Practitioners in the helping professions today operate in challenging settings where budgets have been cut dramatically, and progression and success are too often defined primarily by key performance indicators and strategic outcomes. Tensions arise when such pressures conflict with helping professionals' core responsibilities to provide excellent care, advocate for patients or service users and to seek social justice.

This book introduces a critical model for supervision which addresses not only the human relationships and interactions involved in work, but also the financial, political and managerial environment in which the work is carried out. It identifies how reflective practice alone is not enough to bring about transformational change, and outlines how practitioners can learn in and through supervision, drawing on ideas from critical pedagogy and organisational learning. Practice examples are included to demonstrate the use of this approach within contemporary human service environments.

Providing a new approach for effective supervision, this book will be of interest to practitioners, managers, researchers, academics and students working across the human services, including health care, social services and criminal justice.

Dr Carolyn Noble is Founding Professor of Social Work and Head of School of Social Work at Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP, private college) Sydney, as well as Professor Emerita at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. She has taught and developed undergraduate and postgraduate programs in social work, counselling and psychotherapy, social science, mental health and professional supervision. She has published in the area of social work education, practice and supervision.

Dr Mel Gray is Professor of Social Work at The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Mel Gray came to academia having spent 15 years practising social work in the complex, morally challenging and politically charged society of South Africa. She has published widely on matters relating to social work education and practice.

Lou Johnston is a casual lecturer and PhD student at The University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, studying supervision of supervisors and developing supervision practice. In private practice, she provides individual and group supervision and human service consultancy on change, culture, and team development.