Supporting workforce retention and development. 

Professional Supervision

Professional supervision is the process of one worker seeking another person with the same qualification and expertise in supervision to assist them to work through aspects of their professional development.

Professional supervision for financial counsellors is a formal relationship between supervisor and supervisee designed to promote wellbeing, facilitate reflective practice, explore ethical issues, develop skills and foster best practice.

Professional supervision is an annual requirement for financial counsellors undertaking casework.

Supervision sessions should occur on a regular basis throughout the year. The supervisee has a key role in seeking professional supervision from a recognised professional supervisor and drives the professional supervision relationship. Supervision can be undertaken in various modes: face-to-face (minimum of two sessions per year), video conference, or telephone meetings between the supervisee and supervisor.

Supervision should provide a safe and exclusive environment for both supervisee and supervisor. This will enable the supervisee to ask questions and have discussions around any issue that is affecting their practice. Professional supervision may involve casework, emotional, personal and psychological support with a view to the supervisee seeking what is needed and the supervisor assisting with resourcing and support. Professional supervision is an educative and supportive function and is not line management.

Professional supervision is a mechanism that supports workforce retention and development and manages risk for the individual financial counsellors and the employing agencies.

Professional Supervision is a framework that facilitates:

  • A supported and professional workforce
  • Confidence for consumers that they will receive high quality service
  • Extension and currency of the financial counsellor’s knowledge, skill set and personal awareness
  • Opportunities to reflect and develop in professional role
  • Mitigation of risk of burnout and vicarious traumatisation

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUPERVISEE ARE:

10 hours per year: For members employed 20 hours a week or more

6 hours per year: For members employed less than 20 hours per week

Professional Supervision Resources

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Professional Supervision Summary Form

Template for logging the dates and times of supervision sessions
  This form can be provided to agencies as evidence of supervision as it does not include any confidential notes from the session.

FCVic Professional Supervision Policy

This policy sets out the prescribed requirements for Professional Supervision for FCVic members, above and beyond the requirements outlined in the National Policy.

FCVic CPD and Professional Supervision Audit Policy

This policy sets out the processes that FCVic will follow in conducting an audit of CPD and professional supervision requirements, and the responsibilities of practising members as part of the audit process

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Becoming a Professional Supervisor

FCVic wishes to encourage experienced financial counsellors who have attained the Diploma of Financial Counselling and have had extensive case work experience (minimum 3840 hours of practice as a financial counsellor; with two years as a full member of FCVic) to apply to become Professional Supervisors to provide professional supervision to financial counsellors throughout Victoria.

FCVic requires prospective supervisors to undertake professional supervision training. There are two endorsed providers of professional supervision training: Michelle Bihary and ICAN Learn. In addition, financial counsellors are required to complete FCVic’s Professional Supervision for New Supervisors e-Learning course prior to applying to become a professional supervisor.