Creating an agenda and supervision question

It is important for you to be comfortable with a model of supervision that promotes regular, formalised, exploratory, action-oriented supervision. When you are new to supervision it can be challenging to know how to get started or what to say. An established agenda and a supervision question or two to discuss will help to guide the conversation topics and prioritise your time effectively. Notes from previous sessions may also prompt what you discussed previously and any actions that need following up. It may be useful to have some tools to help structure your questions, responses and reflection or learning.

Setting an agenda

When setting up your supervision agreement it is important to discuss whether you will have an agenda. If so, who will develop it, what will it include and will it be sent out in advance? You may like to have an agenda that includes all topics or questions for discussion to be sent out a few days in advance to help you both prepare for the session. Alternatively you may prefer to just discuss a rough outline of what will be discussed at the start of each session. Do whatever works for you and your supervisor/supervisee. Regardless of how you decide to plan for each session, it is helpful to keep notes on your supervision sessions. This gives you a record you can refer to anytime to review your actions and plans as well as any areas you didn't have time to discuss that can be carried over. See attached notes proforma in the resources section that you might like to use or adapt.

Seven Eyed Supervisor Model

The Seven Eyed Supervisor Model¹ is a framework for questioning and reflecting on clinical questions by considering multiple perspectives and interactions. It may help you define what you want to discuss in an objective manner and explore the issue in a holistic way within a supervision session. In this section we will look at how the model can be used to help frame a supervision question and further explore an issue presented in a supervision session. Each of the 'eyes' is a different perspective of an issue as described below.

Instruction Select each number to gain a different perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue with client or the problem the supervisee brings

Strategies or interventions the supervisee used (with the client, colleague, community, service provider etc.)

Relationship between the supervisee and client/colleague/community/service provider

Thoughts or feelings of the supervisee in relation to the issue

Supervisory relationship

Thoughts or feelings of the supervisor in relation to the issue

Organisation, Agency or team context issues

Activity

Wendy the graduate physiotherapist, has been working with Mr X for 4 weeks. He presented with reduced mobility following a fall at home. Wendy initially assessed him in the hospital clinic and found he was unsteady on his feet. She gave him a walker and he attended her exercise and balance group once a week for 4 weeks. At the end of the 4 weeks, Wendy reported he was still falling at home and she was increasingly frustrated with the lack of improvement.

Using the Seven Eyed Supervisor Model

The Seven Eyed Supervisor Model gives us a range of perspectives that could be impacting on a situation. Many of us will have a dominant eye that we are comfortable exploring in reflection. In supervision, you are supported to think outside of the square and challenge our thinking. By using this model you can consider additional perspectives that you may not have otherwise considered. It is also useful to consider that each of the eyes interact and relate to each other. Sometimes you may feel the questions overlap, are not relevant or depend on each other but this should not hinder the exploration or reflection exercise.

Consider how useful this model might be for your supervision sessions. It may not be necessary to consider every perspective for each problem posed, however considering one or two additional perspectives may assist in clinical reflection and learning.

Supervision Notes proforma

Supervision log

1. Hawkins P, Shohet R. Supervision in the helping professions. 2nd Ed. Berkshire: Open University; 2000.