Implementing self-care practices: social work supervisors’ strategies to support supervisee well-being

This study explored how social work supervisors can intentionally integrate self-care into the supervision process to support supervisee well-being and address rising concerns of burnout in the profession. The guiding research question was: What do social workers recommend as supervision strategies to address self-care with supervisees? This qualitative action research study used a generic inquiry approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, including social work supervisees, supervisors, and supervisor trainers. Participants were licensed social workers with relevant supervisory experience, recruited across the country. Thematic analysis was conducted using Delve software to identify patterns and key themes. Five primary themes emerged: defining self-care, the supervisory role in promoting self-care, challenges in practice, the evolving nature of self-care, and ethical obligations to support well-being. Findings revealed that supervisors play a critical role in modelling and fostering self-care, yet face challenges such as a lack of training, time constraints, and limited organisational support. The results informed the development of an informational pamphlet for supervisors outlining practical self-care strategies and recommended practices for supervision. This project contributes to the growing discourse on social worker well-being and offers actionable recommendations for improving supervision standards, supervisor training, and agency-level policy.