1
Supervision Agreement
Trainee:
Clinical Tutor
Supervisor 1
Supervisor 2
Placement: Year 1;
Year 2;
year 3
(Please add any additional responsibilities that have been mutually agreed)
Clinical Tutor Responsibilities
 Alert trainee and supervisor to training issues that might impact on the placement.
 Attend at least one placement visit.
 Be available via ‘phone or email for problem solving/advice.
 Share any concerns that may impact on placement/clinical work with trainee and
supervisor.
Both Supervisor Responsibilities
 Co-ordinate and liaise with each other and with clinical tutor
 Take responsibility for evaluation of trainee’s performance
 Provide one and a half hours supervision per week (pro rata, based on 4 days a week)
with a total contact time of at least three hours (allowing for the placement being 2 days,
3 days and then 4 across both supervisors.
 Address issues of power implicit in supervisor/trainee relationship.
 Seek advice from clinical tutor if required.
 Share any concerns that may impact on placement/clinical work initially with the trainee
and if not resolved with clinical tutor.
 Share supervision policy of Trust with trainee
 Consider how significant personal issues for trainee may be dealt with
Trainee Responsibilities
 Attend and prepare for supervision.
 Share previous paperwork and pass on information re strengths and learning needs and
discuss implications for this placement – identifying what needs taking forward and what
needs leaving behind.
 Share any concerns that may impact on placement/clinical work initially with supervisors
and if not resolved with clinical tutor.
 Ensure that supervisors are aware of clinical assessment deadline/s and allow enough time
for them to review/sign off.
Signed:
Supervisor 1 …………….
Trainee………………………
Supervisor 2 ……………………
Clinical tutor ……………………………..
2
Managing difficulties in supervision
Supervision works well when supervisor and trainee build an open relationship, with mutual
respect and tolerance for difference in style, interests and orientation, and with appropriate
support from the programme team. A good supervision agreement should establish realistic
expectations on all sides and should prevent difficulties from arising. It helps if supervisors
and trainee acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses in the use of supervision, as well as
their hopes and fears for the placement, so that these can be addressed in planning for the
placement and for supervision. It is important to acknowledge the difference in power
between supervisor and trainee. It can be hard for trainees to be fully open about difficulties
with supervisors who hold the power of passing or failing trainees’ performance on
placement. For their part, supervisors can feel vulnerable and exposed in opening up their
practice to the scrutiny of trainees (and indirectly to the programme team). It is therefore
essential to try to build in safe ways to share feedback, and to address potential differences,
difficulties, disappointments and disagreements. In most cases, supervision goes well – but
inevitably problems sometimes develop; these guidelines are intended to help prevent
difficulties and give guidance about how to manage difficulties should they arise.

Supervisor and trainee discuss, as part of setting up the supervision agreement, how
issues of power and difficulties in supervision will be addressed. They also specify
how mutual feedback about trainee and supervisor performance will be shared.

Supervisor and trainee build in regular time to reflect on how supervision is going –
and to find ways to improve the supervision experience if necessary.

The clinical tutor assists in reviewing supervision at the placement visits: and helps
problem-solve if difficulties are expressed.

If the trainee or supervisors experience difficulties they first discuss the problem with
one another in supervision (referring back to the agreements set out in the supervision
agreement).

If difficulties persist, the trainee or supervisor contacts the clinical tutor, who explores
the problem, helps in problem solving, encourages further communication between
trainee and supervisor and monitors the situation. The clinical tutor may request
assistance from the clinical director.

If difficulties still persist, the clinical tutor contacts the trainee and/or the supervisor to
discuss the issues and problem solve.