Save our Supervision

On Saturday I finished my final day of a coaching course that I have been doing over the last two years. I am aiming to complete a Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching in the next couple of weeks.

It wasn’t a work thing, but there have been quite a lot of useful things that I have learnt that I can apply to my job at the University, but they didn’t fund it, I paid for it myself. I thought I was worth it.

I have been qualified now for over 30 years, which even staggers me. That’s a long time in one profession, and even though I have three jobs they are all under the ‘occupational therapy’ banner. QI am completely besotted with occupational therapy, I am enthusiastic, motivated and entirely committed to my profession.

It was for that very reason that I wanted to have a look at something else. The coaching course gave me the opportunity to look back at my jobs from a different perspective.

This week I ran a days training for occupational therapists and physiotherapists from two local teaching hospitals. It was all about supervision, the barriers which occur to making supervision a priority, the content to make it worthwhile and exploring challenging situations within supervision. Everyone agreed it was a valuable day, and went away to implement their action before our follow up day in 6 months.

Sometimes that happens in supervision, you take time out to stop and reflect, you explore issues, conflicts and confusions. Hopefully it’s then repackaged with relevant solutions, new goals and directions.

It doesn’t have to involve the expense of going on a course it could be a simple half day audit or a couple of hours of supervision with a different person other than your boss.

Many therapists are exploring the option of external supervision, to free themselves to really reflect on their job and career development from an objective stance. This has the advantage of the supervisor who is free to question, unpack issues and explore without ‘the party line’ at the back of their mind.

We are fortunate to still have supervision as an integral part of our job. It is an opportunity to provide evidence for the HCPC, how this month have you improved yourself, and how has this impacted on your clients and the overall delivery of the service? Supervision is under threat with the ever present pressure for value based outcomes.

Well just remember without supervision, you are in danger of not being able to produce your own outcomes when you are audited by the HCPC. Maintaining your CPD and recording it is your professional responsibility. So use your time wisely, do this in supervision and everyone wins, you, your client, and the service. Few managers could argue against that?

Please get in contact if this resonates with you, or if you agree/ disagree. I would love to hear from you.

Margaret