Supervision –the most important issues and author’s reflections

Supervision is one of the tools in social work that serves several different purposes: learning, professional development, exchange of experiences, control of emotions, introduction of innovations to social work. One of the definitions describes supervision in this way: “Social work supervision is a specific learning process in which a social worker or another person performing social work, working with a supervisor, develops his or her interpersonal skills and learns how to methodically deal with a social welfare client or solve a social issue. The process of supervision is based on cooperation with a supervisor or cooperation with a supervisor and a supervised group” (Domaradzki, Krzyszkowski et al. 2016: 17). In the paper I will present some of the most important issues related to the concept of supervision (different approaches, socio-philosophical contexts influencing the use of this tool in social work, functions and goals of supervision, ethical dilemmas in supervision and my own reflections taking into account those areas of social work that concern me professionally and in relation to my interests).

Supervision is one of the tools in social work that serves several different purposes: learning, professional development, exchange of experiences, control of emotions, introduction of innovations to social work. One of the definitions describes supervision in this way: “Social work supervision is a specific learning process in which a social worker or another person performing social work, working with a supervisor, develops his or her interpersonal skills and learns how to methodically deal with a social welfare client or solve a social issue. The process of supervision is based on cooperation with a supervisor or cooperation with a supervisor and a supervised group” (Domaradzki, Krzyszkowski et al. 2016: 17). In the paper I will present some of the most important issues related to the concept of supervision (different approaches, socio-philosophical contexts influencing the use of this tool in social work, functions and goals of supervision, ethical dilemmas in supervision and my own reflections taking into account those areas of social work that concern me professionally and in relation to my interests).