Supervision

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.

Supervision is educative and supportive and is therefore not a line management relationship. The supervisee has a key role in seeking professional supervision from an approved professional supervisor, and drives the professional supervision relationship.

Supervision is an annual requirement for financial counsellors. Sessions should occur on a regular basis throughout the year, and can be undertaken in various modes: face-to-face, video conference, or telephone meetings between the supervisee and supervisor.

Supervision provides a safe and exclusive environment for both supervisee and supervisor. This enables the supervisee to ask questions and have discussions around any issue that is affecting their practice. 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.

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

Supervision can be provided by an FCAN Approved Supervisors, or a registered psychologist or counsellor qualified to provide professional supervision to their own profession.

Supervision requirements for financial counsellors:

Accredited, Associate and Student Financial Counsellor members are required each year to undertake a minimum of:

• 20 hours of supervision (if employed 20 hours or more per week), or
• 10 hours of supervision (if employed less than 20 hours per week).

At least 50% of the minimum hours of professional supervision must be one on one supervision provided by an FCAN Approved Supervisor.

A single supervision session should be no more than 2 hours long.

More details around mandatory, best practice and acceptable standards for professional supervision are specified in the FCAN Supervision Policy and Guidelines.