As a trained Safeguarding Supervisor, safeguarding supervision is an area I feel hugely passionate about; a passion that is driven both by real-life experiences and analysing recommendations from Child Practice Reviews.
I provide safeguarding supervision to a wide variety of schools and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) with varying levels of experience. But no matter the setting, or the level of experience, the one thing they all have in common is the need for a time and space to reflect.
The role of DSL is incredibly busy. You often go from one job straight to the next, multitasking along the way, which means you never have the time to sit and critically think about the cases you are working with. Safeguarding supervision offers that protected time and space to discuss cases without any distractions, giving you the clarity to really see the full picture. A supervisor plays a crucial role in supporting that reflective process by asking relevant questions, posing alternative ways of thinking, and acting as a critical friend.
What is safeguarding supervision?
There are a few different types of supervision that can be tailored to different roles. The supervision we offer is suitable for anyone whose role within school involves safeguarding – including DSLs, deputy DSLs, members of a safeguarding team, pastoral staff, attendance staff, or senior leaders.
We’re happy to adapt our approach to meet the needs of the supervisee, but the main focus will always be around the children and families you are working with. We use Kolb’s learning cycle to do this: Experience, Reflection, Analyse, and Action Plan. This involves discussing the experience, or case, reflecting on what has happened so far, drawing on knowledge to widen understanding of the experience and, finally, considering the next steps.
Why is safeguarding supervision important?
So why should DSLs allocate some of their precious time to sit down with someone and talk? Well, first and foremost, the legislation tells us to: “Lead practitioners should have access to high quality supervision. Effective supervision can play a critical role in ensuring a clear focus on a child’s welfare and support practitioners to reflect critically on the impact of their decisions on the child and their family.” (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023).
Further evidence can be found in recent Serious Case Reviews, as many of these specifically reference the importance of supervision within their recommendations, stating that better decisions could have been made if the professionals involved had access to safeguarding supervision. We consider a few of these in our DSL training. As an example, here’s a quote from a Manchester Case Review: “Supervision ensures cases don’t drift, maintains the focus on the child, and helps professionals to find out the evidence base for assessment and intervention”.
In addition to this, our supervisees have frequently told us that supervision makes them feel more confident to professionally challenge other services when necessary. It can also improve their work-life balance and mental health. To hear more about this, have a listen to our podcast where I discuss safeguarding supervision with my colleague, Sarah Penrose – who benefited from One Education’s safeguarding supervision in her previous role as a DSL!
Whilst supervision in education is not yet statutory (except within the EYFS), it is widely considered to be good practice. During inspection, Ofsted may enquire whether supervision is accessed by staff in your school.
Choosing external or internal supervision?
Although supervision is referenced within Working Together to Safeguard Children, there is no specific guidance around what is should look like. We are aware that some schools provide supervision internally for their staff and in some cases this may be sufficient. However, the feedback we get from our supervisees is that it’s really important for them to have supervision with someone outside of their organisation.
There are a few reasons for this: firstly, they are able to talk to someone who has no prior knowledge of the child and family, which ensures they remain neutral and unbiased throughout the discussion. Also, without an assumption of this knowledge, the supervisee is able to go right back to the beginning and look at the full chronology of the case and family, enabling previously missed information to be highlighted.
Moreover, an external supervisor is able to ask critical questions about internal policies and practice, which someone internal may not feel able to do. I love the lightbulb moments during supervision where the supervisee finds the answer they were looking for through this reflection and questioning. We also can’t ignore that discussing your own practice, thoughts, and feelings can be a daunting experience. Doing this with someone you work alongside can make you feel more vulnerable.
Don’t just take my word for it, take a look at some of the feedback from our supervisees:
“Safeguarding Supervision sessions are invaluable for staff; it is a chance to speak in confidence with someone about the challenges faced each term. The opportunity to offload and discuss difficult cases is crucial to support staff’s mental health.”
“I have half termly supervision sessions and find them extremely useful, it is a safe space for me to share my thoughts about difficult cases and receive advice from an experienced practitioner. My supervisor checks the updates to my policies once a year and this is invaluable and provides me with a quality assurance method that is valued by SLT and Governors.”
If you would like to find out more about safeguarding supervision and how it could support the staff at your school, please get in touch.
Email: safeguarding@oneeducation.co.uk
Phone: 0161 276 0160
Website: https://www.oneeducation.co.uk/welfare-services/safeguarding/
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