Foreword The publication you now have in hand originated from the need of a team of Slovak social work supervisors to improve and implement supervision in the practice of institutions providing social assistance in the MPSVaR SR sector. This necessity was reinforced by the requirement in the Act on social and legal protection of children and social guardianship No.305/2005, part 4, § 47, para. 7, which states the obligation to ensure supervision in children's homes specifically for social workers and caregivers. We are aware of many problems that individual children's homes face in their implementation of this law, led by their directors. These are not only concerns and the absence of long-term experience with the implementation of supervision as such, but also a lack of qualified experts, unclear defined conditions for a supervisor’s work, their qualification requirements, some concern by senior staff about the presence of an outsider in "their territory," and, not least, a lack of financial resources.

After several joint meetings we decided, in cooperation with some children's homes, academic institutions, the Association of Educators in Social Work, the Association of Supervisors and Social Counselors, non-governmental organizations operating in this area, and MPSVaR SR, with financial support from the Protidrogový fond SR, to organize a workshop in Malej Lučivnej on the topic of supervision in children's homes.

The result of the working meeting of supervisors and other stakeholders included, among other things, the preparation of this publication, whose purpose is to introduce each interested person to selected aspects of supervision, with emphasis on staff of children's homes.

We wish that between supervisors and commissioners of this service there will always be trust supported by sound legal regulation in order to professionalize social work and thereby help our clients, whose interests matter most to us.

doc. PhDr. Michal Oláh, PhD. sociálny pracovník a supervízor

This methodological guide is the result of a scientific research project Supervision as a fundamental prerequisite of quality social work VEGA No. 1/0532/08

Contents I. Professional competencies of the social worker II. Professionalization of social work and the need for supervision III. Supervision - definition of basic concepts IV. The multidimensionality of supervision V. Supervisor VI. Issues of power in supervision VII. Boundaries of supervision VIII. Some aspects and recommendations for supervision in children's homes - workshop outputs

© Author: doc. PhDr. Michal Oláh, PhD. prof. PaedDr. Milan Schavel, PhD. PhDr. Milan Tomka, PhD. Title: Guide to Improving Supervision in Children's Homes Reviewers: prof. PhDr. Vincent Kovačič, CSc. Mgr. Peter Michančo Mgr. Dana Žilinčíková Publisher: Asociácia vzdelávateľov v sociálnej práci Year of publication: 2008 Number of pages: 35

ISBN 978-80-969905-0-4

EAN 9788096990504