The supervision record has two audiences that rarely overlap: the supervisor and supervisee, who use it to track actions, and the reviewer months or years later who wants to know whether a risk was recognised and what was decided about it. A record that serves the first audience but not the second is the one that gets read aloud at an inquiry.
What a case supervision record must contain
For each case discussed:
- Reference and date of last discussion.
- Update since last supervision — briefly; the detail is in the case record.
- Issues discussed — the risk, the dilemma, the question the worker brought.
- Decision — what was decided, and the reasoning. This is the sentence the reviewer is looking for.
- Actions — owner and date.
- Disagreement — if the worker and supervisor did not agree, both views and who made the final call. Recording disagreement protects everyone.
- Escalation — if the case was, or should be, taken above the supervisor.
Reflective supervision — the worker’s wellbeing, workload, development, the emotional impact of the work — should be recorded separately, in less detail, with the worker’s agreement about what is written.
Case supervision record example
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Common mistakes
- “Case discussed. Continue plan.” Records the fact of supervision and nothing else.
- Decisions without rationale. A reviewer can accept a wrong decision that was reasoned; they cannot accept one that was not.
- Disagreement smoothed over. If the worker thought differently, the record should say so. It protects the worker if the decision proves wrong, and the supervisor if it proves right.
- Reflective content mixed into the case record. The worker’s stress belongs in a separate record, with their agreement.
- Actions without dates. Supervision actions that are never late are never done.
Free supervision record template
CASE SUPERVISION RECORD TEMPLATE
Date: [date] Supervisee: [name] Supervisor: [name]
CASE: [reference] (last discussed [date])
Update
[brief]
Issues discussed
[the question brought; each party’s view]
Decision and rationale
[what was decided; why]
Actions
[numbered; owner; date]
Disagreement
[none / both views and who decided]
Escalation
[none / to whom / threshold]
Next discussion
[date or trigger]
[repeat per case]
REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION (separate record)
[Workload, wellbeing, development — with supervisee’s agreement on content]
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the supervision record?
Practice varies; commonly the supervisor drafts and both sign. Whoever writes it, both should agree it is accurate, and disagreement about the record itself should be recorded.
Should the supervision record go on the case file?
The case decisions and actions should be recorded on the case file, or cross-referenced to it, so they are visible to anyone reading the case. Reflective content should not.
How long should case supervision records be kept?
Follow your organisation’s retention policy; they are typically kept for as long as the case record itself.