Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Kenneth Stothers
Committee Member
Dana Mills
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
adolescent clients, Child Care Workers, direct care staff, employee retention, enhanced supervision training, high turnover, implementation, individual supervision, morale, recruitment, replication, residential managers, residential programs, residential schools, satisfaction, staff development, staff support, supervisor training, supervisors, supervisory relationships, turnover reduction, troubled adolescents, workforce retention
Abstract
Residential managers and supervisors reported a pattern of high turnover of direct care Child Care Workers (CCW). This revolving door made it difficult to take care of troubled, adolescent clients; caused low staff team morale; and made recruitment of new staff a hardship.
An individual supervision curriculum was developed to give specific training to supervisors on how to train, support, and develop their CCWs effectively so they would be less likely to turnover in their role. The individual supervision curriculum focused on the “nuts and bolts” of individual supervision that emerge during a supervisory relationship.
The results showed that CCW turnover was not reduced by enhanced, individual supervision training for supervisors. Several confounding variables were present at the researcher’s site that may have affected the outcomes of the study. Replication of this study is recommended. CCWs reported greater levels of satisfaction in their supervision experience after the implementation of the individual supervision curriculum.