AP Supervision

[marshmallow2]

Hi All,

I apologise in advance if there is already a topic for what I am seeking advice for.

I am an assistant psychologist (AP) working for a private organisation. I work full time with a team of three other full time APs and a part time clinical psychologist (two days per week). I am just looking for some general advice on supervision and responsibility.

We are supervised 1:1 for one hour once a month (at the very most). We have a team meeting every week for one hour. Our general feeling is that this is insufficient - especially as we each have a caseload of 30 young people for whom we carry out therapeutic intervention, assessments, report writing, attending important meetings, and reviews. All of this work is completed independently by each of us. Understandably our supervisor is very busy and can only commit to two days at our work place a week. We are open about our concerns regarding supervision and personal development. We regularly review what documentation is available (BPS, HCPC, etc) to guide our learning and practice.

Due to funding restrictions, there is very little CPD or agreement to attend CPD events (even if we have paid for them ourselves). However we do pursue CPD in our own time which is very helpful to us.

I just wondered if there are any other APs who have had a similar experience? If it's possible to source external supervision (as our current supervisor is split across three roles and therefore once a month is the maximum that can be accommodated)? Is there anything we can do as APs to ensure we are developing in the right areas? We refer to the core competencies and have designed our own supervision templates based on these.

I appreciate that you are not fully aware of the current situation and I just want to emphasise that this is a general query and one which we are discussing as a team.

Many thanks,

[reefflex]

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17977

At least an hour a week with a qualified psychologist minimum.

There is a DCP paper available but appears to be behind the BPS paywall.

[workingmama]

I think that if there are APs highlighting that they feel they need better supervision, and it is not forthcoming, that is a concern to me quite separate to the fact that it sounds as if you all are placed under a lot of responsibility and autonomy. I've heard of a service a lot like this, and it gives me the jeebles. Actually the details sound so similar in terms of numbers and arrangements, I wonder if this is the same North East service that I heard of and the (then) APs had serious concerns about (not wanting to 'out' you).

[miriam]

If anyone wants to PM me about inadequate supervision, I can raise it with the DCP (and the CQC if need be). A psychology graduate without a therapy qualification cannot deliver therapy without weekly supervision. Your practise is not safe if it does not meet minimum supervision requirements, and the job should not be called an AP post if they cannot provide adequate supervision for it. I know it is hard, but you need to actually refuse to do this work unless the supervision to make it safe is available, otherwise you are putting your clients and yourself at risk.