Supervision in the Workplace - Essay Example

Supervision in the work place Introduction Supervision has gained increasing importance in the working environment in order to ensure that there isattainment of degree of high quality in concern to the care and attention of the client. In health and clinical care, practitioners of health service are ought to prepare themselves for delivering the high quality care which is flexible, dynamic and client focused (Clinical Supervision: A Practice Specialty of Clinical Social Work 2004). The clinical supervision is referred to a role that is peer supported and is based on the professional relationship that is clinically focussed between professionals of healthcare in which there is presence of two parties. The one party is called as clinical supervisor and the other party is called as the supervisee (Russell-Chapin and Chapin 2011). The clinical supervisor undergoes a certain educational preparation for carrying on this role and utilises his clinical knowledge as well as experience gained over years in order to assist his peers so that they can further develop their own respective knowledge, values, competence and practices. The clinical supervisor is the provider of the peer support to the other party named clinical supervisee. The supervision can also be used for the role of mentoring in some health care professions (Rose and Best 2005). The following essay critically informs about the principle models of supervision from the perspective of both the supervisor and the supervisee. There is critical evaluation of the particular strengths and weaknesses of the supervision in the practical situations along-with the application of the model in the real working environment of occupational therapy so as to understand the application of the model in practical clinical supervision in the working environment. Principle models of supervision Supervision has its basis in achieving the better outcomes for carers and service users, promotion of practice with accountability, establishment of clear practice roles and responsibilities and building of capacity for improving and developing the practice. Following is the figure depicting the basis of supervision and what it aims to achieve (Clinical Supervision: We Are More Than Bosses We Are Leaders 2009). The above mentioned are four principles of supervision on which four models of supervision are based. There is no one specific model of supervision and different therapies involve different supervision. There are five types of models in the supervision- developmental model given by Stoltenberg and Delworth in 1987, systems model of supervision, the consultant model, the self-supervisor model and the process model (Clinical Supervision: We Are More Than Bosses We Are Leaders 2009). In the developmental model, there are progressive stages of development of supervisee from being a novice to an expert professional. There are discrete skills and characteristics of every stage. For instance, from the perspective of supervisor, a supervisee has limited skills in the novice stage along-with lack of confidence as counsellors, in the middle stage, supervisee has more skill and confidence and along-with this, he has conflicting feelings regarding his independence and perceived dependence on the supervisor (Schell and Schell 2007). In the expert stage, the supervisee is likely to use problem solving skills and remains reflective about the counselling process. Considering the model from the supervisee perspective, the process of development appears to be linear, but in actual, the supervisee can remain in different stages at the same time. For instance, on an overall basis, the supervisor can remain at the mid development stage, but he faces high level of anxiety when facing a new client situation. In the model, the supervisee is dependent on the supervisor in the beginning for diagnosing and understanding the behaviour of the client or the patient. Intermediate supervisees would consult the supervisor for understanding difficult clients and there is presence of conflict, resistance and avoidance. At the advanced level, supervises feel independent and are responsible for their correct as well as incorrect decisions (Rose and Best 2005). Therefore, it is necessary to apply the correct supervisory skill for the correct level of the supervisee so that there is balance between autonomy, support and challenges. However, the model is weak in providing specific supervision methods for every level of the supervisee and focus on the graduate level supervision only (Crist and Scaffa 2012). The next model is the systems model of supervision. In this model, the concept of supervision is the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. It includes mutual involvement and has the aim of giving power to both the supervisor and the supervisee. The model is given by Holloway in 1995. It has six dimensions: the function of supervision, the client, the task of supervision, the trainee, the supervisor, and the institution. In any particular instance, the process of supervision is the most reflective of the unique combination of all the above mentioned dimensions (Rose and Best 2005). From the perspective of both the supervisor and the supervisee, the supervision is the result of the interaction between both the parties and giving power to both of them in the process. The third model is the consultant model and it lays emphasis on the professional relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. From the perspective of the supervisee, it assumes that the supervisee has the ability to express his or her own needs regarding the supervision. From the perspective of the supervisor, the relationship is collegial and the supervisor has to give his support to the supervisee as a part of consulting and there is presence of more collegial relationship (Campbell 2011). The fourth model is the self-supervisor model. This model has its concentration on incorporation of attitudes, knowledge and skills of the earlier models and focuses on self supervision. In the perspective of the supervisee, there is requirement of self supervision with suggestions from the supervisor as and when required. From the perspective of the supervisor, the supervisor is there to give suggestions to the supervisee as and when required by him. Self-supervisor gives autonomy to the supervisee with the presence of responsibility and accountability (Rose and Best 2005). The fifth model of supervision is the process model. In this model, there is inclusion of parallel principle of supervision and there is argument that whatever happens in the relationship between the client and the supervisee can also occur in the parallel form in the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. This model is one of aspects of the therapist or the counsellor model (Aasheim 2012). In the supervision process, there are six modes of supervision: reflection on the therapy content, exploration of interventions by the therapist, exploration of the process of therapy, focus on counter-tranference of therapist, focus on present process as a mirror of the future process, and focus on counter-transference of the supervisor. The good supervision process involves all the six modes with emphasis on different modes due to the nature of the work that is being undertaken, developmental level of the trainee, the style and the personality of the supervisee. From the perspective of the supervisor, there is facilitation of learning by the method of reflexive practice. From the perspective of the supervisee, the structure, techniques and processes in the supervision are parallel to those of the therapy session (Zepeda 2007). Strengths and weaknesses of supervision in practice The clinical supervision is a complex practice and it certainly becomes less complex when there is development of alliance between the supervisor and the supervisee that results in the abilities of both the persons. There are particular strengths and weaknesses of the supervision in the practice which should be looked upon considering different models of supervision so as to make the process and the technique of supervision successful in every field where it is applied (Culbreth and Brown 2010). There are various strengths of supervision when applied in practice and its strengths are derived from its wide range of practical uses. It helps in attainment of the objectives of the agency in the field where it is applied and it acts as the opportunity for the supervisee to get consultation on his practice that he has currently applied and is used for debriefing on the past practice (Cassedy 2010). One of the other strengths of supervision in practice is that it leads to enhancement of knowledge and skills with the help of practicing of skills, feedback on the performance of the job done, thorough discussion and pertinent research, and development of a high level of self awareness. As valuable time is spent on reviewing of judgments and decisions, there is thorough consideration of alternative options, recognition of subjective elements, with enhancement of the learning experience (Frawley-ODea and Sarnat 2012). With the implementation of the supervision process, there is effective monitoring and improvement of the objectives, motivation and performance of the supervisee. It also helps in internalizing the professional ethics into the daily routine. Moreover, the constructive feedback on the past and the current performance leads to setting up of performance related goals and their evaluation of the level of performance attained by the supervisee (Lyth 2008). The other strength of the concept of supervision is related to the assistance given in improving the advocacy abilities and the contribution of the supervision in inter-disciplinary objectives of the team and its approaches (Culbreth and Brown 2010). Also, supervision inculcates the feeling of practicing safe, ethical and sustainable profession and it also makes this practice an integral part of the duty of care of the employer. As supervision assists in identification of challenges in the earliest stage, it leads to preparation for facing and handling possible risks that might occur during the practice. The role of supervisors i.e. assisting in identification of the education, training and development of the supervisee, creating opportunities for building of the capacity and options for increasing the effectiveness of the supervisee in his practice (Culbreth and Brown 2010). As there is more and increasing demand for accountability, the supervision helps in giving support to the supervisee in handling the stress of the work by provision of encouragement, reassurance and giving appropriate autonomy to the supervisee so that he can handle the work in accordance to his professional experience and the learning experience he is gaining through supervision (Lyth 2008). However, along-with the array of strengths of the concept and process of supervision in practice, there are some weaknesses associated with the concept when seen in the practical perspective. As the supervisor is given the power to control the process of supervision and he is superior to the supervisee, chances of occurrence of one sided power relationships and occurrence of lack of agreement or gaining consensus over a purpose are more. It is the weakness of supervision as the negative experience of the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee can give rise to fears, avoidance, and anxiety (Hawkins and Shohet 2013). Furthermore, inappropriate identification of the stage of development in which the supervisee is present as per the developmental model, it might lead to frustration and anxiety in the supervisee due to inadequate level of autonomy of the supervisor and his support and advice taken as the interruption by the supervisee (Kadushin and Harkness 2002). Occurrence of unresolved conflicts and tension between the supervisor and the supervisee becomes problematic when the supervisor is not able to make address the warning signs which come in the form of aloofness of the supervisee, his preoccupied behaviour, stress and annoy in the supervisee, decrease in the level of the verbal behaviour, considerable change in the interaction level, and presence of confusion (Morgan and Sprenkle 2007). If the warning signs are not addressed by the supervisor in an appropriate and effective manner, the supervisory process in practice gets eroded and there is game playing between the clinical supervisor and the supervisee. The game playing or the gamesmanship can be referred to as the ongoing series of occurrence of ulterior transaction that are superficially plausible having a concealed motivation (Powell 2010). The aim or the objective of supervision becomes week when such games are being played by both the supervisor and the supervisee. When the supervisor starts playing the games, he does so for various reasons including fear of losing the control, seeking approval of the supervisee, feeling anxiety in regards to his own competency and his desire to be liked by his respective supervisees. These reasons serve as the passive way for the supervisor to exercise his hostility and it is the weakness of the process of supervision in practice as the outcome of presence of such situations in supervision in practice inhibits attainment of objectives set before the execution of the supervision process (Powell 2010). However, if warning signs are addressed by the supervisor and there is appropriate identification of what is required for training and mentoring of the supervisee along-with establishment of cordial relationship between both of them can do away with the weaknesses of the supervision in practice. Evaluation of the implementation of a model of supervision in the workplace Regarding the experience at the workplace, there is a team of 7 members of occupational therapist. There is presence of monthly individual and group supervision. Presence of different settings leads to different opportunities and thee has to be a balance between the personal developments of the supervisee and due focus on the work task (Crist and Scaffa 2012). In occupation therapy, there is emphasis on the group element of the task and thus to the supervision process. There are some circumstances in which the group that is task oriented creates organizational accountability in a more readily way than just the collection of individuals. Presence of common interest fosters the identity and it also requires the leader or the supervisor to remain aware of the individual differences that are present among individual occupational therapists (Clinical Supervision: We Are More Than Bosses We Are Leaders 2009). As there is presence of team of 7 members within the workplace, it can be used as a tool for developing the staff as the group training medium is efficient and effective. In group supervision, there is focus on enhancement of creativity and problem solving. There is concern to the development of the teamwork, understanding and team spirit. Also, there is paramount need of skilled group working and trust on the part of the supervisor (Clinical Supervision: A Practice Specialty of Clinical Social Work 2004). As in occupational therapy, there is high involvement of the patient or the client; it is required on the part of the occupational therapist to have a good interaction with the client or the patient. The system model of supervision is applied in the workplace as there is emphasis on the learning alliance between the supervisor and the supervisee (Crist and Scaffa 2012). Learning of broad spectrum of skills, knowledge and attitude is the goal of the supervision process in the systems model which matches with the requirement of the workplace of occupational therapy. The inclusion of the content, and the process of each interaction between the supervisor and the supervisee as well as between the supervisee and the client, acts as the instructional process which facilitates the growth and development of the supervisee (Scaife 2004). In the process of interpersonal exchange of ideas and practices, the supervisor teaches the information to the supervisee that assists the latter in gaining empowerment, knowledge and skill. However, in the supervision at the workplace, it is essential to take care of the primary relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee as this relationship is the primary context of the facilitation of the learning process of the supervisee (Todd and Storm 2003). The modelling of the attitudes, behaviours and tasks teaches the supervisee on how to attain the independent status at the workplace. Carrying out both individual and group supervision on the monthly basis facilitates the identification of the monthly progress and learning stage of the occupational therapists so that further planning for tasks and actions to be done by the supervisee could be framed (Schell and Schell 2007). Specification of the authority to be delegated, oversight of the tasks assigned and monitoring procedures forms the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. Both individual and group supervision are appropriate style of practicing supervision as it leads to development of both problem solving skills and personal development (Gray and Howe 2012). Conclusion Supervision is an important concept which helps in development of supervisee at the workplace on both the fronts of personal and professional development with achievement of high standards at the workplace and provision of learning opportunities in order to enhance the quality of the work. There are various models of supervision including developmental model, systems model, consultancy model, process model and the self supervisor model. There are different perspectives of supervisor and supervisee in remaining in the process of supervision which is required to be understood from the view of every model. There are both strengths and weaknesses of supervision in practice. On one side, supervision facilitates development of the supervisee at both personal and professional level, and leads to creation of learning opportunities so that the patient or the client gets the best service. On the other side, if the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee is not positive and progressive, it leads to failure of the supervision at the workplace. Understanding of the warning signs is necessary so that proper actions could be taken at the appropriate time. In the workplace of occupational therapy, the systems model of supervision is applied with the adoption of the supervision style of individual and group supervision on a monthly basis. As there is importance of interaction between the patient and the occupational therapist, the content and the process of supervision includes interactions between the supervisor and the supervisee, and the interaction between the supervisee and the patient. Creation for opportunities for learning and learning through role and tasks given to the supervisee provides solid basis for attaining the independent status by the supervisee in due time. Thus, supervision is important in development of the supervisee and it leads to positive results if implemented in an appropriate and well planned manner. References Aasheim, L.L. 2012. Practical Clinical Supervision for Counselors: An Experiential Guide. Springer Publishing Company. Campbell, J.M. 2011. Essentials of Clinical Supervision. John Wiley & Sons. Cassedy, P. 2010. First steps in Clinical Supervision: a guide for healthcare professionals. McGraw-Hill International. Clinical Supervision: A Practice Specialty of Clinical Social Work. 2004. [Online]. Available at: http://www.abecsw.org/images/ABESUPERV2205ed406.pdf [Accessed on: 04 February 2013]. Clinical Supervision: We Are More Than Bosses… We Are Leaders. 2009. [Online]. 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