Building a Model and Framework for Child Welfare Supervision

include "acknowledging effective performance, caseworker efforts, client progress,
accomplishment, and individual contributions” and treating staff “with importance, dignity, and
respect.” Similarly, Salus (2004) encourages supervisors to provide both positive feedback and
recognition to frontline practitioners: “Positive feedback reinforces those specific aspects of
performance that the supervisor wants a caseworker to continue doing, whereas recognition is a
general appraisal of someone’s efforts or accomplishments” (pp. 51-52). Kadushin and Harkness
(2002) note that, “The supervisor supports by praising and commending good performance and
communicates agency appreciation for the workers’ efforts. . . One worker talked about ‘kudos
memos,’ complimenting her on
something she had done, that her
supervisor occasionally dropped in her
mailbox” (p. 256). Recognition of
effective performance and
accomplishment is meaningful when
given individually and private, but it is
… understanding more about how we communicate has
been helpful; mistakes are not discussed in a punitive way,
but to learn. We try to reinforce initiative taken by
supervisors as well. – Administrator
also important to praise publicly. For example, Hughes, et al. (1991:p. 6.6) suggest that
organizations encourage supervisors to nominate a “worker of the week.”
Involve Supervisors in the Organizational Communication Chain. Another key aspect of
building an organizational, office, and team culture that values supervisors' pivotal role is
recognizing their position as a key conduit between the organization’s administration and staff.
Supervisors play a vital role in translating and connecting the mission, vision and values of the
agency to practice and outcomes. Kadushin and Harkness
emphasize that, “The supervisor is one of the principal
Supervisors provide a feedback
gatekeepers in the communications system, gathering,
loop to upper management
interpreting, distilling, and evaluating information received because they are on the
from others in the hierarchy and transmitting this information
frontline. – Administrator
to others in the hierarchy” (2002:64).
Supervisors and others in the organization must understand and be comfortable with their role in
communication. Supervisors must be willing and able to carry out their role in the open, accurate,
timely flow of communication both ways (CO DHS 1994: p. 5). However, the organization’s
leadership and management must consistently validate and actively support supervisors in their
responsibility to communicate up and down the hierarchy. They do so by providing information in a
timely and complete way.
A very important support to me as a supervisor is the
As a channel of organizational
creation and maintaining of an atmosphere of asking
communication, supervisors must have “why?”—where critical thinking and open communication
credibility within the organization and are valued and expected. One caseworker asked “why?”
community. This credibility is enhanced
in a staff meeting and then told her supervisor she thought
when supervisors have been involved in
and provided full information about policy
she might be fired for it. But the administrator leading the
and practice changes before they are meeting actually praised her for speaking up and
made; then supervisors can be fully questioning. – Supervisor
prepared to clarify the rationale for and
nature of the changes to others. Supervisors help foster ownership by communicating in a timely
way about the agency’s mission, philosophy of practice, goals, values, policies, and procedures, and
by providing opportunities for staff to ask questions and have input when changes are being
considered (CO DHS 1994). Supervisors, however, cannot openly and accurately communicate
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