Guidance for supervision meetings
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, April 2017 states:
3.21. Providers must put appropriate arrangements in place for the supervision of staff who have contact with children and families. Effective supervision provides support, coaching and training for the practitioner and promotes the interests of children. Supervision should foster a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement, which encourages the confidential discussion of sensitive issues.
3.22. Supervision should provide opportunities for staff to:
- discuss any issues – particularly concerning children’s development or well-being;
- identify solutions to address issues as they arise; and
- receive coaching to improve their personal effectiveness.
There are two aspects to a supervision meeting:
1)Support, coaching and training for the practitioner which develops a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement, and which encourages the confidential discussion of sensitive issues.
2)Promoting the interests of children, particularly concerning children’s development or well-being
The document below is a suggested format for recording your discussion using the solution focused ‘Signs of Safety and wellbeing’ model. It is simple, to allow a flexible approach that would suit the different approaches in different settings.
The intention is that there are two parts to the supervision discussion: the confidential discussion of issues that may be personal, to do with children’s wellbeing, or sharing concerns or issues that have arisen. The second part of the discussion relates to professional development as a practitioner. This may draw upon peer observations, management agreed targets for CPD or actions to be followed up from previous supervisions.
The Declaration section is to support leaders and managers to meet the requirements around ensuring that staff remain suitable to continue working with children. The intention is that this page would last a year, either with a monthly supervision (the twelfth month being an appraisal) or if more appropriate, a half termly supervision meeting.
Template Supervision Record
To be used for any supervisions in between the annual appraisal process:
Discussion may include: feedback from peer observations, progress made by key children, any safeguarding/ welfare concerns (not immediately dealt with), parental involvement, issues between staff members, ideas for improving practice, positive feedback, progress made towards personal targets or actions.
What’s working well? / What amI/we worried about? / What needs to happen?Any specific items for discussion identified prior to the meeting:
Other points from discussion:
Significant achievements made by Employee:
Any development/training needs identified
Any actions agreed
To ensure we as a setting comply with the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS for employing suitable people please sign below to confirm you are aware of the following:
- I must inform my employer of any allegations made against me or any other adult in my household
- I must inform my employer of any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings which may affect my suitability to work with children
- I must inform my employer of any court order, determination or conviction relating to any other person living or working in my household
Declaration:
- I confirm that I have not been disqualified from working with children, for any of the reasons above.
- I confirm that I have not received any criminal convictions, nor have any court cases pending.
- I confirm that I know of no reasons why I may not be suitable to work with children.
Supervision 1 / Supervision 2 / Supervision 3 / Supervision 4 / Supervision 5 / Supervision 6 / Supervision 7 / Supervision 8 / Supervision 9 / Supervision 10 / Supervision
11 / Yearly Appraisal
Employee
Line Manager
Date
Please note- ‘The information contained in this guidance is for general information purposes only. While every effort has been made to keep the information up to date and correct, Suffolk County Council (SCC) make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or suitability with respect to the information contained within the guidance. Any reliance placed on such information is therefore strictly at the organisations own risk. SCC is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within this guidance (March 2017)’
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