Refocusing Child Protection Supervision: An Innovative Approach to Supporting Practitioners

Abstract

There is mounting empirical evidence regarding the potential negative impact of child protection work on practitioners' emotional and psychological well-being. Stress and burnout are endemic amongst this group of workers and there is increasing recognition of the influences of this on their decision-making regarding child protection issues. Supervision has been lauded as an important element in supporting practitioners. It creates opportunities for identifying stress and potential burnout and for implementing supportive mechanisms. However, many supervision models focus almost entirely on identification, referral and procedural issues to the exclusion of addressing practitioner's emotional needs. This paper presents an argument that technicalÁrational models of supervision fall short of meeting the emotional needs of those who engage in child protection work. A refocusing is suggested that encourages practitioners to adopt a reflective stance towards child protection practice, specifically one that focuses on the affective aspects of child protection work. To achieve this, an innovative, reflective approach is proposed*termed the ''Peshkin Approach to Reflection'', it is grounded in recent developments of reflective practice from within nursing that acknowledge the primacy of emotions. The paper outlines the key stages involved and illustrates its ability to enhance practitioners' emotional well-being. Importantly, it also highlights its potential to impact positively on practice. It is advocated that the Peshkin Approach to Reflection be incorporated into child protection supervision to counter the traditional, long-standing technical-rational focus of most supervisory models. It will require empirical testing and evaluation to assess its full impact in a child protection context. However, based on use of the approach in other settings, it is likely to hold considerable benefit for practitioners who use it and, indirectly, the children they seek to protect.

Exploring support systems for nurses involved with safeguarding children

“…The provision of appropriate support to safeguarding children workers is necessary to reduce burnout and stress; therefore staff must acknowledge the emotional impact of such work (Hooper et al 2010, Bradbury-Jones 2013, Thomas and Mott 2013. Having someone to talk to regarding a particular safeguarding children experience was valued by all participants, a support method also highlighted by Rowse (2009).…”

“…The majority of the participants had experienced safeguarding children supervision either as part of a group supervision session or on an individual one to one basis (Gibbs 2001, Bradbury-Jones 2013. It is evident that nurses who stated they felt little emotional impact from safeguarding children work, were those who were regularly accessing safeguarding children supervision.…”

Reflective Supervision: Guidelines for Promoting Resilience Amongst Designated Social Workers

“…However, a recent systematic meta-synthesis (Truter, 2014) highlights the particularly taxing and physically dangerous context of CPSW such as exposure to violence and aggression, and the very taxing nature of protecting abused or vulnerable children, and making very difficult decisions about their safety (Sayers, 1991;Munro, 1996;Gibbs, 2001). The likely negative outcomes for CPSWs when exposed to these risks are highlighted in the literature as burnout, high attrition rates, compassion fatigue and depression (Beckett, 2007;Bradbury-Jones, 2013;Collins, 2008;Russ et al, 2009;Truter, 2014). However, when people adjust well to risk, resilience processestypically supported by constructive social ecologiesmight explain their positive adaptation (Ungar, 2011).…”

“…Several authors argue for a reflective approach in supervision, where the focus of the attention is not only on the task but also on the emotions and experiences of the CPSW (Bradbury- Jones, 2013;Franklin, 2011;Russ et al, 2009). Reflective supervision thus creates a context in which the facilitation enables a person to think and talk about a distressing experience or event, to analyse such an event, and to ascribe meaning to it (Franklin, 2011).…”

“…Goddard and Hunt (2011) and Russ et al (2009) maintain that resilience enhancing for CPSWs is well suited to the context of reflective supervision, because it provides an opportunity for positive appraisal of challenging situations and further provides a setting for reflecting on and managing emotional responses. Conversely, it is reported in the literature that current supervision practices in CPSW are inadequate and are mostly focused on the administrative aspects of the job rather than the emotional needs of the CPSW; therefore alternative approaches such as reflective supervision directed towards positive outcomes, such as resilience, are recommended (Bradbury- Jones, 2013;Goddard & Hunt, 2011). Reflective supervision might ultimately nurture CPSW resilience in order to benefit CPSWs, the children they seek to protect as well as communities at large.…”