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SUPERVISION EXPERIENCE AND EXPECTATION
OF CHILD PROTECTION WORKERS IN ESTONIAN MUNICIPALITIES
GOALS OF SUPERVISION
The goal of supervision is to provide an opportunity for the supervisee (in the
context of this article — child protection worker) to learn a broad spectrum
of professional attitudes, knowledge and skills in an effective and supportive
manner. Successful supervision occurs within the context of complex
professional relationship that is on-going and mutually involving.'‘ The process
of supervision plays an important role in developing the skills necessary to
respond effectively to reports of child maltreatment.!” Munro described
professional supervision in child protection as a core mechanism for helping
social workers critically reflect on the understanding they are forming of the
family, of considering their emotional response and whether this is adversely
affecting their reasoning, and for making decisions about how best to help
[...] the availability and quality of supervision contributes to the quality of
reasoning that social workers can achieve.'* From the organization’s perspective,
a worker’s job performance is the primary outcome. In child welfare, this may
be seen in relation to professional tasks including assessment, care planning
and review, as well as effective workload management. The ultimate goal of
professional supervision should be to provide the best possible support to client
(child and family) in accordance with the organization’s responsibilities and
accountable professional standards. Organizations are likely to achieve this aim
through workers who are skillful, knowledgeable, clear about their roles and
assisted in their practice by sound advice from a supervisor with whom they
have a good professional relationship." In conclusion, it can be argued that
regular supervision is imperative in child protection work.
THE METHOD OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to answer the question: What are the current
supervision experience and expectations of child protection workers in 15
Estonian municipalities? The survey was focused on external supervision and
6 E. Holloway - M. Carroll, Training counselling supervisors. Strategies, Methods and
Techniques, SAGE Publications, 1999, 10-11.
17 C. A. Lietz, Implementation of Group Supervision in Child Welfare: Findings from Arizona’s
Supervision Circle Project, Child Welfare, Vol. 87, Nr. 6, 2008, 31.
18 E. Munro, Review of Child Protection Interim Report: The Child’s Journey, 2015, 53.
Carpenter et al., The surprisingly weak evidence base for supervision: Findings from a
systematic review of research in child welfare practice (2000-2012), Children and Youth
Services Review, 2013, 1843-1844.
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