Inspecting social work supervision

There are two key elements to supervision, says Ofsted social care national director Yvette Stanley.

First, it is an important part of the process when it comes to making good decisions for vulnerable children. "Information about a social worker's worries, the child's risks and how they are being managed need to be shared between the social worker and their supervisor," she says.

Then, using appreciative enquiry, "the supervisor needs to enable the social worker to make the best decisions for the child and their family".

Second, supervision is also about ensuring social workers are supported to develop their skills and confidence.

"Really good supervision allows you to develop personally and professionally. It needs a trusted, honest, empathetic approach from the manager and when done really well it contributes to how staff performance is managed and practice development," says Stanley. "It is about teaching, coaching and helping everybody work to the highest professional standards, preparing the social worker to do this job really well and start thinking about their next step in children's services."