Supervision

All staff working in schools play an important role in shaping the cognitive, social and emotional development of children and young people. School staff often juggle multiple tasks and demands and are at the forefront of supporting many of the most vulnerable children and young people in schools. We understand that workloads, deadlines, working with and having empathetic relationships with children and young people with increasingly complex needs can all negatively impact the mental health and well-being of school staff and their capacity to carry out their work. 

Research shows that the health and educational outcomes of children and young people is highly correlated with the wellbeing and competence of school staff. Taking care of school staff, both practically and emotionally, is therefore of high importance for both personal and professional reasons.

Supervision is recognised as a key part of personal and professional development for professionals working in the helping professions and is an effective way that schools can support the well-being and capacity of their staff. Recent research in schools has identified that supervision can provide a restorative, purposeful and professional space for school staff that helps to reduce stress, through the offloading, sharing and validating of emotions and experiences, promote professional development and foster communication and relationships.  For more information about the research in the area of supervision in schools, please visit our Research Hub.