Supervision for the Social Service Professions: Perspectives from South Africa

Supervision in the social sciences has been under scrutiny over the past decade. With the emergence of social service professions beyond social work, there has been a drive around each profession being supervised by senior members of its own profession. With a particular focus on South Africa, this insightful text meets the need for a succinct and inclusive source for all three of the South African social service professions, offering an in-depth discussion of processes, functions and skills within the legal framework of professional supervision.

Co-produced by an academic and practitioner, uplifting the voice of the practitioner that is not always heard, Supervision for the Social Service Professions provides critically needed clarifications on the concepts, elements, stages, skills and functions of supervision on an international level. Swanzen and Morokane provide the pathway for the establishment of an integrated model for supervision, informed by vast perspectives on supervision and best practice guidelines, aimed at a revised framework.

A comprehensive, succinct, and useful tool in the hands of professionals and academics, this is a celebration of supervision in the social service professions which will ultimately lead to better care for vulnerable populations.

Tebogo Morokane is a social worker by profession. She has occupied different ranks in the profession and worked as a volunteer, Social Worker, Probation Officer, Supervisor and Social Worker Manager for over two decades.

Rika Swanzen is currently a Deputy Dean of Research, with previous roles as child and youth care academic, senior social worker in juvenile psychiatric care and supervisor and training manager in residential care. From mid-2016 to mid-2022 she served as ministerial appointee on the professional council, to represent education and training.