The Social Work Supervisor: Skills, Roles, Responsibilities

• Author: Marc, C. - Makai-Dimeny, J. - Osvat, C.
• Position: Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Oradea - ALBIN Foundation - Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Oradea
• Pages: 221-230

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 7 (56) No. 1 - 2014

THE SOCIAL WORK SUPERVISOR:

SKILLS, ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES

C. MARC1 J. MAKAI-DIMENY2 C. OŞVAT1

Abstract: The paper presents theoretical aspects concerning the

supervisor's competences, skills, roles and responsibilities, as well as

practical aspects, based on the supervisory work involving two groups of

social workers in Bihor County. Apart from a well-grounded th eoretical and

practical training and experience held by the supervisor, supervision also

requires additional skills. The supervisor's ability to spot and solve problems,

to facilitate reflection and encourage expression, the capacity to respond

rationally, but also emotionally to the supervi see, a positive and supportive

attitude, are only some of the qualities required of a good supervisor.

Key words: social work, group supervision, skills, supervisor's role,

responsibility.

1 Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Oradea.

2 ALBIN Foundation.

1. Introduction

Supervision in social work is a complex

process, which encompasses the following

primary functions: administrative case

management, reflecting on and learning

from practice, emotional support,

mediation and professional development

[3, p. 3]. Over the years, supervision in

social work has been reconceptualized,

models of supervision have shifted “to

reflect new theories of intervention and

changing organizational structures, client

populations, and funding sources”

[2, p. 692].

The relationship between supervisor and

supervisee remains however at the center

of the supervisory process and a successful

supervision depends to a gr eat extent on

the supervisor. “Supervisory process refers

to the evolving and continuous series of

more or less intentionally organized

discrete events by which a supervisor and

supervisee accomplish their work – in

other words, the process is what they

actually do in their work together over

time. For both supervisors and supervisees,

the context and their actions are both

patterned and changing over time”

[5, p. 27].

This article aims to underscore the

supervisor's role in social work,

particularly in group supervision, and

seeks to answer the following questions:

What skills does a good supervisor have?

What is the supervisor's role in group

supervision? What responsibilities does the

supervisor have? The paper shall illustrate

both theoretical aspects, based on the

scientific literature, as well as practical

concerns, developed as a result of the

authors' participation in group supervision

sessions.