Group Clinical Supervision (Facilitated peer supervision) does not have to take place one-on-one. Having supervision with your team can have practical benefits in that you all get your supervision completed at once and you do it together. However, there are other benefits of working with each other around supervision. You may get to understand your colleagues better and even improve your clinical practice.

Sasha can provide flexible support tailored to you and your team. She already provides clinical supervision to teams working in health services.

This type of approach may also be suitable for teams working in health but who do not have professional requirements to have clinical supervision.

If you want to find out more, just click on the contact button at the bottom of the page.

Requirement to have supervision

Different professions have different requirements for supervision. Here a some examples of supervision requirements for different professions and for mental health workers generally. You will see that supervision is a major part of practice requirements.

For nurses:

We can look at Benner’s practice pathway.
Benner (1984) proposed that nursing knowledge develops through research and integration into clinical practise and experience. Importantly, experience is not a time based activity, but can only develop in the context of education and knowledge acquisition. Characteristics acquired throughout the registered nurse professional career contribute towards a sustainable profession through (Qld Health):

  • role modelling
  • clinical leadership
  • mentoring
  • coaching supervision
  • teaching research

According to the AASW:

Active participation in professional supervision is a core practice standard for social workers, as outlined in the Practice Standards (AASW, 2013).

Professional supervision makes a pivotal contribution toward:

  • Enhancing the professional skills and competence of social work practitioners and thereby strengthening the capacities of social workers to achieve positive outcomes for the people with whom they work;
  • Engaging social workers in ongoing professional learning that enhances capacities to respond effectively to complex and changing practice environments;
  • Retaining social workers in organisations by supporting and resourcing them to provide quality, ethical and accountable services in line with the organisation’s visions, goals and policies (AASW)

The National Standards for the Mental Health Workforce 2013 outline that any mental health practitioner:

1. Demonstrates legal, ethical and accountable mental health practice and ethical decision making that remains open to the scrutiny of people with lived experience, peers and colleagues

2. Participates in professional development relevant to their role and professional interests

3. Actively participates in lifelong learning and professional development for themselves and others, including supervision and peer review when appropriate

4. Engages in reflective practice

5. Effectively uses evaluation, research and feedback from supervisors, colleagues, people, family members and/or carers to review practice

6. Exercises self-care for good mental health and wellbeing

7. Seeks to practise new skills, use new knowledge and integrate new learning into daily work activities

8. Works within their scope of practice and seeks assistance where necessary

9. Complies with policies and procedures for reporting potential breaches of codes of conduct, impairment and incompetence

10. Complies with policies and procedures and relevant accreditation requirements for quality service delivery

Professional Practice Requirements

Different professions have different practice requirements.  You might consider the following when considering whether to seek supervision:

  • Are we required to have supervision by our professional code?
  • Would we benefit from opportunities to share knowledge and learn?
  • Would this ontribute to my professional development and life-long learning?

Improve Team Dynamics

Is our team hard to work in or do we have problems fulfilling our work to our best ability due to team dynamics

  • Does or team experience stress, either due to our work or internal relationship issues?
  • Are we engaged in complex work practice?
  • Do we struggle to communicate as a team?
  • Could our workplace be better if we understood each other better?

Developing Your Team

  • Does your team want to create a positive environment that fosters change?
  • Do you want to consider other ways of working, flexible working or are in a ‘change’ environment?
  • Does your team just want to be different in how you are get along and feel about your team?

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