Multi-Agency Supervision
Families today are increasingly more complex, with large sibling groups where a number of professionals are involved and where significant amounts of information is shared and family circumstances frequently change.
The Multi Agency Supervision approach is designed to allow practitioners to be a critical friend to each other whilst identifying any further information required to evidence further harm or safety in the family.
Key to this is having time to reflect in a safe space for learning and to fully analyse all information known about the family as a whole system, rather than managing individual crisis as they occur.
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Purpose of Multi-Agency SupervisionShow details
The purpose of joint supervision across partner agencies is to provide a safe space to slow down thinking and reflect upon situations, which may feel complex and at times ever changeable.
The Multi Agency Supervision process is to support all partners working with a child, adult and family to agree a multi-agency shared understanding of strength, risk and needs from a trauma informed perspective. This shared understanding informs decision making, strengthening how we can work in a preventative way to develop a plan to address need and risk.
It offers a reflective space for joint analysis of assessment information, an opportunity to explore what professionals know about the lived experience of the child as well as any gaps within the information and what further information is required.
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Principles of Multi-Agency SupervisionShow details
Multi Agency Supervision does not replace statutory multi-agency processes such as Child in Need meetings, Core Groups and Child Protection Conferences which fully involve the family, including wider family, in decision-making and planning processes.
This Multi Agency Supervision process does not replace single agency individual professional supervision nor is it a decision-making forum regarding case escalation or closure.
Multi Agency Supervision does not replace the Escalation Policy and process. If Multi-Agency Supervision Leads are of the opinion that there is ‘professional disagreement’, the request will not be approved and the Escalation Policy will be followed.
The principles of Multi Agency Supervision will be to support learning across agencies in the best interests of families to ensure that children, young people and their families receive the right levels of support and interventions at the right time.
If through the undertaking of joint supervision, there are wider learning points identified by professionals, for example, trends within the locality or specific multi-agency learning needs, these should be fed back to Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership for further discussion and consideration.
It is important that all professionals attending ensure that they have delegated authority from their respective agency.
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The Multi-Agency Supervision sessionShow details
– Will be a safe space for multi agency reflection and analysis.
– Open and honest conversations and reflections from professionals.
– There will be a healthy ‘critical friend’ approach by all professionals and offer respectful challenge when needed.
– A Trauma Informed Approach will be used to understand the family being discussed.
– Each Partner Lead will maintain neutrality in the process.
Request for Multi-Agency Supervision
Multi Agency Supervision should be requested when there is an emerging or increasing risk, need and vulnerability for a child who has an open plan of support in place from Children’s Social Care which includes:
- Targeted Early Help
- Child in Need (CIN)
- Child Protection (CP)
- Child in Care (CIC)
Examples of when a Multi Agency Supervision meeting could be considered are:
- Complexity within case; a number of professionals involved
- Drift and delay within the case – ‘Start Again’ within cases of neglect
- Families with multiple siblings
- Families where SEND is a factor
Multi-Agency Supervision Process
The Multi-Agency Supervision Flowchart outlines the steps which need to be taken to initiate and facilitate a supervision session by any nominating service across the partnership.
The case should be discussed by the accountable Team Manager or relevant Safeguarding Lead/Supervisor and agreement reached that the case should be considered for Multi Agency Supervision.
A Multi-Agency Supervision Referral Form will be shared with the Supervision Leads in each partner organisation for consideration. Whether there is professional disagreement should also be considered at this stage.
Where agreement is reached to undertake a Multi-Agency Supervision session, two leads from differing partner agencies should be agreed to facilitate the session to allow a coordinated multi-agency approach from the onset.
