Remote Supervision: Getting the balance right

This research was undertaken jointly by the CCGSJ and the Research Unit of the Kent Surrey and Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company

The final report Remote Supervision: Getting the Balance Right was authored by Jane Dominey at the CCGSJ and David Coley, Kerry Ellis Devitt and Jess Lawrence at KSS CRC.

The research set out to examine probation supervision practice in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It explored case managers’ views of the benefits and limitations of different methods of remote communication, and the suitability for their continued usage in the post-pandemic future. The research sought to answer two key questions:

1. What practice methods, skills and technologies are currently being used by case managers?
2. What current practice measures do case managers experience as valuable, with the potential to be retained and developed in the future?

The report's take-home points include:

• Supervision cannot rely on telephone contact alone
• However, there is a place for telephone supervision
• The importance of professional discretion in these decisions
• There is scope to think about video calls for the future
• There is potential to develop the use of internet resources for supervision
• Flexible working for staff is increasingly possible with greater use of remote supervision