A Supervision Agreement: Practical Points to Clarify at the Start

A supervision agreement gives both people a shared account of how the arrangement will work. It should make the purpose, responsibilities and practical terms understandable. Before beginning, check that the proposed supervision also meets the requirements of your course, placement, employer or professional body where relevant.

Clarify the purpose and context

Explain the work you do, your stage of development and the setting in which you practise. Discuss the questions you hope supervision will help you address. A supervisor needs enough context to explain whether their experience and arrangements are suitable.

Identify other responsibilities around the work. A placement manager, employer or course provider may have a separate role. Clarify how those relationships interact and which decisions remain outside the supervision arrangement. This helps avoid expecting one person to resolve every administrative or organisational issue.

Agree the practical terms

Discuss the meeting format, frequency, length, fee and cancellation process. Ask how additional contact is handled and what the supervisor can reasonably provide between scheduled meetings. Do not assume that supervision includes continuous availability.

If a professional application requires particular supervision records, discuss that at the start. Confirm what is recorded, who keeps it and what the supervisor can verify. A later request for a signature should not introduce an expectation that was never agreed.

Discuss confidentiality and information sharing

Ask how confidentiality works within the supervision arrangement and what its limits are. Clarify any reporting responsibilities to a course, employer or professional body. The agreement should explain these in a way that you can understand and apply.

Use the appropriate level of information when preparing material for discussion. Avoid bringing unnecessary identifying documents into a new system or communication channel. Ask the supervisor how material should be prepared and shared.

Build in a review

Agree when you will review the arrangement and how either person can raise a concern. A review can consider whether the focus remains relevant, whether preparation is working and whether changes in your role require a different approach.

Also discuss how the arrangement ends. Notice, final records and transfer to another supervisor are easier to manage when expectations are clear. Keep a copy of the agreement and revisit it after a significant change.

Frequently asked questions

Is supervision the same as line management?

They can have different purposes and responsibilities. Clarify the roles in your own setting rather than assuming one automatically replaces the other.

Can I use any supervisor for an application?

Check the receiving body's current criteria and approval arrangements before relying on the supervision as application evidence.

Review ICPHAA Standards & Ethics, explore the practitioner directory and contact ICPHAA about route-specific requirements.