The effectiveness of clinical supervision groups in primary care

This book describes a research project into group clinical supervision in primary healthcare involving health visitors, district nurses and school nurses. A mixed methods approach was used of a questionnaire, non-participant observation and focus groups. There were three objectives of the research. These were: whether group clinical supervision corresponded with Proctor's model. Secondly to identify the characteristics of the supervisor that supervisees and supervisors prioritised and finally whether the demands of group clinical supervision differed from individual clinical supervision. The research found that supervisors of clinical supervision groups need skills in managing groups as well as clinical supervision. While the participants benefited most from clinical supervision that was restorative in nature. The supervisees valued the supervisor’s knowledge more than the supervisors, although both supervisees and supervisors most valued approachability and support as characteristics of the supervisor.