Public Health Wales
Safeguarding Children Supervision
Procedure
Safeguarding Children
Supervision Procedure
Policy type: Trust Procedure
Policy reference number: PHW03/TP02
Policy classification: Safeguarding Children Procedure
Author: Kate McDonald, Named Nurse Safeguarding Children
Policy lead: Kate McDonald, Named Nurse Safeguarding Children
Executive lead: Dr Hilary Fielder, Executive Director of Public Health
Services
Date: 6 January 2012
Version: 1
Publication/ Distribution:

Public Health Wales (Intranet)
Review Date: TBC
Approval date: TBC
Approving body: Executive Management Team
Purpose and Summary of Document: The purpose of this procedure is to
ensure all staff within Public Health Wales (including agency staff and
volunteers) understand their entitlement to supervision following
engagement in safeguarding children processes.
Intended audience: All Public Health Wales Staff, including agency staff
and volunteers
Interdependencies with policies: Safeguarding Children Policy,
Safeguarding Children Referral and Record-keeping Procedure
6 January 2012
Version: 1
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN SUPERVISION PROCEDURE ................ 1
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................. 2
1
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 3
3
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................ 4
4
RESPONSIBILITIES ................................................................ 4
5
PROCESS................................................................................. 5
6
CONFIDENTIALITY.................................................................. 6
7
RECORDING AND DOCUMENTATION ....................................... 6
8
AUDIT ..................................................................................... 6
9
REVIEW .................................................................................. 6
10
REFERENCES .......................................................................... 6
APPENDIX 1 .................................................................................. 8
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Safeguarding Children Supervision
Procedure
INTRODUCTION
‘Working in the field of safeguarding children in need of protection entails
making difficult and risky professional judgments. It is demanding work
that can be distressing and stressful. All of those involved should have
access to advice and support, from peers, managers, named and
designated professionals’ (Safeguarding Children: Working Together under
the Children Act 2004).
This procedure aims to provide staff with support when a member of staff
has been involved in the safeguarding children process. A formal
framework for supervision enables staff to assess continuing risk; provide
a forum where issues and feelings can be discussed and explored in
safety. It should also promote effective working partnerships both across
the health economy and with other agencies who share responsibility for
the protection of children
The term ‘Clinical supervision’ has been defined as ‘An exchange between
practicing professionals to enable the development of professional skills’
(Butterworth, 1992), it does not imply that the skills should be clinical in
nature.
This procedure is to be read in conjunction with Safeguarding Children
Policy. Section 9 of the Policy clarifies that it is the responsibility of
everyone within Public Health Wales to safeguard children who are either
clients or the children of clients.
This procedure clarifies the supervision requirement and process for staff
engaged in safeguarding children processes. Sections 6 and 7 set out how
records will be created, stored and disposed of, noting that these records
are confidential and will be retained by the allocated supervisor only. Note
that under the Data Protection Act 1998 a person can request information
held by the organisation about them via a Subject Access Request.
2
AIM
The aim of this procedure is to outline the framework, responsibilities and
support available to staff who have been involved in the safeguarding
children process.
This procedure is in line with the ‘Safeguarding Children: Working
Together under the Children Act 2004’ which outlines that all of those
involved in safeguarding children should have access to effective
supervision. This also supports the Knowledge and Skills Framework
(DoH, 2004) and Health Inspectorate Wales Healthcare Standard 17
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Procedure
compliance. Effective supervision benefits the employee, the service user
and the organisation
This procedure demonstrates the commitment of Public Health Wales and
its staff to reflect on their practice and aims to improve the quality of
practice in safeguarding children.
3
OBJECTIVES
This procedure applies to all staff within Public Health Wales who have
contact with children and young people as part of their work and who
should be supported by having access to child protection supervision.
This procedure aims to:

identify a framework for safeguarding supervision in Public Health
Wales

outline the process for providing supervision

embed safeguarding supervision into the working culture of Public
Health Wales
Safeguarding Children supervision will take place within a framework
which promotes an anti-discriminatory approach to practice. In this it
should also consider the impact of culture, race, religion, gender, language
and any disability on the staff member, child and carer.
4
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Public Health Wales Named Nurse Safeguarding Children has the
responsibility for supporting the implementation of this procedure.
Managers have the responsibility for supporting this procedure through
facilitating the time for staff to access supervision where necessary. They
have a responsibility to identify someone within their teams who would be
suitable for training as supervisors should there be a need identified
following risk assessment. There is also a responsibility to assist with the
monitoring and auditing of supervision.
Individual staff members have a responsibility to identify their personal
need for safeguarding supervision and bring this to the attention of their
manager or the Public Health Wales Named Nurse Safeguarding Children.
The Public Health Wales Safeguarding Group has a responsibility to ensure
that supervision activity is monitored and audited annually.
The supervisee has responsibility to bring to the supervision session any
concerns they may have about children, young people and families and
respond to and act on the issues identified in supervision, including
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attendance at any training identified. The supervisor has a responsibility
to provide objectivity and critical analysis, support and constructive
feedback.
Both supervisor and supervisee have responsibility to ensure that
practitioners access mandatory and relevant safeguarding children
training, and work in accordance with the All Wales Child Protection
Procedures 2008.
5
PROCESS
Individual supervision sessions will be offered when staff have been
involved in the safeguarding children process in any way. Sessions may
also be arranged as the need is identified by individual staff members or
their managers following any child protection incident where it is felt that
support and supervision is needed e.g. child death, violence or
intimidation to staff, attendance at court etc. Where practitioners are
invited to a child protection case conference, pre and post conference
supervision will be available. Newborn Hearing Screeners will receive
group supervision, as well as individual supervision where required.
Individual supervision sessions should last no longer than one hour, at the
end of which the necessity for any further sessions will be agreed by both
parties and a date set.
Some staff working in Public Health Wales may be able to access
supervision within their own teams through colleagues with experience in
child protection, however if this is not the case, then the staff member or
their manager should contact the Public Health Wales Named Nurse
Safeguarding Children. Staff based in the Health Boards e.g. Newborn
Hearing Screening Wales may be able to access supervision from
safeguarding teams within that Health Board, but the responsibility for
providing supervision remains with Public Health Wales and the Named
Nurse must be informed where this occurs.
Supervision may be delivered in a group setting where deemed
appropriate by the Public Health Wales Named Nurse Safeguarding
Children and may be facilitated by a member of the group who has
received the necessary training.
Designated Doctors and Nurses as well as support professionals within the
Child Protection Service have particular requirements in supervision due to
the specialist nature of their work. A programme of child protection
supervision for these practitioners should be provided within the service
by the Designated Professionals on a regular basis to be agreed within the
team. Supervision arrangements should be reported as part of existing
governance systems.
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The Public Health Wales Named Nurse Safeguarding Children will receive
regular supervision from a Designated Nurse within the Child Protection
Service, not less than three-monthly.
6
CONFIDENTIALITY
Supervision is a confidential process. However agreements made about
any ongoing and future work with the child, carer and family will be
documented. If concerns arise in relation to professional competence (of
either supervisor or supervisee) and the safety and welfare of children,
then this should be dealt with outside the supervisory process.
7
RECORDING AND DOCUMENTATION
Where individual supervision takes place, a standard case supervision
form should be used which gives structure to the supervision process and
a basis for the practitioner to discuss safeguarding issues in one to one
supervision. (Appendix 1)
The supervision record should be retained in a secure place, in line with
Public Health Wales Records Management Policy, by the supervisor and
should only be disclosed for the purpose of a serious case review, unsafe
professional practice or by court order.
It is difficult to give a universal retention/disposal period, as
circumstances will vary greatly between cases. The options and risks will
be the subject of discussion and agreement between the supervisor and
Named Nurse on a case by case basis.
8
AUDIT
An audit of safeguarding children supervision records will take place
annually to determine that those who have made a child protection
referral or who have sought advice have received clinical supervision.
9
REVIEW
This procedure will be reviewed on a three-yearly basis or sooner if there
are changes in legislation or guidance.
10
REFERENCES
All Wales Child Protection Procedures 2008
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Butterworth T (1992) Clinical supervision as an emerging idea in nursing.
In: Butterworth T and Faugier J (eds) Clinical Supervision and Mentorship
in Nursing. Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham.
Children Act 1989/2004. London: The Stationery Office
DOH (1995) Child Protection: Messages from Research HMSO
Public Health Wales: Records Management Strategy
Public Health Wales: Policy for Safeguarding Children
Reder P, Duncan S (1999) Lost Innocents: A Follow-up Study of Fatal
Child Abuse Routledge. London
Welsh Assembly Government (2006) Safeguarding Children: Working
Together under the Children Act 2004.
Policies, Protocols and related documents are available on the Named
Nurse intranet page this may be accessed by going to the Public Health
Wales intranet site, selecting ‘Services and Teams’ on the side menu,
then ’N’ where the link to the page may be found.
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APPENDIX 1
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN SUPERVISION AGREEMENT
AND RECORD SHEET
Name of Practitioner:
Base:
Contact Number:
Supervisor:
Agreement

Location of sessions will be at practitioner’s base or other agreed
venue.

Sessions will take place in private, with no interruptions.
phones to be negotiated.

Length of sessions will be agreed at the first session allowing for
flexibility as needed.

Necessity for follow up sessions will identified by the practitioner and
supervisor and a date agreed.

As much notice as is reasonably practicable should be given if
cancelling a session, both on the part of the practitioner and the
supervisor.

Confidentiality will be maintained at all times, unless unsafe practice
is identified by the supervisor, putting the practitioner and/or the
client at risk. In this instance, the practitioner will be advised that
the issue will be discussed with their manager.

Ground rules for group child protection supervision will be agreed at
the first session.
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Procedure
Issues Discussed:
Safeguarding children training needs identified:
Practitioner……………………………………
Supervisor……………………………………
Date…………………………………………..
Follow up ……………………
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