What is supervision?

Supervision is an agreed process where one person is given responsibility to work with another staff member in order to meet certain organisational, professional and personal objectives. It aims to give personal support as well as guiding competency, monitoring performance and encouraging professional development.

Supervision is a process not a product. Doing it regularly, effectively, carefully and professionally is more important than filling in forms and ticking boxes. There are many different ways of conducting supervision and no one method is right. The effectiveness of supervision will depend on the suitability for the staff member, their job, their personal situation and level of accountability. Some staff may have limited day-to-day contact with their line manager and agreeing an appropriate supervision process is important.

To find out more, including information on the different forms of supervision and its benefits,  take a look at our 'How to guide':