Social Work Professional Supervision System in the Field of State Child Welfare and Care System

Abstract

The primary instrument of social service is a social worker. Hence, one of the main tasks of social service is to care for the social workers' workforce. Strengthening a social worker is a complex process and envelopes due planning and development of State Care Agency's social workers' activities and their direct support and strengthening. Support of social work implies such components as implementing mechanisms of qualified social workers attraction, hiring, ensuring their satisfaction and sustentation, promotion of their professional growth, development of professional supervision system, etc. The State Care Agency identified social workers' professional supervision system development as one of its main objectives. Social workers need adequate support, strengthening, and supervision practice consistent with the local and the world's leading countries' practices and the agency's needs. The development of social work supervision system must be carried out with the active participation of the care agency staff.   The research was implemented within the frames of social work macro intervention – developing social work supervision system at the State Care Agency. The research aimed to analyze existing social work supervision practices, identifying strengths and weaknesses to develop the system further.   The qualitative research method, namely focused group discussions, was used in the research. The focus groups were held with the social work supervisors, senior social workers, and social work practitioners employed by the State Care Agency. In total, eight focus groups were held involving 60 participants: 1 focus group with social work supervisors (8 participants), two focus groups with senior social workers (12 participants), and five focus groups with social work practitioners (40 participants). Thus, the key actors of the supervision system were involved in the research.   Within the frames of macro-level intervention, we explored the experience of professional supervision in the child protection field and the existing system's strengths and weaknesses.   Based on the research results, the concept of professional supervision was developed together with the staff of the care agency, and an agreement was made on the changes needed to implement the concept in practice. The main change was made to the implementation mechanism of the professional supervision system. Under current practice, the senior social workers of the agency were responsible for carrying out professional supervision; however, the review of existing practice revealed that they needed more time, competence, and qualifications to perform this function. To ensure the effectiveness of the professional supervision system, the functions of the professional supervision supporter and the administrative manager ('line manager') have been separated to enable full-fledged professional supervision. Accordingly, the professional supervision function was redistributed between the senior social worker and the professional supervisor. The primary role of professional supervision was assigned to the professional supervisors hired by the agency on a contract basis, who perform the functions of education, support, and case supervision. The mentioned supervisor is responsible for holding regular consultation meetings with the social worker to help him or her in resolving professional dilemmas and managing complex cases, to encourage and promote his/her professional growth, and so on. Meanwhile, the senior social worker exercises administrative oversight, e.g., case distribution and workload management. He/she also shares responsibility over the case supervision function to be sure that the case management by the social worker meets the agency's procedures and priorities. The agency has created a new service of professional supervision staffed with professional supervisors. Professional supervision rules and working tools have been developed, while the training process for professional supervisors is regular.   The analysis of existing professional supervision practices has shown that it is crucial for a quality professional supervision system that different persons perform administrative and support functions. Establishing best practices at the macro level is a complex and dynamic process that requires consistent participation and long-term commitment from the involved agencies and individuals.