Publications from ODSW Social Work Supervsion | Page 69

Workshop 6: Teaching, Empowering and Discovering Supervision: Supervision Ideas Worth Sharing

Workshop 6: Teaching, Empowering and
Discovering Supervision: Supervision Ideas
Worth Sharing
Workshop Presenters:
Mr Udhia Kumar
Executive Director
THK FSC @ Tanjong Pagar
Melanie Goh-Joshua
Senior Social Worker
Care Corner FSC (Admiralty)
Natalie Lim
Assistant Head
Cheng San FSC, AMKFSC Community Services Ltd
Edwin Tan
Deputy Director
THK FSC @ Bedok North

Introduction
Kumar started off by introducing the session as being a platform to showcase the work of
some supervisors who may not be keen or have the opportunity to publicly share their
wisdom. The ideas shared can range from ideas and practices we take for granted to
sharing a new method that they had tried, a theory of supervision that they might have
conceptualized or a creative technique of supervision – anything small so that other
supervisors would be invigorated. The workshop will consist of 10 minute sharings with
minimal graphics and powerful stories. He expressed that he hopes for the session to be
one where participants would be both affirming of the speakers and affirmed by the
speakers in their supervisory journey. He hopes that participants would be surprised,
provoked, connected and courageous to take relational risks as supervisors. He then
proceeded to welcome the first speaker: Melanie Goh-Joshua from Care Corner FSC.
Speaker 1: “I’m Loving It”
Melanie Goh-Joshua, Senior Social Worker, Care Corner FSC (Admiralty)
Introduction
Melanie started off her sharing with an introduction of herself. She shared that she has
been a supervisor for 4 years and that her journey as a supervisor has evolved greatly since
she started. She then moved on to share more about her previous supervisors. Her first
supervis or taught her about having passion in the work we do. He was not social work
trained but he loved working with youths and made it his work. Her second supervisor (in a
Family Service Centre setting) taught her that details matter, the importance of being
systematic and accountable, and not to compromise on what is right. Her third supervisor
taught her to be true to herself and to serve her clients well because they matter. Her
fourth supervisor taught her about self-care as she had reached a stage where she was
juggling family, children and work. Her supervisor took time out to teach her about the
reality of making mistakes and the importance of learning from them. She ended off her
introduction by expressing that she was still “loving it” as a supervisor, no matter how
nerve wrecking it may be.
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