Reforms to child welfare services in Ontario have resulted in role changes for supervisors whose duties currently include administrative case management, monitoring child and family outcomes, and providing education, clinical skills, and support to front-line staff. The potential for supervisors to transform child welfare policy and practice has been well-documented; however, how supervisors understand their role and the factors that affect their ability to perform their duties are less understood.
In this exploratory study, eight focus groups involving fifty-one supervisors from diverse settings across Ontario were asked to describe and define their role, their understanding of clinical supervision, and to detail those factors that supported or constrained their ability to practice effectively in a changing policy and practice context.
Analysis of focus group transcripts yielded themes related to: the interwoven elements of strength-based clinical supervision; the interplay between the organizational context and supervisory practice; issues of power and authority in the child welfare context; and the commitment to the safety of children as primary for supervisors.
Results suggest the need to better understand the relationship between organizational culture and supervisory practice and for additional research regarding the training, education and retention of supervisors.
Limitations of the study include a self-selected sample, the exclusion due to resource limitations of front-line staff and senior managers, and the few participants from northern, Aboriginal or remote agencies.