Here are examples of two one and a half-hour sessions that a Co-ordinator could run either with an individual supervisor, or with small groups.  The sessions work both as induction, and, with slight modifications, as a refresher for experienced supervisors.  You could run the sessions together, adding some more room for discussion, and have a half day session.  Initial feedback from trying out these sessions suggests it may be best to introduce the online tools and functions for supervisors verbally to a group, and show each individual the actual screen, one to one, at another time.

Session One

Aims: 

• to introduce new supervisors to all the online support material 
• to ensure supervisors consider how to support their trainees
• to ensure an understanding of key practical issues
• to boost confidence  
• to offer offline support for supervisors

Preparation:  Post relevant advice into Experience Bank.

Explain the nature of your role. Describe how the rollout is going/planned in your authority.  Stress the importance of high quality supervision to maintain the quality of learning.

(10 mins)

Discussion – What do trainees need?

Recalling what it was like being a trainee, first impressions. Supervisors make a list of the 3 most important things to do to support a trainee once they activate them. Go to the Experience Bank and post the list, or add any new points to lists you have posted before.

(30 mins)

Tour of the online tools

Show and describe the online tools and support for supervisors on screen. 

(30 mins)  Describe your own experiences.

Discussion and questions on practical offline issues – any deadlines, staffing questions,  computer access for trainees, time allowed for supervision, how they get support themselves.

(20 mins )

Session Two

Aims:

• to ensure supervisors are giving high quality written and verbal feedback
• to boost confidence in decision-making and assessment of trainees
• to indicate routes for future support and consultation

Preparation: Choose and show on screen or print out an example of the completed exercises  from one learning log for one module of one trainee (you can use your own, or that of another trainee see below)

Discussion:  What do supervisors need?

First experiences as a supervisor.  What they can do to support each other, what they need from the co-ordinator.(20 mins)

Feedback exercise:

If in a small group, use examples of exercises from a trainee’s learning log  (use the same one for each supervisor).   Ask supervisors to complete a Learning Review feedback in response to what they have read. Aim to do this very quickly, say in 20 minutes.

If the session is with an individual, then the co ordinator chooses a log of a trainee unfamiliar to them, and to the supervisor and you could both do the exercise and compare results.

(20 mins)

Discussion & Feedback

Each individual reads out what they have written.  Group discusses which approach is most effective. Co ordinator finishes by reinforcing the value of specific praise and specific feedback, both negative and positive, rather than generalisation.  Note how the co-ordinator will check the learning reviews before issuing certificates

(20 mins)

Dealing with problems

Discussion in pairs or groups:

Each group, pair or individual writes down either a real or imaginary problem that a supervisor could have with a trainee on a piece of paper, then folds it over.  (5 mins)

Then they swap the written problem with another pair, individual or group.  Each now works out strategies to solve the problem they have been passed.

Then feedback the solutions they came up with.

( 20 mins)

Support for supervisors.  Explain the ways in which supervisors can share experiences, and news and what and how they should communicate with you.

(10 mins)

Opening the Book 2006