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The administrative roleClinical supervision and operational managementDue to the diverse nature of clinical working environments in oral health, there are times when the clinical supervisoralso performs an administrative role in relation to the supervisee.Both good supervision and staff management are essential to support supervisees. Whilst they can be seen asseparate processes they are in fact complementary and must coexist. Some of the literature supports the separationof clinical supervision activities from management activities due to the inherent power imbalances which exist withina line management relationship. 1 It is acknowledged, however, that in many settings these roles are often performedby the same individual. In such situations, appropriate management of the separate roles is important. One way ofmanaging this is by clarifying the nature of the supervisory role through contracting (see page 81).The table below outlines some of the differences between clinical supervision and operational management.Clinical supervision• Driven by the clinical developmentneeds of the supervisee• Targeted to promoting patient safety• Facilitates skills acquisition• Provides a forum for discussion of ethicalpractice issues• Promotes reflective practiceOperational management• Promotion of positive working relationshipsbetween individuals and teams• Managing for performance• Management of human resource issuessuch as staff development, mandatory trainingand annual leave• Allocating and monitoring workload or caseloadproactively in collaboration with the supervisee.Adapted from Allied Health Clinical Support Framework, Country SA, SA Health, May 2009, p 36.1 Smith, M. (1996, 2005), The functions of supervision’, The encyclopedia of informal education, Last updated September 2009.70 HETI The Superguide FIRST EDITION