ABSTRACT
According to several international definitions, the main purpose of supervision in social work is to provide support and learning for social workers in order to help them carry out a challenging job that often has a heavy workload. International studies and reviews stress the importance of the relationship between supervisor and supervisee in relation to fulfilment of the objectives of the supervision. However, several studies indicate that this relationship rarely achieves the desired outcome. This is often due to the supervisor also being the supervisee’s line manager, which means that managerial and administrative concerns are prioritised during the supervision. Scandinavian experience of group-based supervision with external supervisors may serve as a source of inspiration for overcoming this problem. This is the conclusion of the first Danish research project on supervision outcomes in the field of social work with children and young people with additional support needs. The study includes a review of international research literature, incorporating both 34 international and 15 Scandinavian studies of supervision outcomes, a questionnaire survey of practices in Danish local authorities, and a unique observational and interview-based field study of supervision in three Danish local authorities.
