Staff Supervision, Appraisal and Training

1. Purpose

Our learners need adults who are skilled, steady and well supported, and the work can be hard on staff. Good supervision keeps learners safe, because it is where concerns are noticed, practice is challenged and nobody carries risk alone. This policy sets out how we induct, supervise, appraise, train and support staff. It matches the supervision and training commitments in our contracts with commissioning local authorities exactly, and the records it creates are ready for commissioning local authorities to inspect at any time.

2. Scope

This policy covers all employed staff. It also sets out what we require for counsellors from My Solution Wellbeing, supply staff from First Class Teachers, coaches, volunteers and students, whose own organisation supervises them alongside our induction and safeguarding arrangements.

3. Law and guidance

• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 (KCSIE): safeguarding training at induction and regular updates; DSL training renewed every two years.

• Our contracts with commissioning local authorities: staff suitably qualified, adequately trained and capable; KCSIE and Prevent levels 1 to 3 training; the Nurture UK three-day programme, or equivalent agreed by the commissioning local authority's contract manager, for all delivery staff; ongoing CPD; a clear clinical supervision model.

• BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and UKCP Code of Ethics; Teachers' Standards.

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (training and work-related stress); Equality Act 2010 (fair access to training).

4. Roles and responsibilities

Nobody supervises a relative; the Conflicts of Interest policy applies.

5. Induction

5.1 Before any contact with learners

Nobody has contact with learners until their pre-appointment checks are complete (Safer Recruitment policy) and, starting on their first day, they have completed with sign-off on Connect:

• Care Cove induction (values, our therapeutic model, the site and emergency procedures), led by the Head of AP;

• the health and safety induction: fire, first aid, accident reporting, the zoning plan and the risk assessments for their role;

• KCSIE safeguarding training, and reading KCSIE Part One (and Annex B if they work directly with learners);

• Prevent duty training, levels 1 to 3;

• professional boundaries, low-level concerns and whistleblowing;

• GDPR and Care Cove Connect training.

They also read the key safeguarding, conduct, behaviour and phones policies, sign the Code of Conduct declaration and the staff acceptable use agreement, and learn who the DSL and Deputy DSL are and how to find the duty DSL each day.

5.2 The first weeks

New starters shadow an experienced colleague before taking a key learner caseload, and have their first supervision within two weeks. Staff joining after this policy was first issued complete the remaining training within the times in Appendix A. Until then, they take no part in physical intervention, are not counted as a first aider, and, if they missed the Nurture UK cohort, complete Thrive training before any contact and do not work unsupervised until they attend the next cohort, with the arrangement agreed in writing with the commissioning local authority's contract manager.

6. Probation

Employed staff serve six months' probation, as set out in the contract of employment and the Safer Recruitment policy. The Head of AP (the Director for senior posts) holds reviews at the points in the Safer Recruitment policy: six weeks, three months and before probation ends. Reviews cover safeguarding practice, boundaries, recording, relationships and training. The outcome is recorded on Connect: confirmed, extended once with a support plan, or, after a fair meeting with the right to be accompanied, not confirmed (Disciplinary, Capability and Grievance policy). Any concern about conduct towards a learner goes through the Managing Allegations Against Staff and Low-Level Concerns policy.

7. Supervision

7.1 What we provide

Most of these are commitments in our contracts with commissioning local authorities. None is ever reduced.

Teachers' reviews draw on lesson observation and work scrutiny (Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment policy). The Director checks monthly that each counsellor has had clinical supervision (Therapeutic Practice and Clinical Governance policy). DSL supervision covers casework, threshold decisions, chronology quality and the personal impact of the role.

7.2 Supervision agreements

Each supervisee and supervisor sign a supervision agreement on Connect within the first two weeks, reviewed at each appraisal. It sets out how often and how long (one-to-one supervision is normally at least 45 minutes), a private place away from learners, how both prepare, how sessions are recorded, and the limits of confidentiality: anything about a learner's safety or an adult's conduct towards learners is always acted on. Supervision is protected time; if cancelled, it is rebooked within 5 working days.

7.3 Safeguarding as a standing item

Safeguarding is always the first item. The supervisor asks about each key learner (concerns raised, actions and anything still worrying the supervisee), boundaries and attachment, since key mentor relationships are close by design, and anything to self-report. A new concern about a learner goes to the DSL immediately, and a concern about an adult goes to the Director the same day; neither waits for supervision. The session then covers learners' progress, reflection on practice and recent incidents, workload and wellbeing, and training.

7.4 Recording on Care Cove Connect

The supervisor records each session on Connect within 2 working days: date, length, items, decisions and actions with deadlines. The supervisee reads it and can add comments. Safeguarding decisions about a learner also go on that learner's chronology. Only the supervisee, the supervisor, the Head of AP, the Director and the SWMC (for audit) can see supervision records. Group reflective practice records attendance and themes, not personal disclosures. Debriefs are recorded with the incident.

7.5 Partner, agency and volunteer staff

Counsellors receive clinical supervision from My Solution Wellbeing and share risk and themes, never session content, at the weekly meeting. First Class Teachers supervises supply staff; long-term supply teachers also have our half-termly review, and all supply staff join debriefs. Volunteers and students are supervised at all times by a named supervisor (Volunteers and Student Placements policy).

8. Appraisal

Every employed member of staff has an annual appraisal in the summer term and a mid-year review in the spring term. Staff who join part way through the year have objectives set when probation is confirmed. Line managers appraise their staff; the Director appraises the Head of AP.

The appraisal draws on supervision records, lesson observations for teachers, learner and family voice, and the training matrix. It agrees three to five objectives, at least one about safeguarding or relational practice, and a personal development plan. Teachers are appraised against the Teachers' Standards. It is recorded on Connect and signed by both. The mid-year review checks progress and support. Serious performance concerns are handled through the Disciplinary, Capability and Grievance policy, not left to appraisal.

9. Training

9.1 The training matrix and expiry tracking

The Administrator keeps the training matrix on Connect for everyone on the Single Central Record: course, provider, date, certificate and expiry. Agency and partner staff's training is recorded from their employer's written confirmation. Connect flags training before it expires, and the Administrator books renewals so they are complete in time. The Head of AP reviews the matrix monthly and reports gaps to the Director. If training lapses:

• anyone whose before-contact training has lapsed is not rostered for learner contact until it is renewed;

• anyone whose Team Teach certificate has lapsed does not use Team Teach techniques;

• anyone whose first aid certificate has lapsed is not counted as a first aider.

The Head of AP also leads an annual safeguarding and Prevent update for all staff, and safeguarding is a standing item at team meetings.

9.2 Continuing professional development

Every member of staff takes part in ongoing CPD, planned through appraisal. It includes the Thrive Approach, as we work towards recognition as a Thrive organisation by July 2027; learning from incidents, audits and reflective practice; subject updates for teachers; and, for newly recruited frontline staff, accredited courses (Level 2 Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health, Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene in Catering, Level 3 Award in Education and Training, and Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment with a CSCS card). Training is in paid time wherever possible, and access is fair for part-time staff.

10. Staff wellbeing

We manage work-related stress using the HSE Management Standards (Health and Safety, including Fire and First Aid policy). Staff have:

• supervision with wellbeing as a standing item, a same-day debrief after any incident and monthly group reflective practice;

• mentor caseloads capped at four key learners;

• confidential support from My Solution Wellbeing on request, or another provider if a My Solution Wellbeing counsellor is involved in a concern about them;

• an individual stress risk assessment on request, reasonable adjustments and a return-to-work conversation after absence.

Asking for help is good practice, never weakness.

11. Monitoring and review

The Head of AP owns this policy and the Social Work Management Committee ratifies it. Each month the Head of AP reports supervision completed and training compliance to the Director, who reports both to the SWMC each term. The SWMC audits a sample of supervision and debrief records and the training matrix, and the annual external safeguarding audit also covers them. The policy is reviewed every year, or sooner after an incident, a change in law or guidance, or a contract change.

12. Related policies

• 01 Safeguarding and Child Protection
• 02 Safer Recruitment
• 03 Managing Allegations Against Staff and Low-Level Concerns
• 08 Positive Handling and Physical Intervention
• 13 Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment
• 14 Therapeutic Practice and Clinical Governance
• 15 Health and Safety, including Fire and First Aid
• 21 Staff Code of Conduct
• 31 Conflicts of Interest
• 32 Disciplinary, Capability and Grievance
• 41 Volunteers and Student Placements
• 43 Dignity at Work and Preventing Sexual Harassment

Appendix A: Training matrix

The Deadline column applies to staff in post when this policy was first issued. Staff who join later complete each item within the time shown from their start date.

Document control and ratification

This policy is signed off by the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Head of Alternative Provision, and ratified by the Social Work Management Committee. It is reviewed every year, or sooner after an incident or a change in law, statutory guidance or contract requirements, and it is available to any commissioning local authority on request.