Staff Supervision

[AnonyMouse_11396]

Thank you for sharing. :1b

[AnonyMouse_19762]

Thanks very much Pimms! :1b

[Guest mukerjee1]

Thanks for sharing chaps!

[AnonyMouse_31752]

thanks Pimms xx

[Guest]

thanks for sharing :-D

[AnonyMouse_38881]

Not sure if I'm being a bit dense :blink: but I read the Supervsion bit (3.20) as being across the EYFS staff supervision, so including reception and maintained nurseries. Is that right? At present our teachers and HLTAs get performance management but there's no formal supervsion etc for TAs. I ventured to suggest it needed to happen but there seems to be some uncertainty!!

Edited August 29, 2012 by Madmum

[Guest]

Just received an email with a link to this about conducting supervisions - I haven't had time to read and digest so can't offer an opinion as to how suitable/good it is but thought I'd share

[AnonyMouse_2418]

Had a quick scan of the article Gingerbread and it's about appraisals not supervisions ? Appraisals are an annual process and it's focus is assessing/appraising and action planning a persons progress in their role ( often these are tied in to salary reviews also but don't have to be) Supervision is a less formal, more frequent meeting you have with all staff to support, discuss and advise about thier day to day working and role etc, and any other stuff which may impact on their ability to do their job effectively. Both types of meeting need to be recorded in writing and copies held by supervisor and supervisee.

 

MAdmum - yes your right all staff should be having supervision whatever role or grade - in schools I have worked in often it's a cascading process - so would maybe assume your FS leader would be doing yours ?

[Guest]

eeeee Well spotted Redjayne - shows how frazzled my brain is at the moment!! :blink: - I would have bet £££ that the heading on the email said 'supervisions' - that's what I read anyway!

 

going away now to hide in shame at my misreading things - lordy I may need to re-read my policies I wrote today now!!

 

sorry folks!

 

 

 

Haha...gone back to look at the initial email <still believes it said supervisions> and it said (in bold red!)

'Conducting Successful Staff Appraisals'

 

I obviously saw all the 'S's and made it up!

Edited August 30, 2012 by gingerbreadman

[Guest mukerjee1]

Don't worry about it Gingerbreadman - after dashing to put away my grocery shopping this afternnoon I have just found a packet of frozen peas in my underwear drawer, and a pair of brand new tights stored safely in my freezer...

[AnonyMouse_2418]

I think you can by tights that cool your legs munkerjee but am sure they don't have to be frozen first

[Guest mukerjee1]

Thanks redjayne - will keep that in mind. However, a little preoccupied at the moment...can't seem to find the fishfingers I bought earlier...?

[Guest]

Don't worry about it Gingerbreadman - after dashing to put away my grocery shopping this afternnoon I have just found a packet of frozen peas in my underwear drawer, and a pair of brand new tights stored safely in my freezer...

 

I actually laughed out loud at this mukerjee1 - thanks for the pick me up - shame about he peas though!

[Guest mukerjee1]

No problem gingerbreadman. Found the fishfingers - apparently safely stowed away in the stomach of my 16 year old son....along with the popcorn, two yogurts, half a block of cheese, a bacon sandwich and two grapes (part of his 5 a day?)

Edited August 30, 2012 by mukerjee1

[Guest]

Sounds like you need to go shopping again!!

[AnonyMouse_31752]

Mukerjee1 you really made me laugh thanks for sharing

[Guest mukerjee1]

Your welcome.

[Guest]

We have been using monthly 1:1 supervision as far back as I can remember and believe it is essential, the EYFS has only made statutory what should have been there in the first place. We apply Kolbs learning cycle to the supervisory process - Experience (engaging and observing) - Reflection (investigating experience) What was it like? - Analysis (seeking to understand, hypothesising, asking why, what does this mean?) - Action Plans (preparing for action, trying things out) What next?)

[Guest]

Clear supervision processes should be in place even for volunteers. Safeguarding practice must be put on the agenda right at the start of the supervisory relationship and reviewed at appropriate intervals. Staff should be supported through supervision to address the issue of thresholds and some of the difficulties in exercising safeguarding responsibilities when they are trying to be a supportive service. Supervision records should include any decision making re: safeguarding children. Good record keeping systems are essential.

[Guest]

supervision blank record.doc

[Guest]

actually my thoughts were the same as yours, small setting, we chat, evaluate etc etc but i did ours last month

i decided to go in on my day off to do ours, paid myself. We went into the office vestry (church packaway) and conducted them there

 

I found it really informative, leaernt lots as did my staff. We concentrated on a specific area this time it was our learning journals and planning.

I am asking what they want to focus on next time at our staff meeting, depending what comes 'out' will decide whether we do some in house or sourse outside training

it was a real positive, even though it costs us a wage as i am not supernumeracy

[Guest]

The key functions of supervision are:

· management (ensuring competent and accountable performance/practice);

· development (continuing professional development);

· support (supportive /restorative function); and

· engagement/mediation (engaging the individual with the organisation).

[Guest]

Supervision should:

 

· help to ensure that practice is soundly based and consistent with LSCB and organisational procedures;

 

· ensure that practitioners fully understand their roles, responsibilities and the scope of their professional discretion and authority; and

 

· help identify the training and development needs of practitioners, so that each has the skills to provide an effective service.

 

Working Together 2010

 

Good quality supervision can help to:

 

· keep a focus on the child;

 

· avoid drift;

 

· maintain a degree of objectivity and challenge fixed views;

 

· test and assess the evidence base for assessment and decisions; and address the emotional impact of work.

 

www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/providing-effective-supervision

[Guest]

Supervision should enable both supervisor and supervisee to reflect on, scrutinise and evaluate the work carried out, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the practitioner and providing coaching development and pastoral support. Supervisors should be available to practitioners as an important source of advice and expertise and may be required to endorse judgements at certain key points in time. Supervisors should also record key decisions within the child’s case records. Supervision will be both educative and supportive and facilitate the supervisee to explore their feelings about the work and the family. Effective safeguarding supervision needs to be regular and provide continuity, so that the relationship between supervisor and supervisee develops. Each session should include agreeing the agenda, reviewing actions from previous supervision, listening, exploring and reflecting, agreeing actions and reviewing the supervision process itself.

[AnonyMouse_30128]

some intersting thoughts there Carla...not sure where your source is?

Perhaps this approach is quite formal for most of us though....when you work in a small team there sometimes has to be a more 'hands on approach to supervision' and a big part of that is team working which is something not mentioned in your quotes. Although safeguarding is of high importance, as managers we all have a role to ensure our staff are trained and working to our safeguarding agenda, i am not of the opinion that this would form part of their supervision meeting every time i met to hold them.

[Guest]

I manage a team of 3 and 1 volunteer.... I suppose we work in an environment where the children are all 'child in need' so safeguarding is high on the agenda, but safeguarding children is everybody's responsibility. If we have learned anything from serious case reviews, it’s that everyone involved with the child must take responsibility for safeguarding “One of the most striking features of Victoria's case…was the sheer number of occasions when the most minor and basic intervention on the part of the staff concerned could have made a material difference to the eventual outcome. In some cases nothing more than a manager reading a file, or asking a straightforward question about whether standard practice had been followed, may have changed the course of these terrible events.” Lord Laming

[Guest]

grrr I'm fed up all the different fonts and sizes... apologies

[AnonyMouse_30128]

safeguarding should always be high on the agenda i agree but it should be intrinsically linked with all you do ...we should all ask the "what if" questions and the "if not now then when" type questions all the time. (i have read your profile and understand that you work in an unusual position....one that i would love to know more about BTW!!)

but supervision IMO is a special time to sit down and discuss your staff's ongoing benefit to the group...and anything you as a manager can do to improve that. The difficulty i find is finding both the time and the money to support it. As a working 'shop floor' manager who has key children and all the other duties involved in running the session day to day i struggle to get time to do it all !

[AnonyMouse_7120]

I don't know how you get time to do it all, with more and more having to go on the to do lists, there are times when as supernumerary it becomes hard to get everything done on time, so hats off to you all that are still counting in ratio's it's a huge ask. As staff supervisions I still don't plan on doing formal ones every month, and I'd be very concerned about my staff's understanding and high regard for safeguarding if I thought it was necessary to formally address this each month.

[AnonyMouse_12805]

Yes and so would I. I have always held annual appraisals however as supervision is now statutory for us my plans are to hold them termly with the third one done as our appraisal. Now I will add that this is probably only possible as I have been working with 3 of my staff for almost 20 years and the other 3 for 12 years and nearly 7. I am almost always out there working with them and as stated they are extremely well qualified and experienced. Even if I was to deem it necessary (which I dont ) to hold supervisions every month then I would be concerned about the safeguarding issue. The danger i feel of it becoming such a focus for supervision is that for the less experienced/able/younger etc staff member there could be a danger of any concerns issues around it being left for discussion until the meeting. Like mouse has said I would be extremely concerned about working with such experienced staff members but still having to formally address this every month? We discuss safeguarding as and when it comes up.

As admirable as your statements are Carla- they are very formal and I just could not see them working with my team or in a setting like ours. Which I suppose is why we all have different settings!!