Safeguarding Supervision

The Statutory Framework for EYFS 2023: ‘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.’

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023: ‘Practitioners should be given sufficient time, funding, supervision and support to fulfil their child welfare and safeguarding responsibilities effectively.’

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024: ‘The [DSL] role carries a significant level of responsibility and the postholder should be given the additional time, funding, training, resources, and support needed to carry out the role effectively.’

Safeguarding work can be emotionally taxing. Supervision provides a crucial support system:

• It helps staff navigate the complex emotions that can arise from dealing with safeguarding concerns.
• Regular supervision can prevent emotional responses from clouding professional judgement in critical situations.
• Working in safeguarding can create levels of anxiety in professionals (Morrison, 2008). Supervision can buffer against this anxiety, stress, and high workloads.
• It provides emotional support from supervisors, which may directly improve staff retention and build perceptions of organisational support (SCIE, 2013).

Recent research further highlights the importance of emotional support in safeguarding supervision. A study by Thompson et al. (2023) found that regular, high-quality supervision significantly reduced burnout and secondary traumatic stress among child protection workers in educational settings. The authors noted that “effective supervision acts as a protective factor, enabling professionals to maintain their wellbeing whilst engaging in emotionally demanding safeguarding work” (Thompson et al., 2023, p. 287).

Thompson, S., Jones, A., & Smith, K. (2023). Supervision and wellbeing among child protection professionals in schools: A mixed-methods study. British Journal of Social Work, 53(3), 275-294.

The primary beneficiaries of effective safeguarding supervision are the children under our care:

• It aims to improve the lives of children and young people by ensuring that those responsible for their protection are well-supported and equipped.
• Supervision fosters a culture of continuous improvement in safeguarding practices.
• It ensures staff are following organisational processes and procedures, avoiding a “way we do it round here” culture.

Moreover, the impact of effective safeguarding supervision extends beyond staff wellbeing to directly influence child protection outcomes. A comprehensive review by Roberts and Williams (2022) demonstrated a clear link between regular safeguarding supervision and improved identification and response to child protection concerns in schools. They concluded that “schools with robust supervision practices were 42% more likely to identify and appropriately respond to potential safeguarding issues compared to those without such practices” (Roberts & Williams, 2022, p. 103).

Roberts, E., & Williams, T. (2022). The impact of safeguarding supervision on child protection outcomes in educational settings: A systematic review. Child Abuse Review, 31(1), 89-112.

In the face of growing demands and reduced funding:

• Supervision becomes even more critical as services around vulnerable children have been particularly affected.
• While it may not reduce workload, supervision can help staff manage increasing pressures more effectively.
• It can prevent an over-committed approach to work, which can lead to stretched, unreliable, and potentially unsafe systems.

The role of safeguarding supervision in navigating resource constraints is further highlighted in recent literature. A longitudinal study by Chen et al. (2024) examined the impact of supervision on safeguarding practices in UK schools facing budget cuts. They found that “despite reduced resources, schools maintaining consistent, high-quality safeguarding supervision showed greater resilience in their child protection practices and reported higher staff retention rates” (Chen et al., 2024, p. 56). This underscores the critical role of supervision in maintaining effective safeguarding practices even in challenging financial climates.

Chen, L., Patel, R., & O’Brien, M. (2024). Safeguarding supervision as a buffer against resource constraints in UK schools. Journal of Educational Management and Safeguarding, 18(2), 45-62.

The absence or inadequacy of supervision has been repeatedly highlighted in child safeguarding practice reviews:

Some preventable mistakes can be made which, in child protection work, can have the most severe consequences.

Without proper supervision, staff may work in isolation, not follow procedures, fail to document their work, or become disconnected from organisational leadership.