Resources Database

Evidence-based management is emerging in the helping professions in response to heightened demands for public accountability and organizational performance. This paper defines evidencebased management and reviews its origins in the health care and business sectors and its recent incorporation into the social work profession. A case study describes the efforts of one social service agency to use evidence-based management to improve the performance of its child welfare and mental health programs.

Little research literature exists integrating ethics, supervision, and rural/small community practice. This paper reports results of a study conducted by a joint student-faculty team. The study engaged supervisors in rural and small communities in two Midwestern states in semi-structured interviews. Interview data were then used to develop guidelines for BSW students about what constitutes ethical supervisory practice in rural environments.

This report presents the endline performance evaluation of the Strengthening Public Sector Social Services Systems in Ethiopia (SPSSSSE) project, funded by USAID and implemented by the Ethiopian Society of Sociologists, Social Workers and Anthropologists (ESSSWA). This evaluation contributes to understanding of mechanisms and results in context of SPSSSSE efforts to support improved quality, reach, and effectiveness of social services through workforce development.

The objective of this study is to ascertain what is known about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of supervision in child welfare in relation to outcomes for consumers/service users, staff and organizations. The evidence base for the effectiveness of supervision in child welfare is surprisingly weak. An agenda for research based on a framework for the development and evaluation of complex interventions is proposed.

Child welfare agencies need to identify and implement effective strategies to recruit and retain well-qualified staff that has the knowledge, skills and commitment to provide services to our nation’s most vulnerable children and families.

This paper provides a selection of models and approaches to workforce development that are of relevance to NSW non-government community sector (the sector). The intention is to provide a brief summary of existing options to assist us in developing a preferred model for the development of a workforce development strategy for our sector. 

In this respect this paper aims to provide a descriptive summary (rather than an analysis) of current models, as well as stimulate thinking and discussion.  

Supervision is recognised as one of the major determinants of the quality of service to social work clients, the advancement of professional development and social workers’ level of job satisfaction. However, educational and supportive roles of supervisors have been constrained by administrative obligations. It is envisaged that the future path of supervision will be a new form of organisational learning. This paper aims to integrate supervision with three other kinds of organisational learning: mentorship, consultation and coaching.

This review includes 43 papers that evaluated support strategies for the rural and remote health workforce. Interventions were predominantly training and education programmes with limited evaluations of supervision and mentoring interventions.

This qualitative research assesses the impact of a new supervision policy at Wigan Social Services Department over the first year of phased implementation. Results of 40 staff interviews suggest that the major difficulties centered on the relationship between managerial and professional agendas and the nature of both vertical and horizontal communication within the organisation. With hindsight it is thought that some of the initial tensions were partly responses to the process of change itself.

This study examines the efficacy of client-centred supervision for improving client satisfaction in a community mental health team. Using supervision to ask questions about client problems and staff interventions in the context of client outcomes appears to increase staff use of basic communication, problem-solving and relationship skills in clinical practice and to improve client outcomes.

This resources aims to update best practice and shares survey responses regarding supervision for managing practice and addressing key needs to keep an organization informed by and about the direct work it undertakes.

This study documents lessons from child protection activities focusing on psychosocial interventions in southern and central Syria. Partnerships with local actors are at the core of remote management arrangements, and are the only viable option to deliver child protection interventions in many parts of Syria.

This guidance note details the four priority areas that case management agencies will need to focus on in the coming days and months during COVID-19 for child protection.

Defined as “a broad set of supervisory interventions that improve provider performance through team-based learning approaches, including supportive supervision, the use of checklists, and in-person visits,” enhanced supervision is estimated to have the highest potential impact of all health systems interventions (USAID, 2017). But which strategies are most effective? Can strategies be adapted for different settings; monitored; improved?

This guideline describes how to implement Mentorship and Enhanced Supervision for Health Care and Quality Improvement, or MESH-QI, programs to improve quality of care, data collection, on-site education and clinical mentoring, as a model for Health Systems Strengthening. With a focus on the health workforce, this guide offers lessons that are applicable for the social service workforce and allied workforces.

This health workforce management policy brief highlights the importance of supervision for health worker performance and achieving health development goals; however, the brief also notes that supportive supervision within health systems in the Pacific is rated poorly. The brief reviews the challenges to overcome and makes recommendations to governments for improved supportive supervision.

This guide aims to facilitate provision of technical support and quality assurance for OVC services and interventions in a comprehensive manner by different stakeholders. It is expected that the national ministry will use this tool to supervise Technical Services Originations (TSOs), local governments and stakeholders. The higher local government, particularly the Community Based Service Departments (CBSDs), will use this tool to provide support supervision to lower local government and the community level OVC service providers.

In this article, authors highlight the importance and need for supervision in social work services in rural areas, as well as the correlation between the perceived need for supervision and the roles of the supervisor within these services.

This module is aimed at mid-level managers in the context of vaccine services, but provides valuable lessons on establishing supportive supervision systems, planning of visits and follow up activities after visits. Included is a sample supervisory checklist.

These standards and the framework set out the shared core expectations of employers which will enable social workers in all employment settings to work effectively. The Standards and Framework build upon existing tools and are intended to inform the revised inspection frameworks that will be aligned to this developing approach to public service regulation.