This page is designed to answer the following questions:
- 3.3 Provide constructive feedback that can be used to improve practice (Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, Professional development, supervision and performance management)
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To support the supervisee’s learning and development, the supervisor should provide them with constructive feedback that can be used to improve their practice. The supervisor should deliver this feedback in a clear and positive way and supervisees should understand that feedback is not to be taken personally and should be used for continuous improvement. As a manager, you may wish to discuss the importance of feedback at the beginning of the session. You will also want to request feedback from supervisees about yourself – not only can this make team members feel more comfortable about the feedback cycle but also gives you the opportunity to demonstrate or role-model how constructive feedback can improve work practices.
Feedback can be delivered by asking the supervisee how they feel they performed when carrying out a task – this will form part of self-reflection as discussed in the previous section. You can then add your own insights and advice to support their development. It is important to encourage supervisees to identify their own developmental needs to empower them to take more responsibility for their growth and progression.
To communicate areas for improvement effectively, you must be clear and unambiguous. If performance is not satisfactory, you should be able to explain why and be able to back it up with evidence. If a supervisee needs to improve in an area of their practice then you should advise them on how they could improve rather than just telling them to get better at it. For example, if a supervisee’s handwriting is difficult to read, instead of saying that they must write neater you may recommend that they write slower or in block capitals. You may also ask if there is anything you can do to support them in this area – for example, ensuring they have an extra 5 minutes at the end of their shift to complete their notes.
Assessment criteria
Learners provide feedback to the supervise which:
- Is constructive and developmental and can be used to improve practice
- Supports the supervise to identify their own development needs
- Is unambiguous and clearly sets out any issues