Supervision Guidance

Guidance & How to Choose a Supervisor

As a member, you are required to have the minimum Supervision of 1 hour per calendar month, and 18 hours per year (the equivalent of 1.5 hours a month).

This is the minimum required. If you work (on average) more than 24 clients within a month, you are considered a full time practitioner, and must consider more Supervision, to ensure safe and competent practice. 

You and your Supervisor must keep a record of sessions - we routinely check members records as part of our Professional Standards Review, to ensure correct protocol is being followed. If a members is also a CNHC registered therapist, they may also be requested these same checks by the CNHC.

NCIP Accredited Supervisors

All NCIP Supervisor must adhere to the Supervisors Code.

To find an NCIP Accredited Supervisor, Click Here. NCIP Accredited Supervisors have been carefully screened before accreditation is awarded.

Members may also choose an accredited supervisor from outside the NCIP. Supervision is compulsory and we sample our membership each year to ensure that supervision is being carried out to the right level and frequency.

How to Choose a Supervisor

The contents here are meant to be thought-provoking and helpful and not a definitive guide or instruction.

Think about what supervision is meant to provide for you. The main thing is to choose an experienced professional who will support you. This means having a second opinion, a sounding board, and a double-check on your strategies. This is not only obviously useful, but it helps to protect you from situations that might go out of control, resulting in complaints and other problems.

Supervisors also have a mandate to look after you in the nicest possible way. Are you at risk of burnout? Are you getting stressed? Supervisors care about keeping you fit for work.

Supervisors are also a huge resource in regard to learning. By definition, supervisors are highly experienced therapists themselves and have plenty of experience. They can help you see things from different perspectives, help you find new areas to explore in your practice, and help dispel any misunderstandings you may have picked up along the way.

Should I Choose a Supervisor, Just Like Me?

No, absolutely not! What possible use would it be to have someone with the same knowledge or viewpoint as you? You need to be challenged to learn, grow, and develop in new ways post-qualification and you cannot do that if you choose someone “just like you”.

Should I Choose Someone With Similar Practice Methods?

Yes, probably. If you work in solution-focused, short-term methods, such as many hypnotherapy and CBT-based protocols, then someone with a good clear understanding of that way of working and the type of clients you may face, is invaluable.  Likewise, if you deal in long-term complex cases, such as where there is trauma, then having a specialist clinician in that field is a huge benefit.

If you have more than one practice method, you may need to ensure that you have more than one supervisor or supervision process since your primary supervisor may not cover all that you do. 

Summary

You will greatly benefit from a good supervisor. They can point you in all sorts of new directions to support your practice. Supervision is a relationship, and an important one at that. They have your back and are available with advice when things get tough.

When you graduate, from whichever school, no matter how wonderful the course, you have only sampled a fraction of our industry. Supervision is a wonderful opportunity to develop and grow.

Vital Requirements for Supervision – The Supervisee

The following are some vital issues that need covering with your supervision arrangement:

• Your client contracting must specify HOW the client is identified within supervision. They cannot be totally anonymous since in the event of a complaint or data request, they must be traceable. On the other hand, you need to state how you ensure the best possible confidentiality.  For example, you might choose a supervisor outside of your practice area and only use initials or a first name. You must be clear and gain informed consent in contracting.
• Your supervisor will need to be able to back you up with notes linked to the clients (see point 1) should you have a complaint. Ensure that you discuss how your supervisor manages this. It is vital that in the event of a complaint, you can evidence any taking to the supervisor of that client's issues and that you followed best practice advice.
• You should make notes of advice given to you by your supervisor, or ask that they confirm the advice in writing/email.  Do not rely on verbal messages and memory.
• You must be able to get references from your supervisor regarding competency (career progression) and hours supervised.
• You must make sure you understand any advice you are given and ask questions rather than pretend to fully understand.  Failure to carefully follow clinical advice could cause harm.

Vital Requirements to Look for in the Supervisor's Practice

• They must ensure you can adhere to the points above and guide you through them.
• They should be very careful when quoting methods, ideas, or research to cite them carefully and ensure you can study them fully.
• They should never give you advice that is clinically inappropriate, such as advice that might contradict medical diagnosis or prescription. 
• They should be aware of boundaries and not be afraid to say no to you when acquiescing would be a breach of protocol. 
• They should be forthcoming with their professional registration and cover and fully aware that in guiding you through supervision, they are giving clinical practice advice that they can be held liable for in the event of a complaint.
• They should remind you to follow advice carefully, or reflect and decide carefully and they should check as far as reasonable that you have understood their advice.

Remember

Supervision is a clinical practice process and is a requirement of your membership in the NCIP. Advice given to you is clinical practice advice attempting to ensure client safety and best practice. It is also your chance to get a second opinion regarding your client work. It must be taken very seriously by both parties and it must be remembered that both parties may carry some clinical responsibility and/or liability in regard to client outcomes. Both parties should cover themselves with a paper trail to ensure no misunderstandings and it is strongly recommended that in critical cases of client safety or clinical advice, this is confirmed in writing/email, thus giving the other party a chance to point out any discrepancy.  If you are a supervisor, you should have supervision for your role as a supervisor, as well as clear supervision contracting and insurance covering you for this. You should also be careful to make appropriate critical issues notes.

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