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Critical Supervision for the Human Services

Critical Supervision for the Human Services

Lou Johnston | Carolyn Noble | Mel Gray

(2016)

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Book Details

Abstract

Practitioners in the helping professions today operate in challenging settings where budgets have been cut dramatically, and progression and success are too often defined primarily by key performance indicators and strategic outcomes. Tensions arise when such pressures conflict with helping professionals' core responsibilities to provide excellent care, advocate for patients or service users and to seek social justice.

This book introduces a critical model for supervision which addresses not only the human relationships and interactions involved in work, but also the financial, political and managerial environment in which the work is carried out. It identifies how reflective practice alone is not enough to bring about transformational change, and outlines how practitioners can learn in and through supervision, drawing on ideas from critical pedagogy and organisational learning. Practice examples are included to demonstrate the use of this approach within contemporary human service environments.

Providing a new approach for effective supervision, this book will be of interest to practitioners, managers, researchers, academics and students working across the human services, including health care, social services and criminal justice.


Dr Carolyn Noble is Founding Professor of Social Work and Head of School of Social Work at Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP, private college) Sydney, as well as Professor Emerita at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. She has taught and developed undergraduate and postgraduate programs in social work, counselling and psychotherapy, social science, mental health and professional supervision. She has published in the area of social work education, practice and supervision.

Dr Mel Gray is Professor of Social Work at The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Mel Gray came to academia having spent 15 years practising social work in the complex, morally challenging and politically charged society of South Africa. She has published widely on matters relating to social work education and practice.

Lou Johnston is a casual lecturer and PhD student at The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, studying supervision of supervisors and developing supervision practice. In private practice, she provides individual and group supervision and human service consultancy on change, culture, and team development.


Critical Supervision in the Human Services is a timely book which emphasises how context and culture frames supervision and human service practice. The comprehensive critical approach detailed by the authors, synthesises critical theory and critical analysis, with critical pedagogy and transformative learning theory, in the pursuit of socially just supervision. This book clearly demonstrates how and why supervision is the signature pedagogy within the human services and makes an outstanding and important contribution to 21st Century supervision theory and practice. It is a must read for students, human service practitioners, supervisors and managers.
Kieran O’Donoghue PhD, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Massey University, New Zealand
Critical Supervision in the Human Services is a book we have been waiting for and will be a popular addition to the library of supervisors, educators, and supervision researchers and scholars. This book explores critical perspectives on the role of supervision in human services in the global, organisational and professional domains. Noble, Gray and Johnston deftly apply the critical pedagogies of transformational learning and critical reflection in an enriching exploration of how excellent supervision can promote social justice.
Liz Beddoe, School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work, University of Auckland

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Critical Supervision for the Human Services: A Social Model to Promote Learning and Values-Based Practice by Carolyn Noble, Mel Gray and Lou Johnston 3
Introduction 11
1. Contemporary Approaches to Supervision in the Human Services 18
Supervision described 19
Supervision’s relational function 26
Theories informing supervision 30
Conclusion 38
2. Human Services: Global Context 40
Global context 41
Critical global perspective 42
Conclusion 55
3. Human Services: Organisational and Workplace Context 57
Organisations described 59
Factors shaping human service organisations 61
Organisational and workplace culture 70
Power in human service organisations 76
Leadership in human service organisations 78
Management in human service organisations 81
Supervision in human service organisations 82
Conclusion 86
4. Human Services: Professional Practice Context 87
Professional context 90
Knowledge for practice 94
Research-informed practice 97
Evidence-based practice 99
Indigenous knowledges 100
Working with diversity and difference 101
Conclusion 104
5. Core Concepts of a Critical Perspective 105
Critical reflection 107
Critical thinking 108
Critical analysis 110
Critical theory 112
Critical perspectives 117
Conclusion 124
6. Critical Pedagogy and Transformative Learning 127
What is meant by the term critical pedagogy? 127
Theories informing a critical pedagogy for critical supervision 130
Conclusion 141
7. Critical Supervision: Foundations 142
Elements of critical supervision 144
Critical supervision as critical pedagogy – revisited 148
Critical supervision creates \nbig-picture practitioners 149
Critical supervisors as transformative leaders in organisations 151
Critical supervision as a process 151
Critical supervision compared to conventional models 152
Conclusion 156
8. Critical Supervision: Practice Fundamentals 157
Committing to critical supervision 157
Establishing and reviewing critical supervision and agreements 160
Focusing on relationship and relational connections 164
Modelling critical practice 169
Having critical conversations 170
Exploring power 171
Exploring and using language 173
Naming critical terms, concepts and issues 174
Managing time factors 178
Conclusion 180
9. Critical Supervision: Pedagogical Skills and Tools 181
Critical toolbox 182
Narrative toolbox 191
Interpersonal communication and relating 194
Conclusion 196
10. Critical Supervision: Using the Process 197
Applying a critical process: Where, when, who, what and how 198
Applying a critical process: Following the steps 201
Conclusion 215
11. Critical Supervision: Practice Examples 216
Exploring power 217
Exploring organisational or practice issues 223
Rewinding the critical supervision process 229
Selecting contexts and theories: ‘Flipping the facets’ 235
Applying all contexts and theories 239
Conclusion 251
Glossary 252
References 262
Subject Index 277
Author Index 281