Lesson Structure: Professional Supervision BPS301

There are 7 lessons::

1. Introduction to Professional Supervision
   • Introduction
   • Nature and scope of counselling
   • Defining supervision
   • Benefits of being supervised
   • Personal moral qualities of a counsellor
   • Case study
   • Your strengths and weaknesses
   • SWOT analysis
   • Qualities of a professional supervisor
2. Models of Supervision
   • Beginning the super vision process
   • Contracts
   • Models of supervision
   • Mentoring
   • Proctors interactive model of supervision
   • Use of reflection in the theoretical framework
   • Forms of supervision: individual, group, self, agency
   • Reporting and record keeping
   • PBL: Create and present a plan with specific strategies for improving the supervision of employee’s work related skills, attitudes, and knowledge in the workplace, based on a clear understanding of the person’s needs, values, and situation.
3. Professionalism, Ethics, and Legal Concerns
   • Introduction and ethical codes
   • Supervisor professional standards
   • Ethical decisions
   • Responsibilities of supervisors to other professionals
   • Confidentiality
   • Informed consent
   • Multicultural counselling
   • Dual relationships
   • Professional boundaries
   • Complaints
   • Professional misconduct
   • Bringing the profession into disrepute
   • Sanctions
4. Different Approaches to Supervision
   • Relavent theories or models
   • Developmental models
   • The Professional Development Model (PDM)
   • Discrimination model
   • Issues in supervision
   • What is burnout
   • What causes burnout
   • Is stress the same as burn out
   • Online counselling and supervision
   • Telephone counselling
   • E mail or online counselling
   • How does online supervision work
   • International perspectives on counselling supervision
5. Supervision for Different Professions
   • Introduction
   • What to look for in an effective supervisor
   • Foundations of supervision
   • Supervision policy statement
   • Case study: Supervision in social work
   • Case study: supervision in occupational health nursing
   • Case study: supervision in the coaching profession
   • Case study: supervision for child safety
   • Case study: supervision in youth work
6. Organisational Considerations
   • Introduction
   • Self governance, awareness and supervision
   • Defining requirements
   • Organisational dynamics
   • Team dynamics
   • Supervision and outside contractors
   • Benefits of supervision in an organisation
   • Education
7. Managing Supervision
   • Issues in managing thew process
   • Frequency and duration of supervision
   • Finance
   • Other elements
   • Motivating factors
   • Transference and counter transference
   • Power abuse
   • Selection of supervisors and supervision
   • Standardised and open methods of supervision

Each lesson requires the completion of an assignment which is submitted to the academyl, marked by the academy’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Learning Goals:  Professional Supervision BPS301

• Understand what is meant by professional supervision, why it is necessary, benefits and disadvantages;
• Define and compare different models of supervision including reciprocal mentoring, group supervision, self supervision, and agency supervision;
• Develop an understanding of professional issues of supervision including confidentiality, ethics, quality control, and legal concerns;
• Understand and define different approaches to supervision including psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioural, solution-orientated, process-orientated and narrative methods;
• Understand some of the different approaches applied to supervision for different professional groups;
• Understand the different requirements of providing supervision in organisations where most employees are counsellors, organisations where counsellors are in the minority, and organisations of non-counsellors;
• Identify the different managerial components of the supervision process including budgeting, monitoring frequency of supervision, selection of supervisors, and the question of standardisation.

Practicals:  Set Tasks That You Will do

• Explain the concept of professional supervision;
• Describe the process of a one-on-one case study of professional supervision;
• Determine the pros and cons of professional supervision;
• Define different supervision models including reciprocal mentoring, group supervision, self supervision and agency supervision;
• Identify ethical concerns to be considered in supervisor/supervisee and supervisee/client relationships;
• Consider the importance of confidentiality and duty of care;
• Identify main legal concerns arising from supervision;
• Discuss problems caused by treating supervision as a form of quality control.
• Explore similarities and differences between psychoanalytic, cognitive behavioural, solution oriented, process oriented and narrative approaches to professional supervision;
• Identify key problems associated with matching theory to practice in supervision.

THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  SUPERVISOR  PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Supervisors maintain high standards of professional competence and ethical behaviour, and recognize the need for continuing education and personal care in order to meet this responsibility.

Supervisors participate in only those practices which are respectful of the legal, civic, and moral rights of others, and act to safeguard the dignity and rights of their clients, students, and research participants.

Supervisors limit their counselling services and practices to those which are within their professional competence by virtue of their education and professional experience, and consistent with any requirements for provincial and national credentials.

They refer to other professionals when the counselling needs of clients exceed their level of competence.

Supervisors take reasonable steps to obtain supervision and/or consultation with respect to their counselling practices and, particularly, with respect to doubts or uncertainties which may arise during their professional work.

Supervisors claim, or imply, only those professional qualifications which they possess and they are responsible for correcting any known misrepresentation of their qualifications by others.

Ethical Decisions

When making an ethical decision, the following factors must be taken into consideration:

Autonomy

The client has the right to be self-governing. The client must be respected and it is important that they participate in counselling or psychotherapy on a voluntary basis. This includes opposing the idea of clients being manipulated against their will.

Fidelity

The practitioner must be trustworthy. They must act in accordance with the trust placed in them.  Confidentiality should therefore be regarded as an obligation.

Beneficence

This means that the practitioner should have a commitment to promote the client’s well-being. This includes acting in the best interests of the client at all times, based on professional assessment. Therefore the onus is on the counsellor to work within the limits of their counselling competence based on their personal training and experience.

Justice

Justice refers to treating clients fairly and impartially, and respecting their human rights and dignity. It also includes the consideration of any legal requirements or obligations.

Self-respect

The practitioner should foster their self-knowledge and care for themselves. There is an ethical responsibility to engage in supervision for professional support and development, and to actively seek training and pursue continual professional improvement.

Non-Malfeasance

This means a commitment to avoiding harm to the client. This includes avoiding sexual, financial, emotional or other forms of client exploitation. The practitioner has an ethical responsibility to avoid causing harm, even when harm is unintended or unavoidable. This includes challenging the malpractice or incompetence of others and not bringing discredit upon the profession.

Responsibilities of Supervisors to Other Professionals

Supervisors understand that ethical behaviour amongst themselves, and with other professionals, is expected at all times.

Supervisors do not condone or engage in sexual harassment which is defined as deliberate or repeated verbal or written comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature.

Supervisors strive to understand and respect the diversity of their clients including differences related to age, ethnicity, culture, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?

A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.