Explore effectiveness of supervision in supporting staff

4= Explore training for supervisors

Professional agency & autonomy

�Many respondents expressed concern about the loss of and

threats to professional discretion and autonomy in

supervision.

�These concerns stretched beyond threats to professional

identity- encompassed strong fear of the demise of

professional agency with supervision as a forum for critical

reflection11/22/201614

Autonomy & Agency

� the loss of professional self-determination and autonomy needed for professional strength This could be understood to involve supervision aligning itself with neo-liberal trends

� An understanding of professional agency is needed especially for creatively developing one’s own work and working contexts, for learning at work and for bargaining the professional identity

(Eteläpelto et al. 2013).

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Supervision as emancipatory

� ‘There remains a strong belief, however, in supervision as an emancipatory support for professional self-respect and identity. It is the potential loss of professional autonomy that may be seen as a major tension’. *

� As supervisors it is our job to manage that tension

*Karvinen-Niinikoski, Beddoe, Ruch & Tsui (in press)

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A professional conversation to:

• Support effective professional practice• Reinforce resilience & self-care• Facilitate personal professional

development • Encourage lifelong critical reflection on

practice

Advocacy for supervision in hard times

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Build, sustain, transform

Career long supervision

Main functions of supervision restated

BUILD

SUSTAIN

TRANSFORM

BUILD

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• Build professional identityprofessional identityprofessional identityprofessional identity• Guiding the integration of theory and integration of theory and integration of theory and integration of theory and

practice practice practice practice • Focusing on learning learning learning learning in supervision• Balancing the management of risk management of risk management of risk management of risk at

personal / professional/ service delivery levels

• Modelling ethical ethical ethical ethical practice practice practice practice in complex contexts

ContainmentContainmentContainmentContainment of emotion and stress and fostering emotional awareness

SelfSelfSelfSelf----care care care care and intellectual refreshment and intellectual refreshment and intellectual refreshment and intellectual refreshment practitioner & supervisor for professional growth

Develop the emotional Develop the emotional Develop the emotional Develop the emotional competence competence competence competence of both parties

SUSTAIN

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TRANSFORM

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• Building a strong relationship in which challenge can occur

• Supervisee as learner not subordinate learner not subordinate learner not subordinate learner not subordinate • Supervisor as facilitator and teacher • Curiosity and explorationCuriosity and explorationCuriosity and explorationCuriosity and exploration• Humour and Humour and Humour and Humour and creativitycreativitycreativitycreativity• Creative use of live observation and live observation and live observation and live observation and feedback feedback feedback feedback

What are the

barriers?

� Organisational climate� Need to promote cultural models� Fetishizing the management of risk� Persistence of traditional bureaucracy � Fear of seeming incompetent� Fear of judgement � Mismanagement of power & authority � Time

Finally …..Keep these questions to the forefront:

1. How has my supervision today helped sustain professional competence and belief in the practitioner's agency in complex work?

2. How do we address change at all levels in supervision- self, client/patients / work organisation/ socio-political climate?

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Questions & Feedback

Thank you

Thank you for listening

e.beddoe@auckland.ac.nz

Web: https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/l-

beddoe

Blog: https://socialworkresearchnz.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @BeddoeE

Contact me

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References� Beddoe, L. (2011). External supervision in social work: Power, space, risk, and the

search for safety. Australian Social Work, 65(2), 197-213.

� Beddoe , L. (2015). Social work supervision for changing contexts. In L. Beddoe & J. Maidment (Eds.), Supervision in social work: Contemporary issues (pp. 82-95). London: Routledge

� Beddoe, L. (2015). Supervision and developing the profession: One supervision or many? China Journal of Social Work, 8(2), 150-163.

� Beddoe , L., & Davys, A. (2016). Challenges in professional supervision: Current themes and models for practice. London: Jessica Kingsley.

� Coburn, D. (2006). Medical dominance then and now: A critical reflection. Health Sociology Review, 15(5), 452-443.

� Davys, A., & Beddoe , L. (2010). Best practice in professional supervision: A guide for the helping professions. London: Jessica Kingsley.

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References 2� Davys, A., & Beddoe , L. (2015). Interprofessional supervision: Opportunities and

challenges. In L. Bostock (Ed.), Interprofessional staff supervision in adult health and social care services (Vol. 1, pp. 37-41). Brighton, England: Pavilion Publishing

� Evetts, J. (2009) ‘New professionalism and New Public Management: Changes, continuities and consequences’, Comparative Sociology, 8, 247–66.

� Karvinen-Niinikoski, S, Ruch, G. Beddoe, L.& TSUI, M-s “Professional supervision and professional autonomy” in Blom, B., Eversson, L & Perlinski, M. (Eds) The social care professions in Europe. Bristol UK: Policy Press. Accepted February 2016.

� Lymbery, M. (1998). Care management and professional autonomy: The impact of community care legislation on social work with older people. British Journal of Social Work, 28(6), 863-878.

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References 3� Manthorpe, J., Moriarty, J., Hussein, S., Stevens, M., & Sharpe, E. (2015). Content

and purpose of supervision in social work practice in England: Views of newly qualified social workers, managers and directors. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), 52-68

� Ruch, G. (2016) . Ruch, G. (2016). Containing the container: Understanding the role of supervision in child and family social work. Webinar: http://listenagain.stir.ac.uk/media/keep/withscotland/listenagain.php

� Townend, M. (2005). Interprofessional supervision from the perspectives of both mental health nurses and other professionals in the field of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 12(5), 582-588.

� Tsui, M.-s., O'Donoghue, K., & Ng, A. K. T. (2014). Culturally competent and diversity-sensitive clinical supervision. In C. E. Watkins & D. L. Milne (Eds.), The Wiley International Handbook of Clinical Supervision (pp. 238-254). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.