1-on-1 versus Group Supervision: What Do You Need?
Introduction
If you're new to the PBS field, you might be wondering what type of supervision will suit you best. Or perhaps you've been working as a BSP for a while and are curious about what supervision looks like on the other side.
I've provided both 1-on-1 and group supervision for PBS Practitioners, and I've found that each approach has its own strengths and challenges. What works well for one practitioner won't necessarily be the right fit for another, and what you need from supervision can change as your practice develops.
So, based on my experience providing both types of supervision, let's look at the differences between 1-on-1 and group supervision and what you might want to consider when deciding which approach is right for you.
What is 1-on-1 and Group Supervision?
First, let's quickly define both of these, as we never want to assume everyone automatically knows what they look like!
1-on-1 supervision typically involves you and your Supervisor meeting together, either in person or online, without other supervisees present. In my experience, this gives the practitioner the opportunity to direct the conversation towards the topics most relevant to their current practice and development, usually following an agenda they've prepared. Your Supervisor can then respond to those topics in their own style and may provide further reading, resources or suggestions for development.
Group supervision can be more diverse, as it might be conducted alongside peers within your organisation, or with peers who have been matched together by your Supervisor. Typically, you'll be meeting with several other practitioners, either in person or online, with your Supervisor facilitating the session.
Rather than having your Supervisor's attention focused solely on you, their attention is shared across the group. This means you may contribute one or two discussion topics during a session, depending on the size of the group and what others bring to the conversation.
Discussion can be more free-flowing between supervisees too. Your Supervisor isn't necessarily the only person who can provide advice or resources, so you may learn from the experiences, perspectives and knowledge of the other practitioners in the group.
As a note, you wouldn't usually do group supervision with your direct line manager in the session. Partly because you're usually on different levels of knowledge and experience, but also because this might shift the peer aspect of what makes group supervision so comfortable.
As I type this, I realise I'm usually always in my group supervision sessions with my team each Friday. Whoops! I just enjoy the discussions we have and learning from my team. I do let others take turns to lead it so we can share around the experience of running supervision sessions. I might have to make a rule of missing every second session to give my team a more comfortable environment moving forward. This is why it’s important to reflect!
Why Might You Prefer 1-on-1?
Most people come to us with the idea of seeking 1-on-1 supervision, as that's typically what people think of when they think of the word "Supervision".
I'd say it's the primary type of supervision I provide because it allows the practitioner to have dedicated time with their Supervisor and focus the session on their own practice and development. In my experience, this can be particularly useful when a practitioner has specific areas they want to work on or needs more targeted support.
Some of the key benefits I've observed are:
No one else to distract or derail the conversation
You can tackle all the key topics you wanted to discuss
The working relationship between you and your Supervisor may solidify more quickly
Your practice may develop more quickly in specific areas you're actively working on
If you're more on the introverted side, you might find it more comfortable
In my experience, the more targeted nature of 1-on-1 supervision can make it easier to focus on specific capability areas and prepare evidence for your PBS Capability Framework review. However, your progression through the Framework will depend on your broader practice, development and evidence, not simply the type of supervision you receive.
However, as I’ve seen over time in my sessions, this style does come with a few drawbacks to consider:
It’s usually the most expensive type of supervision
There’s more pressure on you to bring the topics of conversation
There’s less knowledge and experience in the meeting to draw from since it’s only the two of you
Inherently less opportunity to build connections with other practitioners; this can be an issue if you’re already working in quite an isolating environment
Also less opportunity to spontaneously come across a scenario or topic that you’ll benefit from hearing more about
Why Might Group Work Better?
As mentioned above, group supervision can take different forms. You might participate in supervision alongside BSPs within your organisation, or you might be part of a peer group made up of practitioners who have been matched together by your Supervisor. The exact experience can vary depending on how the group is structured, but there are some common benefits and drawbacks I've observed.
If you engage in group supervision, you can expect:
To hear a wider variety of discussions, scenarios, and questions within session, including things you might never have thought of
To pay less overall - group supervision usually works out to be cheaper due to sharing the cost across multiple people
There’s a sense of ‘we’re in this together’ and that you’re part of a team, even if you don’t work together
You can be encouraged by, and get to encourage, your peers which can be great if you’re a solo practitioner or just coming into the field
You may have people in your group with different specialties and areas of interest which you’ll be able to learn from too
It can provide opportunities to develop and demonstrate capabilities around peer supervision. The PBS Capability Framework specifically includes participating in peer supervision with another proficient practitioner where relevant to the practitioner's supervision arrangements, so a group setting may provide useful opportunities to develop this aspect of practice.
Then, of course, to cover the drawbacks:
You may not get to all your topics if other’s topics have been more complex or taken more time
If you end up in a group where you don’t feel comfortable or aren’t given enough chance to speak, this can reduce the effectiveness of your Supervision
From time to time, other people might have conflicting values or opinions to navigate (though if you reframe this, it’s another chance to reflect)
If you end up in a group with varying levels of reliability, punctuality, and commitment to Supervision, this might be irksome for you (for some this is a deal-breaker)
In my experience, progression through particular capability areas can sometimes take longer in group supervision because the focus is shared across several practitioners. This isn't because group supervision is inherently less valuable, but because there may be less opportunity to focus deeply on your individual development needs.
Other Points to Consider
If you don't feel like you're connecting well with the group you're in, I recommend speaking to your Supervisor about this rather than simply assuming group supervision isn't right for you. There may be another group with an opening that you'd fit into better, or a smaller group might suit you more. The quality of the group dynamic can make a real difference to how comfortable you feel contributing and how much you get from the supervision.
If your organisation is wanting you to do group supervision as part of your PBS team, you may be more constrained in your options. In that situation, you could consider whether some of your supervision time could be shifted to 1-on-1 sessions instead.
One arrangement I've found works particularly well is group supervision with the organisation's BSPs every two weeks, with each BSP having their own 1-on-1 session in the alternating weeks. For example:
Group supervision
1-on-1 session with BSP A
Group supervision
1-on-1 session with BSP B
I like this approach because, in my experience, it can provide the benefits of both types of supervision: practitioners get opportunities for peer learning and connection through the group sessions, while still having dedicated individual time to focus on their own practice and development.
It won't necessarily be the right arrangement for every team, but it's one option worth considering when you're trying to balance the benefits of group and 1-on-1 supervision.
Conclusion
To summarise, there isn't one type of supervision that’s automatically better than the other. Both 1-on-1 and group supervision have benefits and drawbacks, and what works best for you may change as your practice develops.
Reflection on 1-on-1 Supervision: 1-on-1 supervision can be particularly valuable when you want dedicated time to focus on your own practice, specific capability areas or topics that need a deeper conversation. It can also suit practitioners who feel more comfortable working through their ideas in a private 1-to-1 setting.
Reflection on Group Supervision: Group supervision can provide valuable opportunities to learn from other practitioners, hear different perspectives and scenarios, and develop connections with peers. It may be particularly useful if you're looking to broaden your learning beyond your own caseload and experiences.
For some practitioners and organisations, a combination of both approaches may work particularly well. Consider whether alternating between group and 1-on-1 supervision could give you the opportunity to benefit from both.
Most importantly, remember that your supervision needs aren't necessarily fixed. It's okay if what you need from supervision changes over time. If you feel like your current arrangement isn't working for you, talk with your Supervisor about what could be changed.
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