Building a Model and Framework for Child Welfare Supervision

We have categorized each job responsibility as administrative, educational, or supportive. Thecategory selected was based on the primary function the responsibility typically fulfills. However,the overlapping and complementary nature of these functions as described by Kadushin andHarkness (2002) cannot be over-emphasized. For example, when supervisors interpretorganizational culture to their supervisees, they provide both education and support. It should beemphasized that a child welfare supervisory model should recognize the need for balance amongthese three functions.The job responsibilities are described briefly below.Administrative Supervision ResponsibilitiesRecruit, select, train or arrange for training, and retain staff. The recruitment, selection, andtraining of frontline practitioners are ongoing activities critical to the quality of child welfare services.Our interviews indicate that persons other than an agency supervisor, such as human resourcespersonnel and agency training staff, often carry out aspects of these activities. However, the retentionof frontline practitioners has consistently been found to be associated with the quality of supervisionand having a supportive and consultative supervisor (Dickinson & Perry 2002; Jacquet, et al. 2007;Renner, Porter, & Preister 2008). Clearly, staff retention is related to a supervisor’s effectiveperformance of all three supervisory functions.Identify, manage, and evaluate frontline practitioners’performance. On an ongoing basis, an effective supervisor mustbe able to openly discuss and describe what a child welfarepractitioner is doing that contributes to desired outcomes orcreates problems; identify why a particular behavior should becontinued or is problematic; specify what the employee shoulddo similarly or differently; and outline consequences forsucceeding or failing to maintain or change behaviors (Hughes,et al. 1991; Salus 2004). Supervisors must reward excellentperformance as well as identify, document, and addressperformance problems and staff impairment as required inagency personnel practices (Center for Advanced Studies inChild Welfare 2009:10; Hopkins & Austin 2004).The responsibility of thesupervisor in performancereviews is always to be awareof the quality of work underthe ethical imperative: “Do noharm.” — Center forAdvanced Studies in ChildWelfare 2009:11Facilitate communication and collaboration.Supervisors share responsibility with otheragency supervisors, managers, and administratorsfor communication within their units, acrossunits, with community agencies and referralnetworks, and with the public. They also facilitateinformation sharing and collaboration with fosterparents, agency attorneys, guardians ad litem,contractual service providers, and others involvedin service provision.Communication between units is veryimportant. We all need to get along. In ouragency, some of the people in different unitsused to not speak. Our supervisor has had a lotto do with changing that. - CaseworkerBuild and maintain working relationships with other units in agency. To facilitate timely andeffective services, collaborative relationships among the agency’s units must be intentionallydeveloped and maintained. Supervisors carry the primary responsibility for these collaborativerelationships.13