What Does Supervision Look

Like
For a Young, New Supervisor
with Minimal
Work Experience?

Cross Cultural Supervision

Danny Paegotau, 2016

Aim
As a recent graduate myself I
wanted to explore the
nature of supervision within a

complex situation
where the supervisor was still

considered raw in
their practice but merited
with that appointment.

Background
The lack of local publication
surrounding my question eventually
pushed my research out

internationally to see whether

there was data available that
answered my topic.
Additional questions:
Does length of experience determine becoming a
supervisor?
Can you be young and supervise?
How would you supervise colleagues who are senior in
age to me? And more experienced then me?
What supports are there for a new supervisor?

Method
Quantitative approach
however, no participants
were required for research,
surveys, questionnaires etc.
Literature review of

5 articles

Findings
promoted supervisors may find it lonely at the top when they find
former colleagues

strangely

distant.

Often, supervisors

are promoted from within, where they have had established

co-

worker relationships.
(Social Work Today, July/Aug 2007).

mid-20s, and somewhat new to the field

myself, I questioned my ability....... I now felt this
added pressure of being a role model to future social work
only being in my

professionals.
(Social Work Today, n.d).

The problem stems to the appointment of K.B as

team leader

in 2010, two years after she worked at Christchurch Women's

Hospital as a student on placement. The appointment proved

unpopular with staf, many of whom believed she was too

inexperienced to be in that position.
(Radio New Zealand, November 2015).

Conclusion
This literature review revealed 3 main important
factors:

1. There is a lack of

local publication

2. Positional elevation in work place to a new role

may not always be a positive experience

3. Even in the context of social work where its
profession proclaims to work respectfully with

investigate whether
that is actually true within workspaces.
others, there is much to

In the words of former

United Nations General, Kofi

Annan:

too young to lead and

you should never doubt your
capacity to triumph where others have
you are never

not.
(United Nations 2000).

References

Dewane, C.J. (July/Aug 2007). Social Work Today. Supervisor, Beware: Ethical Dangers in
Supervision.
Vol. 7. No 4. Pg 34. Retrieved from http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/julyaug2007
p34.shtml
Alyssa, L. (n.d). The New Social Worker. Whos, Whats, and Hows of Being a Successful
Social Work
Field Supervisor. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/fieldplacement/whos-whats-hows-of-being-a-successful-social-work-field-supervisor
RNZ. (13 November 2015). Bullied social worker awarded $14,000. Retrieved from
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/289653/bullied-social-worker-awarded-$14,000
Annan, K.A. (2000). United Nations. We The Peoples. The role of the United Nations in the
21st Century. Retrieved from
http://www.un.org/en/events/pastevents/pdfs/We_The_Peoples.pdf