Thinking outside of the box: Creative supervision skills for applied psychologists

The workshop will consist of a small input of theory of giving supervision in various settings (most of the skills are generic to all practitioner psychologists); some discussion and several activities, including a “fishbowl” experience. We will bring the day to a close with a plenary where the thoughts and experience of all will be valued and brought together.

Two models of supervision that have been chosen as underlying theory because they illustrate a) all supervision is both limited and enhanced by context b) because a simple heuristic is a good internal supervisor to the supervisor. Proctor and Inskipp provide such a simple but powerful tool. A third learning model used often in the wider management world provides a map and a justification for departures from the usual talk/listen/question format of supervision:

Summary of input:

• The locus of supervision and the importance of context (Hawkins and Shohet model)
• Facing up to the normative elements of supervision when the pull is often towards the formative and restorative (Inskipp and Proctor model)
• Relate the need for and validity of creativity in supervision to Kolb’s Learning Cycle.

Provisional timetable
09:30 Registration/tea and coffee
10:00 Workshop starts (there will be a break for lunch)
16:30 Workshop ends

Details

This workshop is aimed at all applied psychologists, particularly those working in multidisciplinary settings. You can join in if you are not yet fully qualified, but do have some “clinical” experience.

It is important that you fully appreciate that the day is constructed to help the supervisor hone their skills rather than to help the supervisee make better use of supervision.

The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvements lists in Clinical Leadership Competency Framework: 2.4 Working within teams.

To deliver and improve services:

1. Have a clear sense of their role, responsibilities and purpose within the team
2. Adopt a team approach, acknowledging and appreciating efforts, contributions and compromises
3. Recognise the common purpose of the team and respect team decisions
4. Are willing to lead a team, involving the right people at the right time

Clinical supervision is one of the ways in which a team approach in psychological services becomes real. Supervision is essentially collaboration in the service of both the service and the client. This activity makes a clear an organic link between the organisation and the individual work of the mental health worker. The “normative” elements of supervision outlined above privilege the sense of the therapist as a member of and accountable to a team. The creative elements referred to by Proctor and Inskipp under the heading of “Formative and Restorative” make the best uses of individual learning styles and varying capacity for change.

There is recent research which indicates that new models of supervision are needed to meet wider demands: Ruth Hallam-Jones and Jane Ridley Does supervision inform or alter our clinical skills and does it result in changed clinical practice? Sexual and Relationship Therapy Vol. 23, No. 4, November 2008, 411–417.

The need for supervision both in the NHS and in the Voluntary and Private sectors is not in dispute. The question is how to provide supervision which will be effective. It is acknowledged that reflective approaches are important and their use needs to be carefully pertinent to the individual need: “Clinical supervision is a patient-focused activity. Therefore, the content of supervisory sessions should focus on issues relating to, or impacting on, clinical practice and the delivery of patient care. Whilst clinical supervision should not be regarded as personal therapy (McCalion & Baxter 1995), SMHPT (Suffolk Mental Health Partnership Trust) is not alone in recognising that occasionally clinical supervision may include reflecting on personal issues which impact on care delivery”. See Wosket (1999)

Delegates are asked to bring with them a couple of cases that they might like to be supervised on in a confidential setting.

Learning outcomes and objectives

• To be aware of creative ways of using the supervision space that do not consist only of report plus comment
• To assist the confidence of supervisors to use their own reflexivity in the supervision encounter
• To provide learning and experience to support the initiatives in applied psychology which emphasise leadership and supervision skills

Facilitator: Dr Peter Martin CPsychol AFBPsS

Until recently I was Principal Lecturer in Counselling Psychology at Roehampton University, and was Chair of the Division of Counselling Psychology July 2011-2012  I have been in practice delivering therapy for thirty years, but as a Counselling Psychologist since 2001 (Independent Route). I was simultaneously a management consultant delivering many management courses (qualification and non-qualification mainly local authorities for 16 years. I have recently retired from my Fellow status in the Institute of Personnel and Development. I have a Certificate in Supervision from East London University, and am a Senior Accredited Supervisor (Individuals and Groups) of BACP. I delivered a well-received day course in creative supervision at the Northern Ireland BPS branch in Eniskillen, and also to the Scottish Branch of DCoP in Edinburgh. Clinical as well as counselling psychologists attended. I am interested in the continuing development of all applied psychologists through thoughtful adherence to professional standards, and through the process of radical reflexivity.

Booking information

Fees:

• Non-Society Member: £234 (£195 + VAT)
• Society Member: £156 (£130 + VAT)
• DCoP Member: £126(£105 +VAT)
• Concession: £108 (£90 +VAT)

From 1 January 2013:

• Non-Society Member: £288 (£210 + VAT)
• Society Member: £204 (£140 + VAT)
• DCoP Member: £156 (£108.33 +VAT)
• Concession: £132 (£92.50 +VAT)

Persons eligible for concessionary rates are student members of the Society, graduate members registered under Rule 15.ii (studying in the UK and not subject to income tax), Rule 21 (retired) members, and members who are unemployed. For evidence of unemployment, we will require a copy of your job seekers allowance book.

How to book:

Registration closes at 12:00 on 25 November 2013.