Practice supervisors support the practice and decision-making of social workers and develop their skills as individuals and teams.
Practice supervisors are also referred to as advanced practitioners or assistant team managers.
What you'll do
As a practice supervisor you'll:
- support social workers and practitioners to improve their practice and positively impact the lives of children and families
- provide supervision and quality assurance on assessments, care plans and court statements
- mentor social workers and provide space for them to reflect on their work
- model good practice, share knowledge and provide practical help to social workers
- review and monitor individual caseloads to ensure timely and effective service delivery
- give feedback to social workers and support their well-being
- work with multi-agency partners within the child welfare system
- work with team managers to develop action plans and strategies to improve social work practice
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- leadership skills to guide and inspire social workers to deliver effective child and family support
- knowledge of risk assessment and safeguarding procedures
- knowledge of legislation and policies relating to the welfare of children
- the ability to build effective relationships with colleagues, families and multi-agency partners
- the ability to set and track development plans for individual social workers
- knowledge of child development theories and a range of social work interventions
- analytical skills to evaluate complex cases and identify the needs of children and families
How to become one
To become a practice supervisor you must:
- have completed a degree, apprenticeship or graduate training scheme in social work
- be registered with Social Work England
- ideally have at least 4 years’ experience as a qualified child and family social worker
- have experience of mentoring and supporting others to improve their practice
It’s helpful to have experience as a practice educator, providing guidance and support to social work students during their placements.
Career paths and progression
With experience you could:
- move into a senior practitioner role and specialise in an area such as child protection or adoption
- progress into a management role such as team manager or service manager
- become a practice educator and train and mentor students
- research or study for a PhD
You can develop your practice and leadership skills through the Social work leadership pathways programme.
Current opportunities
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