Supervisor training: The next
step
training for experienced supervisors
GTiCP Workshop 2011
STAR 1 – The Story So Far...
Laura Golding & Jim Williams
STAR 1 (AKA “DROSS”)
• The (Supervisor Training and Recognition)
STAR 1 working group met for the first time
in Bury on 9th-10th December 2003 – a largely
northern (England & Scotland) grouping.
• The idea was conceived by Dave Green and
Ian Fleming who coordinated the group and
secured SHA funding.
• DROSS – the Development and Recognition of
Supervisory Skills.
STAR 1
• Key aims to quality assure the training of
clinical psychology supervisors and the
supervision provided.
• Concern/controversy about placement
shortages and the potential impact of providing
hoops to jump through – vs. the need for quality
assurance.
• Developed the STAR 1 key learning objectives
for Introductory Supervisor Training for clinical
psychologists and related professions.
STAR 1
• The original DROSS group met approximately
twice a year (Newcastle, Ambleside,
Castleton...) – gradually joined by those
from the south!
• Sharing of research on supervision within the
group and development of the DROSS
website.
• Discussions about the registration of
supervisors led, eventually, to the launch of
RAPPS...
BPS Register of Applied Psychology
Practice Supervisors
• The Register of Applied Psychology Practice
Supervisors is designed to recognise Chartered
Psychologists' special expertise in supervision. The
Register is open to all eligible Chartered
Psychologists, irrespective of their training
background.
• Applicants for the Register are required to provide
evidence of training in an agreed set of supervision
skills. The criteria identify an approach to
supervision that is informed by psychological
knowledge, research and good practice.
BPS Register of Applied Psychology
Practice Supervisors (RAPPS)
Registration lasts for five years, and there is a
requirement for members to reapply for Registration
on this basis. To achieve this successfully, they will
need to self-certify that they have engaged in a
minimum amount of further training in supervision
and also that they have practised as a supervisor for a
minimum period within those five years.
For more information and FAQs go to:http://www.bps.org.uk/professionaldevelopment/directory-of-supervisors/directory-ofsupervisors_home.cfm
Relevant HPC Standards
• Standards of Education and Training 5.8:
Practice placement supervisors must
undertake appropriate practice placement
educator training.
• Standards of Proficiency for Practitioner
Psychologists 1a.8: Registrant practitioner
psychologists must understand both the
need to keep skills and knowledge up to
date and the importance of career-long
learning.
STAR 2
Helen Beinart and Sue Clohessy
The story continues.....
• GTiCP workshop November 2010 facilitated by
HB and LG on advanced supervision
competencies
• 18 Courses represented
• All were providing Introductory Courses in
Clinical Supervision based on STAR (DROSS)
learning outcomes
• STAR 1 a success!
Advanced training
• All courses providing workshops for more
experienced supervisors but content, delivery,
amount varies
• Largely responsive to supervisor
needs/requests
• No coherent purpose, framework or focus
• Unclear target audience – refresher/hard to
reach/maintenance/master-class
Current topics include:
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Leadership, consultation, teamwork
Group supervision
New ways of working
Resilience
Systemic supervision
Feedback
Reflective practice
SR and managing challenges
Supervision of supervision
Discussions included:
• STAR learning outcomes are fit for purpose for
all levels of ST
• These learning outcomes could helpfully
viewed in a developmental context for more
experienced supervisors
• Further learning outcomes to be explored
Actions agreed
• Convene a working group to discuss
developmental competencies for ST
• Adjust STAR 1 learning outcomes accordingly
• Check HPC Standards & BPS/DCP guidance
• Develop additional learning outcomes
• Begin to share/explore common content for
post-introductory courses
A little bit of theory...
• There are developmental theories for
supervisors as well as supervisees
• Little empirical support, but often make
intuitive sense
• Eg see Watkins 1993, Stoltenberg et al 1998,
Falander & Shafranske 2004
• Watkins 1993
• Main issues supervisors face relate to
competency-incompetency
identity-identity confusion
• More experienced supervisors
• Have higher levels of identity & skill
• More self aware, autonomous & more facilitative of
supervisee growth
• Deal with process & boundary issues, & conflict in the
SR more effectively
• Falender & Shafranske 2004
• New supervisors
• Have more role insecurity –eg more likely to be rigid,
crisis-oriented, personalise trainee mistakes
• As experience grows
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Identity as supervisor consolidates & confidence increases
More normative sense of trainee development
Become more open, keen to learn, & open to input from trainee
Increases in empathy & enthusiasm
Integrates aspects of theory, practice, values & experience
• See summary table on developmental theories
(Falender & Shafranske 2004)
• New supervisors
• Discomfort with role, identification with own past
supervisors, more structured/rigid
• More advanced supervisors
• Comfortable with role, more focused on learning
agenda, realistic, comfortable with mistakes, more
focused on relationships, more of a consultative role,
sees supervisee as having key responsibilities in
supervision
Research?
• Not much empirical research, little replication etc
• Some research suggests certain supervisor
behaviours related to developmental level
• More experienced supervisors
• Generated more planning statements re: supervisee
(Stone 1980)
• More verbal & self disclosing (Marikis, Russell & Dell
1985)
• Use humour & more likely to attribute difficulties to
situational rather than personal factors (Worthington
1984)
• Ellis & Dell 1986
suggest the act of supervising alone doesn’t
necessarily lead to improved skills in
supervision. Improvement occurs through
specific training......
.........roll on STAR 2
STAR 2 Working group
• Met on 2 occasions – February and October 2011 in
Oxford
• Shared information and experience
• Developed further learning outcomes for experienced
supervisor training, which build on those from
introductory courses.
• Calibrated against HPC/BPS/DCP guidance
• Consulted with broader working group
• Developed this workshop to share and further refine
learning outcomes for experienced ST with broader
training community
Next steps
• Future planning.......