Definition of supervision

The OTBNZ’s Code of Ethics (2004, Section A3.8), the Competencies for Registration as an Occupational Therapist, and the Continuing Competence Framework for Recertification (CCFR) require that all occupational therapists receive effective professional supervision relevant to their work setting. It is considered to be a critical component of continuing competence.

Professional supervision is defined in the Code of Ethics as:

"A structured intentional relationship within which a practitioner reflects critically on her/his work, and receives feedback and guidance from a supervisor, in order to deliver the best possible service to consumers. Professional supervision may incorporate any aspect of a professional role e.g., clinical, managerial, or cultural, and be one to one, one to group, or take the form of peer review."

A supervisor is defined in the Code of Ethics as:

"A person who has sufficient self-awareness, interpersonal competence, and knowledge of processes relevant to the area of practice of the supervisee to facilitate that person's professional development."

In some circumstances the OTBNZ may prescribe the frequency, form and nature of supervision, and who may provide that supervision. This occurs for:

• graduate occupational therapists in their first year of practice
• occupational therapists returning to practice
• occupational therapists who are new to practice in New Zealand
• occupational therapists who are under review by the OTBNZ. 

Otherwise, frequency and mode of supervision vary according to professional needs, resources, context, and level of experience, and may incorporate any aspect of a professional role e.g. clinical, managerial or cultural.  A practitioner may have different supervisors/mentors for different roles, and they may be from other disciplines, i.e. they need not be an occupational therapist. Supervision should be designed to fit the individual practitioner’s circumstances.

A supervision log should be maintained and record details of the nature and frequency of professional supervision. The Forms page offers a supervision log template.

The professional supervisor may or may not be the person who makes the third-party declaration in Section 3 of the practising certificate application for renewal.

For more information about supervision go to Supervision for Occupational Therapists in the context of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA).