Group Supervision: An introduction to annual reviews in Midwifery Supervision

This article describes the implementation of group supervision at a large maternity unit in London and its subsequent evaluation from the midwives who participated. In October 2011, following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) visit to a London NHS Trust, concerns were raised in relation to training and supervision of staff (CQC, 2011). External report findings (Drummond, 2011) were similar to those of the CQC in relation to poor staffing levels, high midwifery vacancy levels and the need to improve care for women through, for example, a new triage system and one-to-one care in labour. In response to a high number of vacancies and an increase in midwifery staffing establishment, a total of 44 midwives were recruited and in post by September 2011 (25 midwives were from Italy). Following the Local Supervising Authority of London action plan for all midwives to take part in a group supervision session, there was feedback from the Local Supervising Authority Midwifery Officer (LSAMO) (Helleur, 2011) that 19% of midwives (n=76) in post had never had a supervisory annual review. In response, this new initiative of group supervision was set up by the London Local Supervisory Authority (LSA).