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Workshop 2: Challenges and Responses of Social Work Supervisors with Managerial and Clinical Roles

Workshop 2: Challenges and Responses of
Social Work Supervisors with Managerial and
Clinical Roles
Workshop Presenter:
Dr Peace Wong Yuh Ju
Lecturer
National University of Singapore – Department of Social Work

Introduction
Dr Wong shared her social work journey to provide the background understanding for the
research study. Before embarking on the academic career, she was in direct practice in an
organisation that worked with children and youths. It was during that time period when she
was pursuing her doctorate that there were many reports and conversations about the
need to recruit and sustain social workers in the field. Various schemes that were
implemented, such as the Professionalization Package for Social Workers and the
improvement in remuneration served to sustain and develop social workers. However, no
one seemed to see clinical supervision as a means to support and attract social workers
even though literature suggested a strong link between the two.
Furthermore, there seemed to be a movement towards managerialism, which favours fiscal
expediency and efficiency, over best supervision practices that are driven by professional
values and ethical considerations to ensure the best interests of the clients. As a manager,
cost effectiveness is often a critical factor for consideration in choosing between
programmes. However, professionally, there is a need to consider the needs of the
vulnerable communities. Dr Wong wondered why there was a lack of discussion about the
use of supervision, since it concerns both the professional development of social workers
and work accountability. Hence, she felt compelled to study clinical and social work
supervision for her doctorate thesis.
This presentation was hence a culmination of four years of research. Dr Wong said that she
would share snapshots of the challenges faced by supervisors with dual roles as manager
and clinical supervisors, before proposing a clinical social work supervisory model.
Literature Review
Dr Wong wondered if there was a way to embrace the dual role of clinical supervisor as
well as manager. Supervisors often have a hard time marrying the dual roles as some feel
that supervisees may feel unsafe sharing personal issues with their supervisors.
Locally, a literature scan suggested that the literature on supervision was scarce. A report
on a series of seminars on supervision of social workers was produced by the University of
Singapore in 1968. Thereafter, there was a long absence of literature in this practice area
until a thesis was published in 2006 and a manual on social work supervision was produced
by SASW.

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