Module 9: Options for Skills Improvements

Rationale

To increase proficiency in his/her information management skills, supervisors should be able to introduce to their supervisory units the concepts learned and practiced during this seminar.

Activities

• Exercise: Back in the office activity practice (1 hour )

Time

1 hour

Objectives

After completing this module, the participant will be able to:

• Describe the activities he/she will implement in the office with one or more of his/her caseworkers
• Feel prepared to implement the activities with his/her staff
• Understand where to turn for support when back in the office implementing the activities

Materials

Easel, newsprint, markers and tape

Flipcharts from Module 4, Supervising for Results---Identifying and Locating Key Data, and Module 8, Technology is Changing the Job of the Child Welfare Supervisor: Are You a Change Leader?

Sample overheads and handouts:

1. Stages of Change Commitment Model (8.3)

2. Personal Action Plan (9.1)

3. Preparing for Supervision Checklist (9.2)

4. Trainer Contact List (9.3)

Advance Preparation

Make sure that the flipchart, overheads, markers, and overhead projector are in the room.

Identify, plan and develop the appropriate 'take home' exercises based on the training presented.

Glossary of Terms

Bibliography and Suggested Reading

Trainer's Instruction

1. Introduce this module by explaining the purpose and objectives.

This module will prepare you to practice your newly learned or enhanced information management skills with your supervisory units. After completing this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe the activities you will implement in the office with one or more of your caseworkers
2. Feel prepared to implement the activities with your staff
3. Understand where to turn for support when back in the office implementing the activities

2. Move into the first activity in this module using the following as a guideline:

Yesterday we discussed several topics all aimed at helping you improve your supervisory skills using the data and information available to you from SACWIS and related reports. It's important to focus our thinking now on how you will implement the skills learned during this seminar back in your office. We want to help you prepare to share your new or enhanced skills with your staff. This morning, you will have the opportunity to practice two activities--one is a commitment to change exercise; the other follows up on using SACWIS data and reports and supervision time to gather data and information.

3. Ask participants to refer to the 'Phases of Change of Commitment Model' (8.3).

4. Ask participants to think of 2 workers on their team: one who has the 'best' attitude toward SACWIS and one who has the worst attitude toward SACWIS. Ask the participants to place the person at the appropriate place on the commitment curve. Have the supervisors reflect on these questions:

1. What does the worker who has the better attitude do differently that the one who has the worst attitude?
2. What did each of them do when SACWIS was first introduced? When training was offered? When it first became available?
3. What do they do now if they run into a problem with SACWIS?
4. How do they differ in their skills and approach to the job? To their colleagues? To you as their supervisor?
5. What role do you play with each of them?
6. What can you do to assist your workers to move to a higher degree of commitment as depicted on the 'Phases of Change of Commitment Model'? Remind participants that they must be specific here.

5. Have the group break-up into pairs. Ask each person to share with his/her partner the situation, explain where on the chart his/her workers are and discuss the behavior the person is displaying to make the supervisor place the staff person in that spot on the curve. Have the partners comment on each other's placement of the person on the curve.

6. After 15 minutes, bring the group back together and ask 2-3 participants to volunteer to describe their 2 workers, where they placed them on the curve, why they placed them there and the actions they propose to take to move them to the next phase of commitment'. Solicit comments from the group on the volunteered plans.

7. Refer to handout 9.1, 'The Personal Action Plan', and ask participants to spend a few minutes completing the document. Mention that they will be filling out the personal action plan for both the change and supervision activities. Explain that part of their take home work will be to record the lessons learned from practicing the activities and bring those lessons back and share with the group.

8. Start the next exercise by referring to the flipcharts from Modules 4 and 5 that contain material on key data elements in SACWIS and reports, 'helpful practices' and information gathered during supervision, and quickly reviewing the contents. Ask the participants to think of a staff person with whom they will be having (or can schedule) supervision during the next two weeks, who will be preparing for a major milestone, is new to the job or is not keeping up with assigned work. The situation should be real and specific.

9. Ask the participants to refer handout 9.2, 'Preparing for Supervision Checklist' and the 'Helpful Practices' flipchart and to think of and write down what data he/she will review in SACWIS and on reports and what questions he/she will ask the worker during supervision.

10. After approximately 15 minutes, ask for 2-3 volunteers to describe the supervisory situation and share his/her 'Preparing for Supervision' checklist and facilitate comments on the checklist from the other participants. Participants should then take a few minutes to incorporate the feedback from their peers into their checklists.

11. Ask participants to refer to handout 9.1, 'The Personal Action Plan,' and have participants complete the plan.

12. Wrap-up the session by asking for and addressing any concerns that the participants have regarding the 'take-home' exercises and refer participants to the 'Trainer Contact List' (9.3). Encourage participants to call a trainer or peer if they are having difficulties implementing any of the action plan items or drafting up the lessons learned.

13. Introduce the next module, Day 2 Wrap-up

Notes

The trainer should develop activities that match the training provided, use 'real' data and build on the skills developed. Activity options might include: