Supervision is defined as a process of professional support and learning, undertaken through a range of activities, which enables individuals to develop knowledge and competence, assume responsibility for their own practice and enhance service-user protection, quality and safety of care (Adapted from www.dhsspsni.gov.uk).
Key Points:
- Can be delivered across professions and across multi-disciplinary teams.
- It should be included within working practices and not considered as an “add on”.
- Important for all grades of staff and the wider workforce i.e. support workers, admin and clerical staff.
- A key component to supporting registered dietitians to meet the HCPC Standards.
Guidance:
The BDA Practice Supervision guidance (due for review) was developed by a working group of the BDA to update the previous Clinical Supervision Guidelines. The document details the process of practice supervision and provides some practical tools that can be used when developing and implementing supervision in any work related environment. This document encompasses all members of the dietetic profession including those working in the freelance setting and dietetic support workers. It is acknowledged that supervision structures may be more difficult to establish when working in isolation and may have to take other forms than face-to-face contact.
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) have dedicated webpages and resources to outline the benefits and outcomes that supervision can have on your professional development and provide tips on how you can effectively approach supervision in your practice.
Supporting Resources
- The Health and Care Professions Council sets the Standards for regsitered dietitians within the UK. Their Standards support the case that registrants should be participating in supervision as part of their practise where possible.