Supervision
Supervision in childcare settings
Supervision is a planned and regular meeting between a manager and an employee that provides dedicated time to discuss their role, practice, wellbeing and professional development. In childcare settings, supervision plays an important role in supporting staff to deliver high-quality care and education, while ensuring children's safety, learning and development remain at the heart of practice.
Regular supervision provides an opportunity for managers and employees to reflect on their work with children and families, celebrate achievements, identify areas for development and discuss any concerns. It also helps managers monitor performance, support staff wellbeing and ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are understood and fulfilled.
Effective supervision should:
- Take place regularly in a confidential and supportive environment
- Encourage open and honest discussion about practice, challenges and successes
- Reflect on the quality of care, learning and development provided for children
- Review progress against objectives, responsibilities and previous actions
- Identify training, qualifications and professional development needs
- Discuss the employee's wellbeing, workload and any support required
- Provide opportunities to discuss the needs of individual children and families where appropriate
- Include discussion of safeguarding responsibilities and any concerns
- Agree clear actions and targets to support continuous improvement
When carried out effectively, supervision helps develop a skilled, confident and motivated workforce, improves the quality of provision and contributes to positive outcomes for children and their families.