Reflective supervision: An element in the execution of Social Work supervision in the Department of Social Development at the province of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Social work supervision is the core feature in promoting reflective practice to social workers and, subsequently, delivering quality services to clients. This article argues that reflective supervision, which is a structured support helping social workers think critically, is central to improving social work practice within the Department of Social Development. Without it, the purpose of supervision, which is professional growth and quality service, is undermined. The article adopts a qualitative interpretive approach with an exploratory-descriptive focus to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under study. Twelve social workers and five social work supervisors were purposively sampled from the service offices under the King Cetshwayo District, the third biggest district in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. Data from interviews were analysed through thematic analysis, and findings were presented through two main themes and several related subthemes, respectively. The study found that the lack of reflective supervision contributes to the ineffective implementation of supervision in the organisation under study. The paper recommends addressing systemic, organisational, and institutional factors that include lack of human capital and resources and unmanageable and heavy workloads which negatively affect the execution of supervision.