Enhancing leadership in social work: The role of supervision and e-learning in Romania

Abstract In Romania, the concept of leadership in relation to social work has only recently gained traction, without having this recognized within professional frameworks or regulatory processes yet. However, steps were made in the direction of acknowledging the importance of leadership for advancing the field, while enhancing social workers' competencies and intervention capabilities. As of right now, leadership in social work, in the case of Romania, relies heavily on informal, horizontal knowledge-sharing practices. In addition to these, new vertical exchanges of knowledge and practices become increasingly popular. This reflection, based on both professional and personal experience, looks at how new vertical knowledge and practice exchanges, like e-learning and supervision, can improve leadership in social work. The e-learning opportunities supported by UNICEF and facilitated by the National College of Social Workers serve as a vital resource for ongoing professional development, facilitating knowledge exchange on innovative methods, instruments, and real-world scenarios, which broadens professionals’ understanding of leadership, enabling them to implement these insights in local contexts. Moreover, the supervisory element cultivates mentorship ties between more seasoned and less seasoned social workers, establishing a supportive culture that is critical to developing future leaders. The use of supervision and e-learning to foster leadership is not without limitations. For example, the relatively low level of digital literacy among professionals, along with limited availability due to time constraints and perhaps low commitment from more experienced mentors, may hinder the progress on this course of action.