A core function of supervision is to assess worker knowledge, skills, and abilities against the mission, values, and practice standards of the agency, with the goal of strengthening worker performance, resilience, and retention. This includes assessing what additional training, coaching, and mentoring is needed to help workers set and achieve job and career goals and engaging the worker in this process.
Improving worker performance
A Child Welfare Leader's Desk Guide to Building a High-Performing Agency
Annie E. Casey Foundation (2015)
Outlines how child welfare agencies can attract and support a highly skilled workforce and discusses specific recruitment strategies for child welfare leaders. Practice #2 specifically focuses on how to emphasize human resources, training, and supervision.
Child Welfare Supervision: Coaching Conversations (PDF - 1,147 KB) [Presentation]
Lockwood & Doty (2016)
Butler Institute for Families, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver
Outlines the importance of coaching in child welfare supervision. Coaching can help supervisors engage staff in self-directed learning and skills development, which builds casework practice.
Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2019
CapLEARN
Provides training, resources, videos, and activities that explain how to develop agency capacity and programs that foster a healthy child welfare work environment.
Coaching in Child Welfare (PDF - 234 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Explores coaching in child welfare as a strategy for reinforcing knowledge and skills and improving implementation of effective practices. This brief explains the important role of coaching for child welfare administrators, managers, and supervisors.
Defining Quality Contacts
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Provides a foundation for understanding what quality contacts look like, why they are important, and how a child welfare agency can set the stage for their successful implementation.
Ohio Differential Response: Coaching and Supervision Tools (PDF - 394 KB)
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (2016)
Offers tools and strategies to help child welfare supervisors use effective coaching practices when overseeing caseworkers. The workbook includes suggested coaching questions, field observation tools, a case review tool, and a consultation framework.
On the Frontline: Improving Child Protective Services Investigations
Mattingly (2014)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Focuses on understanding when families need protection and when systems should not intervene in the lives of kids and families.
Quality Contact Casework Activities Worksheet
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Lists suggested casework activities to undertake before, during, and after a caseworker visit with children, youth, and families.
Quality Worker-Parent Visits: A Tip Sheet for Supervisors and Managers (PDF - 202 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Describes how supervisors and program managers can assist child welfare caseworkers in conducting quality visits with parents.
| Series Title | Bulletins for Professionals |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 821KB) |
| Year Published | 2020 |
Supporting Quality Contacts Through Supervisor-Worker Coaching (PDF - 215 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Offers one-on-one coaching techniques aimed at enhancing the quality of caseworker contacts with children, youth, and families. This tip sheet presents coaching steps and tips that supervisors can use to help workers strengthen their skills, build confidence, and make progress toward identified goals.
Transfer of Learning to the Field: A Follow-Up With Child Welfare MSW Students After an Intensive Clinical Training (PDF - 79 KB)
Green, Wade, & Ting (2016)
Field Education Simmons School of Social Work, 6(2)
Provides the results of a randomized control trial involving MSW students learning motivational interviewing (MI). Findings suggest that the role of the field instructor was instrumental in whether students did or did not use MI in posttraining practice.
Improving retention and resilience
Five Steps to a Stronger Child Welfare Workforce: Hiring and Retaining the Right People on the Frontline (PDF - 2,673 KB)
Annie E. Casey Foundation (2018)
Outlines five steps that child welfare agency leaders can take to improve the child welfare workforce in the areas of recruitment, hiring, evaluation, workforce innovation, competencies, data, and others. The guide provides implementation timelines, tips and tools, and real-world examples for each step.
How Does Turnover Affect Outcomes and What Can Be Done to Address Retention?
Casey Family Programs (2017)
Discusses why retention matters in child welfare and presents several strategies to support effective recruitment and retention, including managing and supervising effectively.
The Influence of Transformational Leadership and Job Burnout on Child Protective Services Case Managers' Commitment and Intent to Quit
Rittschof & Fortunato (2015)
Journal of Social Service Research, 42(3)
Shares the impact that competent, supportive leadership has on job burnout and job attitudes of child protective services managers.
Organizational Culture, Supervision and Retention of Public Child Welfare Workers (PDF - 366 KB)
Williams (2018)
Journal of Sociology and Social Work, 6(2)
Examines satisfaction and retention of child welfare workers when supervisors are effective managers and finds better outcomes when supervisors cultivate feelings of caring and safety.
Workforce Development
Capacity Building Center for States
Compiles data and resources to develop and implement recruiting and retention strategies and cultivate long-term employment solutions.