Counselling Supervision Training - supervisor training for counsellor

CASCADE DIPLOMA in Supervision Training 2008

What is CASCADE Training?

CASCADE offers supervision residential training courses nationally at Diploma level.

The CASCADE Diploma covers both Individual and Group Supervision and is for Counsellors, Psychotherapists and those in related professions. There are two venues: one in the South and one in the North of England.

CASCADE Training is an ABC Awards accredited Course offering a professional qualification. The course was initially set up in the 1980s by Francesca Inskipp and Brigid Proctor and since 1994 has been facilitated by a team of experts in the field of counselling, psychotherapy and supervision.

CASCADE Training is an integrative course designed to facilitate particpants to learn, establish and identify their skills as a supervisor in their professional field. We pride ourselves on a high ratio of student - tutor contact and aim to have 1 tutor to 6 students when the course is fully subscribed.

To find out about the two CASCADE courses click on the left side of this page either North (2x1 weeks) or South (6 weekends) for information, application forms and prices.

Due to continued demand the course will now be available at two venues St Columba's (Woking) and Rydal Hall (Ambleside)with two different residential formats. See North and South webpages.
Woking: six weekends January to December 2009
Ambleside: two one week courses November 2008 and April 2009

Courses

Every year we run a CPD day for previous Cascade students and prospective students. Information of this event is on the CPD Day

The Application process
Applicants first submit a form in which they show their qualifications and experience and send a deposit. If they satisfy the course requirements a place is reserved on the course for them, if not the depsit is refunable. Students are then required to consider the course handbook, course working agreement, confidentiality agreement and assessment requirements. They need to send the registration form to secure them a place and state payment method(agency or personal), and the supervisors form.

Prior to the start of the course students are contacted by their tutor and can request a face to face interview. Students are asked to discuss the course requirements and content with their existing supervisor who is then asked to sign a form to say their supervision work will be supervised.

Learning on the Course

Entry requirements

Course members are expected to be trained in counselling or agreed equivalent to Diploma level, with a minimum of 4 years post qualified experience of at least 150 hours per year.

Course members who come from related professions are expected to also have 4 years of post qualified experience and some training in counselling skills.

All participants will be supervising at least a minimum of 2 individuals (not seen as a pair) or 1 individual and one group (more than two people) during the course as part of the requirements for the Diploma.

CASCADE Course Philosophy and Culture
The course focuses on aspects of the supervisory relationship and process within the framework of an integrative approach. Within that framework the thinking and practice from the major counselling and psychotherapeutic approaches are incorporated and participants are expected to relate the course content to their own orientation.

The overall aim of the course is to enable students to increase their competence and confidence and develop their practice in the following areas:

1. The purpose, role and task of supervision
2. The context in which supervision takes place
3. The working alliance
4. Issues affecting the supervisee
5. The process and skills of supervision
6. Group supervision
7. Assessment and evaluation in supervision
8. Ethical thinking and decision making
9. Working creatively with supervisees
Students are encouraged to identify their own learning needs and to take responsibility for meeting those needs within the framework of the course. They are also encouraged to develop their own style and models of supervision. The course is therefore designed and delivered in a way that mirrors the spirit of the supervisory relationship.

As a rough guideline, the following is one student's breakdown of hours she spent working on and between course weekends:

Course time:
6 weekends, Jan, Mar, May, July, Oct and Nov = 100 contact hours
which include Peer Support Partners,Supervision Practice Groups and Tutor input

Between weekends - Approximate 3.25 hours a week, which consists of:
Creating learning contract - 2 hours
Creating work plan for the year - 7
Reading course workbooks - 82
Saturday PSP meetings in April, June and September - 21
Work for above PSP meetings - 9
Work doing minutes for PSP meetings and PSP Workplan - 30
Work for SPG meetings, e-mails, writing up Feedback sheets -18
Prep for assessment seminar - 20
Assessment Seminar delivery - 1
Essay Writing - 53
Essay re-editing between mid Aug and early Sept - 4
PSP essay verification before hand-in - 9
Work for portfolio after 5 weekends - 60
PSP phone/e-mails before portfolio hand-in - 9

All students are required to consider the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and any other code of ethics that they may adhere to in relation to their training and orientation and the context within which they work.

Confidentiality
All students make an agreement regarding confidentiality within the course and define their practice with regard to confidentiality. This may be included in work on contracting with supervisees, especially where there may be ethical dilemmas in using some supervisees as casework material during the course and in written work.

Teaching
Teaching takes place in large and small groups. We aim to have up to 24 students on each course with four tutors. Less numbers will require fewer tutors, the minimum being two.

Equal Opportunities
CASCADE supervision training courses are designed to encourage the creation of an environment which promotes equality of opportunity in its training. Our aim is to offer training that is free of stereotyped and oppressive beliefs and attitudes and is responsive to the individual needs of trainees. We believe that our training should be free from discrimination on the grounds of age, culture, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and social class. We therefore endeavour to take into account the views of groups that suffer discrimination by paying attention to how we communicate and use language, the environment in which we learn, and in our publicity.

Comments from past students

The Course:

'The course was fantastic. I believe it has helped me to grow and develop, not just in learning but also in confidence. If you are thinking about being a supervisor - or have been one for many years I would highly recommend it.'

'If you like self-directed learning this is the course for you!'

'An excellent course, at times gruelling, but enormously creative and helpful for my whole counselling and supervision practice.'

'Challenging, supportive, creative - a real Oscar winner of a course!'

'A unique training partnership that models what is taught'

'I enjoyed the chance to think, experiment and be creative with supervision in a safe environment'

'A well rounded course that gives a good grounding in all areas of supervision'

'Each day brings new learning...This course has been an eye-opener for my continued development'

‘Student centred course which values my experience’

‘Made me seriously reflect on my practice'

‘Creativity is encouraged. It welcomes all comers and is not stuck in a blinkered creed’

'I wish all courses could have the 'Cascade' approach to learning. It really does illustrate a way of being through every aspect of the course.'

The Tutors

' They worked well as a team-complementary personalities and styles of teaching. I found it helpful when they shared their own experiences.'

'The tutor feedback was always supportive, caring, uncritical, and enabling.'

'I really enjoyed the tutor style it felt that the tutors were role modelling supervision- very holding, containing and informative.'

'Really refreshing to have 4 tutors, it felt like parents and grand parents, an extended family'

'I liked the rather hands - off but friendly and available style. I found all the topics and presentations enjoyable and interesting'

' The variety of styles was good. It felt as if you were all available and open to students. That you were all knowledgeable helped no end. However your combined generosity of spirit is something we cant buy and exceedingly valuable to me'

'Absolutely excellent: the modelling good supervisory practice, challenging, supportive and respectful co-working. I loved all the humour!'

Personal Growth

'I felt like a supervisor with a small s when I joined this course but now I feel like a supervisor who has grown into the role.'

'I learnt so much and I am much more confident. I have a whole bag of tools and peer support that I never had until I began this course.'

'I learned how to be responsible for not only my own learning but also a huge part of my peers too.'

'Taking my own authority was difficult, but now I have the confidence to do so.'

'Warning: Personal growth might happen!'

'Only do this course if you enjoy high support and high challenge
and want a high standard for you supervision practice.'

'Supervision is a journey between two people, not a mastery.'

'An experiential well-balanced course that aids supervisors identifying their own personal style.'

'I have found the course challenging, invigorating, and hugely enjoyable, with vast amounts of learning and probably the most beneficial course both professionally and personally I have attended.'

'I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone no matter how much experience they have had of supervising.'

'What a journey! This is the first course I have done where I didn’t feel drained at the end, but the opposite – energised.'

'This course develops a holistic view and practice of supervision, in an environment encouraging the use of head and heart, of a good balance between challenge and support.'