ABSTRACT
The term ‘supervisor’ conjures up all sorts of images. It reminds me of a foreman in a factory wearing a brown overall and supervising all the activity in his department, watching carefully for mistakes or errors in the processes and ensuring that a perfect product emerges at the end of the conveyor belt. In some ways, I suppose this could be quite a good analogy for midwifery; the supervisor of midwives (SOM) watching carefully, seeing that no mistakes are made and that only the highest standard of midwifery care is offered in the department and ensuring that the end result is the birth of a healthy baby with no ill effects on the mother. This does, however, sound somewhat inspectoral; sadly, some midwives might see supervision in that light, rather than in the supportive sense that it should be perceived. I hope to change any perception of punitive supervision to one of supportive supervision during this chapter.
