Abstract: Submission #283

Abstract In the ever-evolving field of social work, effective supervision is essential to ensure ethical, accountable and developmentally aligned practice. This holds particular significance in South Africa, where the unique socio-economic challenges demand a well-supported and capacitated workforce. Within the South African developmental social welfare context, supervision is not merely encouraged, it is mandated by professional regulations. The training of social work supervisors is also a legislative and ethical requirement. Yet, in practice, a significant gap exists as there is a persistent lack of training and training opportunities for supervisors, a shortfall that undermines service quality and the development of social workers.
To address this gap, a qualitative study was undertaken, drawing on four of the six phases of the Design and Development (D&D) model, with the aim of developing a context-specific training programme. This article, however, focuses on one phase of the study, which involved conducting individual semi-structured interviews with supervisors to gain insight into their perspectives and experiences regarding their training needs. Participants were selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Thematic analysis revealed a range of themes and subthemes that include the explicit and implied training needs of supervisors. The findings also reaffirm the inadequate training currently available to supervisors.