What happens in supervision? An exploration of the use of stylistic devices in professional management supervision and their role in mediating organisational and professional culture within a social services department

A number of serious case reviews in UK social work and social care have highlighted systematic failures within care organisations. Calls for structural reform in the provision of services have been accompanied by increased inspection, staff training, supervision and surveillance of professional practice. Less is known about cultural aspects of statutory care organisations and the role of front line managers in mediating organisational uncertainty. Staff management supervision is cited as an effective tool in facilitating and supporting organisations members to contain and work with anxiety arising naturally from such challenging and emotionally distressing work. It is also used to engage staff with change and the organisations aims. Based on a small study of managers following a HE accredited award in professional social work management, this paper explores some of the strategies managers might use within supervision and whether managers mediate aspects of organisational culture through their supervisory interactions with staff.
‘Supervision, Mentoring and Workforce Developments’ module encourages managers with supervisory responsibilities to develop, hone and reflect on their supervisory skills. Participating managers make a visual recording of a supervision session and assess their own skills by reviewing this using structured critical reflection. An analysis of the content of these recordings examined the different roles that managers perform within the supervision context. Using visual analysis the role of rhetorical practice in organisation was examined for its influence in seeking to manage local culture and what strategies managers use to trade between persuasive talk and institutional reality. An analysis of management actions and behaviours at this level helps to generate some insights into power relationships. Management learning can be enhanced through proactive critical reflectivity or the surfacing and critiquing of tacit or taken for granted assumptions and beliefs important to staff participation and improved staff management relations and ultimately quality services.

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