Survey reveals social work supervision deficiencies

Social workers are not always receiving the amount of supervision they need and most are not getting adequate support for professional development issues or the emotional problems their work presents, according to a survey released today by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).

Among respondents to an online BASW poll, 69% said their supervision does not adequately address emotional issues arising from practice and 62% said it didn't effectively cover personal development and training.

Nearly a quarter said they receive supervision only once every three months or less, with 10% of these respondents rarely or never receiving such support. The findings contrast with what social workers say they want, with just 10% wanting supervision on a three monthly basis and 71% stating that they want monthly personal meetings with their manager to discuss issues of concern.

The survey found that 58% of social workers receive supervision on a monthly basis and 4% more than once a month. Just under 10% say the supervision they receive is excellent but 26% rate it as poor, suggesting it is not just frequency but quality that needs addressing by a number of employers.

Three quarters of the 151 survey respondents work for a local authority but among those working in sectors where their manager is not social work qualified, 77% say they are offered professional supervision from a qualified social worker.