Supervision in Social Work ─ Contemporary Issues

Supervision is currently a "hot topic" in social work. The editors of this volume, both social work educators and researchers, believe that good supervision is fundamental to the development and maintenance of effective practice in social work. Supervision is seen as a key vehicle for continuing development of professional skills, the safeguarding of competent and ethical practice and oversight of the wellbeing of the practitioner. As a consequence the demand for trained and competent supervisors has increased and a perceived gap in availability can create a call for innovation and development in supervision. This book offers a collection of chapters which contribute new insights to the field. Authors from Australia and New Zealand, where supervision inquiry is strong, offer research-informed ideas and critical commentary with a dual focus on supervision of practitioners and students. Topics include external and interprofessional supervision, retention of practitioners, practitioner resilience and innovation in student supervision. This book will be of interest to supervisors of both practitioners and students and highly relevant to social work academics.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Australian Social Work.

Liz Beddoe is an Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her teaching and research interests include critical perspectives on social work education, professional supervision, the professionalization of social work, interprofessional learning and various workforce issues.

Jane Maidment is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. She researched the experience of student supervision for both her PhD and in a second investigation regarding how difference and diversity were addressed by supervisors and supervisees. The findings of these projects have been published in international journals. She has also provided supervision workshop input for social work practitioners and field educators extensively throughout Australia and within New Zealand.