Supervision, part 3: Why staff need to feel valued

The previous two articles have shown how formal, one-to-one supervision, within the line management structure of an early years setting, can support and encourage development, and foster self-management in practitioners whose work requires them to support and encourage development, and foster self-management in children and families. Good working relationships are developed when formal and informal support combine to help staff feel they are important and valued members of the team.

Organisational equal opportunities policies generally aim to ensure that all staff maximise their ability to perform effectively in their current job, have their individual skills and abilities recognised and are supported to develop personally and professionally. Staff supervision is a formal means to promote these egalitarian principles across a setting.

PROMOTING STAFF WELL-BEING

The Crucial Cs (Bettner & Lew, 1990) is a framework that practitioners find useful in remembering that equality does not mean that people are the same, but that throughout life, emotional well-being and constructive behaviour depend upon fundamental human psychological needs being understood and met. Four words beginning with the letter 'c' can help a setting work ensure that the needs of staff members, teams, children and families are taken into account, that is, their need:

•  to belong, fit in, feel secure or connected

•  to be competent, to improve and to take responsibility or to feel capable

•  to feel significant, be seen as self-determining and able to make a difference or to  feel  they count; and

•  to feel able to handle difficult situations and overcome fear or to have courage. These promote mutual respect, genuine self-esteem and teamwork.

Social and developmental psychology research has demonstrated that being socially embedded means that we are motivated to find our place in our families, at school, at work and in society. As the Crucial Cs framework depicts, if we feel inadequate or inferior to others, then we doubt our place in the group, and instead of moving towards participation and co-operation, we defend ourselves against those demands (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Connell, 1990; Ryan, 1996). The beauty of the Crucial Cs is that they are valuable in understanding individual and group behaviour, as well as otherwise puzzling and potentially destructive dynamics in the workplace (John, 2000).

TEAM OR GROUP SUPERVISION: PROMOTING COLLABORATION

The focus of team supervision is primarily direct work with children and families. However, unhelpful individual and team dynamics also need to be addressed in order to limit their intrusion into the work. Prior to each session, staff members need to decide which aspects of their work they wish to focus on and state these clearly - especially when bringing material to the group. The supervisor must be clear about the specialist experience, knowledge, interests or expertise she or he is offering and ensure that her or his relationship with group members is explicit from the start.

The primary focus of team supervision is the support of staff members practically and emotionally, assisting them to share and develop their understandings and skills in working collaboratively with children and families. The setting's core aims, values and principles necessarily inform the focus and process of team supervision and the boundaries within which different professionals work.

PRACTICALITIES OF SUPERVISION

Team supervision ideally involves no more than eight staff members and takes place every four to six weeks, with sessions lasting two to three hours. Through sharing information and practice, team members learn from each other and identify alternative ways of thinking and working. Occasionally, when complex issues arise in work with a child or family, the team might invite a professional from another team to attend because of their work and insights regarding the same child and/or family.

As suggested above, staff members are expected to prepare in advance for sessions and willingly and openly engage in the reflective process. This requires honesty and trust. Staff members need to be prepared to respond in a positive way if their practice is challenged. At the same time, the balance of power between the supervisor and staff members and among staff members needs to be equal and each has the right to be assertive.

Team supervision sessions need to be arranged to accommodate the schedules of as many team members as possible. A suitable location free from distractions and possible interruptions needs to be chosen. Some settings find it necessary to arrange after-hours sessions and then offer staff members time off in lieu.

Team supervision is part of a learning culture and the promotion of integrated practice within early years settings. It is as important as individual staff supervision, and the provision of services, since effective supervision leads to more collaborative, effective and efficient working practices. The time set aside for supervision needs to be protected and to take priority over all but genuine emergencies. The boxed practice example illustrates the value of team supervision.

Karen John, PhD, is consultant psychologist and psychotherapist, Pen Green Research Base

References

• Raising Kids Who Can by Bettner, B L & Lew, A.

          Newton MA: Connexions Press (1990)

• Context, self and action: A motivational analysis of self-system processes across the life-span by Connell, J P: The Self in Transition, D Cicchetti & M Beeghly (Eds) Chicago University Press, pp 61-97 (1990)

• Intrinsic Motivation & Self-Determination in Human Behaviour by Deci, E L & Ryan, R M. Plenum Press (1985)

• Basic needs, conflict and dynamics in groups by John, K. Journal of Individual Psychology, 56: 419-434 (2000)

• A critical theory of adult learning and education by Mezirow, J. Adult Education, 32: 3-23 (1981)

•  Psychological needs and the facilitation of integrative processes by Ryan, R.M, Journal of Personality, 63: 397-427 (1995)

CASE STUDY: GROWING TOGETHER

A nursery practitioner describes how working in a formalised group to share knowledge and experience has direct benefits when it comes to working with children and families.

She says, 'The Growing Together group I work within, with a team of four staff members, offers regular, reliable and supportive opportunities for parents and their young children to spend focused time together. Through interactions, observations and video recordings, parents and staff share perspectives and knowledge about the children in order to deepen their understanding of child development, parent-child dynamics and each child's behaviours and feelings, as well as the adults' responses and feelings.

'When I joined the Growing Together team I was warned that working alongside parents and their young children could evoke emotions within me that were linked to relationship experiences in my own life. This is one of the main reasons there are frequent opportunities for team reflection and supervision.

'Mezirow (1981) advocates the process of critical reflection because of its impact on the reflector's "awareness of why we attach the meanings we do to reality, especially to our roles and relationships".

'I have been affected by my experiences within the group on a number of occasions. Through team reflections and supervision, I have become more aware of the connections between the personal, professional and theoretical, and I have been helped to understand my responses.

'For example, Catherine, nearly three, and her mum Joanne had been coming to the group since Catherine was six weeks old. Joanne was devoted to Catherine, who appeared to be securely attached to her mum. Then Joanne learned that her chances of becoming pregnant again were unlikely, while other mothers in the group had recently given birth or become pregnant with a second child. Joanne discussed this in the group over several weeks, during which time her attitude towards Catherine changed. She was less active in her interactions with Catherine, and she appeared not to enjoy the experience of being with her daughter.

'Joanne's withdrawal from Catherine reminded me of painful disconnections in my own life - my partner being unavailable to me, as well as how I distanced myself from my first child when my second child was born. As a team we discussed how we could help to contain Joanne's emotions, so that she could reconnect and feel like an equal member of the group and resume her positive relationship with Catherine. At the same time the team and our supervisor helped me to express, understand and contain my feelings in order to limit their impact on the group.'