Supervision overview
There are many different forms and definitions of supervision. For the purposes of attesting and assessing to competence in the scope of practice, the Board uses two main forms of supervision:
- one satisfies the requirements of participation in the Board's Continuing Competence Framework for Recertification (CCFR)
- the other satisfies the requirements of the conditions that the Board can impose on a practitioner's scope of practice.
Supervision for CCFR
The Board requires that all occupational therapists receive effective professional supervision relevant to their work setting. Frequency and mode of supervision vary according to individual circumstances.
A practitioner may choose to have more than one supervisor in order to satisfy the supervision requirements of the CCFR. They may have different supervisors for different roles, and these supervisors may be from other disciplines. If the occupational therapist elects to appoint one of their supervisors as their third-party person for recertification, then the supervisor appointed must be a currently registered occupational therapist.
Supervision for practitioners with condition/s on scope of practice
The Board imposes standard conditions on the scope of practice of some practitioners. The Board requires that these practitioners receive supervision from a registered occupational therapist. These practitioners are notified of the conditions on their scope of practice and of the supervision requirements. Standard conditions may vary for individuals, and such variation is explained in an accompanying letter to the practitioner. The practitioner may apply for removal of conditions on their scope of practice as soon as the conditions have been met. This would include a satisfactory supervisor's report at the end of the specified supervision period.
For more information about supervision go to Supervision for Occupational Therapists in the context of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA).
Interested in providing supervision?
The Board constantly receives enquiries from occupational therapists seeking someone to be their supervisor or third party for recertification. If you are a registered occupational therapist who is interested in providing supervision, and you would like the Board to place your name on a public list of available supervisors, please complete a Supervisor Expression of Interest Form.