Within the Psychology and Therapeutics Service we are aware of the importance of supporting wellbeing through the use of reflective practice and supervision approaches.
Supervision as an approach is well grounded in research and its evidence base demonstrates the wide effects that supervision can have on practice development alongside supporting staff wellbeing (Bostock et al 2019; Cross, Hubbard & Munro, 2010; Atkin, 2019).
What is supervision?
Engaging in the process of supervision provides a supportive space where the supervisee can reflect on all aspects of their work.
Supervision is a process which enables staff to share and discuss some of the emotional aspects of their work and the children they work with, and to have a space to problem-solve how they might move forward. Supervision prioritises the well-being of clients, and the development and learning of the supervisee.
Supervision: A form of support within schools and education settings (PowerPoint, 1.2MB).
Watch this podcast to find out more about supervision and how it has worked in one Suffolk school.
What can be offered:
- Some schools and provisions currently access supervision support from the Psychology and Therapeutics Service. In this situation supervision can be one to one or in groups of adults, with the aim being to bring children or issues they are working with, to problem-solve and receive support, and to manage and contain the emotional aspect of the work. We can use graphic methods for this work if needed, such as Solution Circles or Insight Solution Circles if helpful.
- Additionally, we can also offer training and support to schools to enable them to develop a framework of supervision within their setting. This can be developed as a bespoke package of support and specifically tailored to the aims and needs of the setting. This would focus on enabling staff to feel knowledgeable and empowered to be able to utilise peer supervision as an approach to developing and embedding supervision within their school.
Feedback from schools
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- Education Support, supporting teachers and education staff
- Free webinar: Reflective Supervision in Schools, from Trauma Informed Schools UK
- Guide to supporting staff wellbeing in school | School staff mental health and wellbeing | Teacher mental health | Anna Freud Centre
- Supervision: A form of support within schools and education settings
- Supervision for teachers: why it's important and what EPs can do - edpsy.org.uk
- Teacher Wellbeing Index: mental health & wellbeing research (educationsupport.org.uk)
- Wellbeing: why don’t schools offer staff supervision? | Tes Magazine
- Why supervision is a must - for teachers at all levels | Tes Magazine