Staff Supervision and Support
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards
STANDARD 24 - Staff support and supervision
RELATED CHAPTERS
Staffing and Safe Recruitment of Staff Procedure
Staff Qualifications, Training and Development Procedure
Whistleblowing or Raising Concerns at Work Procedure
This chapter was added to the manual in November 2022.
Contents
1. Introduction
The Agency ensure that all staff, volunteers and the registered person are properly managed and supported and understand to whom they are accountable. Staff and sessional workers are supported and guided to fulfil their roles and provide a high quality service to children.
Staff have access to support and advice, and are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff. Managers and staff receive regular and effective supervision that is focused on children's experiences, needs, plans and feedback.
Supervision must be recorded effectively. A written record must be kept detailing the time, date and length of each supervision held for each member of staff, including the registered person. The record is signed by the supervisor and the member of staff at the end of the supervision.
Kasper’s policy is to offer formal supervision on a monthly basis for staff as a minimum and there is an expectation staff will commit to monthly supervision unless specific annual leave dates impede on supervision dates.
Staff and leaders receive effective support and challenge, including through team and management meetings, to ensure that the professional development of staff and leaders results in the right environment for good practice to thrive.
All staff have their performance individually and formally appraised at least annually and, where they are working with children, this appraisal takes into account any views of children the Agency is providing care for.
Staff and volunteers are able to access the specialist advice needed to provide a comprehensive service for children, including legal advice.
2. Planned Supervision
For agency staff members, a supervision agreement will be completed between the supervisor and supervisee.
This will include:
- Frequency;
- Duration (approximately 2 hours) and location of sessions (ensure privacy);
- Record keeping (i.e. record of supervision to made and signed by supervisor and supervisee and accessible to both);
-
Confidentiality and disagreements.
The agenda for each meeting should cover:
- Matters arising from the last supervision;
- Issues to be discussed;
- Any training issues;
- Any other business.