The importance of professional supervision for school social workers. A qualitative study

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Published: Apr 19, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/socialwork-rss.42235
Keywords:
School community crises supervision self-realization school social workers
Georgios Filippidis
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-1045
kyriaki Zafeiridou
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9148-7538
Abstract

The present study examines the importance of professional supervision for school social workers in Greece. Although supervision has been practiced for many years, its framework, methods, and outcomes have not been sufficiently documented through research. Nevertheless, supervision has already been incorporated into educational programs and professional bodies of counselors and psychotherapists as a means of skills development and continuing professional education. For this reason, the present study seeks to highlight and emphasize the significance of professional supervision in strengthening the role of the school social worker. This is because supervision constitutes an important tool that contributes to the development of professional skills, the enhancement of self-awareness, and the improvement of self-regulation and self-esteem among school social workers, and beyond.It is worth noting that within the context of social work in the field of education, the development of professional skills in managing a wide range of crises and students’ psychosocial and emotional difficulties is a key priority. The present qualitative study was conducted with ten school social workers through semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis of the research findings revealed that professional supervision is more necessary than ever. Beyond the numerous contemporary psychosocial challenges, supervision contributes both to improving the quality of services provided by school social workers and to the creation of a safe and supportive environment that fosters collaboration and professional development.

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