Building relationships – based on mutual trust, rapport and respect – is at the heart of your peer support initiative. This strengths-based approach is used during volunteer supervision sessions.
It includes:
- Active listening
- Reflecting back feelings
- Listening for the main message
- Exploring solutions
- Summarising
- Normalising
- Reframing
- Setting goals
- Endings.
Supervision helps volunteers to build on their strengths, celebrate successes and suggest areas for future development.
A good supervision session will leave a volunteer feeling:
- Respected
- Cared for
- Valued
- Trusted
- Motivated
- Reassured
- Lighter
- Confident
- Relaxed
- Not judged.
How to carry out supervision - the practicalities:
- Face-to-face or virtual meetings (every two months for one hour (approx.) plus an annual review
- Group peer support sessions with a supervisor present can take place either face-to-face or virtually (every two months for at least two hours (approx.)
Ad hoc, by telephone, as and when needed.
Supervision must be carried out by an experienced and properly trained member of staff. They must meet the competencies required to carry out the role, part of which is to provide guidance and reassurance on any worries or concerns. (See Appendix A in our Manual Guide: Volunteer Supervision).
Manual Guide Volunteer Supervision
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteers and supervisors are responsible for agreeing when and where supervision takes place, and that it happens regularly. Time, motivation and commitment might be obstacles to volunteers attending supervision.
That’s why it’s important to:
- Set time aside solely for the purpose of supervision
- Hold supervision somewhere that’s easy to get to
- Have a clear, signed supervision agreement.
Supervision agreement
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Supervision is confidential. However, the supervisor is responsible for:
- Sharing any information relating to families with external agencies on a ‘need to know’ basis
- Supporting the wellbeing of volunteers and families (for example, if a concern impacts on the volunteer or their ability to support a family, extra support must be put in place).
During group peer support discussions, individual families must be anonymised. If supervision records are used by volunteers as evidence of learning for accreditation, the families written about should be anonymised.
Supervision records must be stored in accordance with data protection and information sharing policies and procedures. Examples of supervision records can be downloaded here:
- Volunteer peer supporter supervision record
- Volunteer peer supporter personal development plan
- Key goals achieved record
- Volunteer peer supporter annual review
- Outreach supervision record.
The Manual Guide: Volunteer Supervision explains these documents and how they can be used.
Volunteer peer supporter supervision record
Added 12/02/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteer peer supporter personal development plan
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Key goals achieved record
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteer peer supporter annual review
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Outreach supervision record
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Manual Guide: Volunteer Supervision
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
The peer supporter supervision record helps to structure supervision. But each session remains informal and tailored to the individual volunteer.
The supervision record includes:
Agenda setting
For both volunteer and supervisor to write together, reinforcing that supervision is a shared process.
How have things been going with…since we last met?
The volunteer can talk through their work, giving you the opportunity to acknowledge and value their contribution. The discussion can be challenging and stimulating, and you can model active listening skills throughout. The volunteer may wish to share any reflective diaries or feedback from the parents.
How are things for the baby?
Focusing on the baby will make sure that you are always aware of potential safeguarding issues.
Family plans and goals
The volunteer may need support to help parents identify new goals. You may want to give guidance on tools to help them explore this area. This helps the volunteer to support the parent to move forward.
Action plan
A clear action plan, noting who is responsible for completing each point, is signed by both parties.
The Manual Guide: Volunteer Supervision explains this further.
Manual Guide: Volunteer Supervision
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Example documents to download.
- Key goals achieved
- Volunteer peer supporter annual review
- Volunteer peer supporter personal development plan
- Volunteer peer supporter reflective diary
- Volunteer peer supporter supervision record
- Supervision agreement.
Key goals achieved
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteer peer supporter annual review
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteer peer supporter personal development plan
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteer peer supporter reflective diary
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Volunteer peer supporter supervision record
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Supervision agreement
Added 12/03/2020Please sign in to download this file.
Supervision skills need practice. Get in touch to find out about the training and support we offer.