Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Restriction: Complete supervised practice for suitability and eligibility for psychologists
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Restriction: Complete supervised practice for suitability and eligibility for psychologists

National Restrictions Library 2.0: This restriction applies to restictions imposed or accepted from 16 September 2024. For restrictions imposed or accepted before this date please see the National Restrictions Library 1.0.

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Restriction description

A Board-approved supervisor must supervise practitioners with this restriction. The supervisor must have the training, experience or qualifications needed to provide the required supervision.

The practitioner must practise in line with a re-entry to practice plan stating:

  • where they will practise
  • how much supervised practice they will complete
  • how the supervisor will assess their competence.

This type of restriction applies when the practitioner does not meet our registration standard for recency of practice and is otherwise safe to practise.

We will review the re-entry to practice plan to ensure that the nominated supervisor and locations will meet the requirements.

We will publish the date of approval on the public register.

We monitor compliance by checking that the practitioner:

  • meets all required timeframes
  • is supervised as required 
  • completes the requirements in the re-entry to practice plan, including the minimum number of supervised practice hours.

Full text of restriction

  1. From #start date#, the practitioner must not practise other than in accordance with an approved Plan for professional development and re-entry to practice (the approved plan) and under the supervision of another approved psychologist (the supervisor).
    #A Plan for professional development and re-entry to practice was approved on #date# / No plan for professional development and re-entry to practice is currently approved#.
  2. The practitioner must:
    1. comply with the National Board’s Policy for recency of practice requirements in force at the date these conditions are imposed and then as updated from time to time.
    2. provide acknowledgement, on the approved form, that they have read and understood the requirements of this condition within #timeframe# of the #start date# or as otherwise required.
    3. submit a plan for professional development and re-entry to practice, using the approved form.
  3. After approval of a plan for professional development and re-entry to practice, the practitioner must provide:  
    1. progress reports in the format required, and on at least six-monthly basis or as otherwise required.
    2. a satisfactory final assessment of competence report, and 
    3. at least one case report, for every six months full-time equivalent practice.
  4. <include if required> The practitioner must successfully complete the National Psychology Examination prior to the completion of the period supervised practice and final assessment of competence as defined in the approved plan.   
  5. <include if required> The practitioner must cease practice on or after #start date# if they do not have an approved plan, the date and existence of the approved plan is not published above, or if no approved supervisor is available to provide supervision at the frequency described in the approved plan.

'Practise' is defined as: any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a psychologist. 'Practise' in this context is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. It also includes using professional knowledge (working) in a direct non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on the safe, effective delivery of services in the psychology profession.

You will receive a monitoring plan that details contact information, due dates, and the information you will need to provide to show that you are complying with your restrictions.

Forms

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Where can you seek further information about your restrictions?

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Please contact your case officer for more information. 

For general information see our Frequently asked questions about Monitoring and compliance page

If you have not yet received contact details for your case officer, please email your enquiry.

Where can you go to for support?

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We are here to support and guide you through your compliance. 

The contact details for your case officer are included on all our correspondence with you.

We also encourage you to use independent support services, including those provided on our Practitioner support services page.

You can also contact your legal representative or professional union to support you.

What if your proposed supervised practice arrangement is not approved?

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Generally, we will provide a further opportunity to nominate a different supervision arrangement, or to address any shortfalls in the nomination. 

If you do not have an approved supervised practice arrangement, and/or the approval date has not been published on the public register you must cease practise and must not recommence practise until such times as the approval of a supervisor has been published on the public register.

What do you need to submit with your supervised practice plan?

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  • Signed and dated curriculum vitae from all supervisors (Section B, Q3)
  • Signed letter of offer and official position description for the proposed role (Section D, Q10)
  • Completed standards for practice template (Section G, Q18)

What if your supervisor approved as part of your supervised practice arrangement is no longer available?

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You will be required to nominate a new supervised practice arrangement. If you have an alternate supervisor also approved, you will be able to continue to practise while your new nomination is assessed. If you have no available alternate supervisors, you must cease practise and must not recommence practise until such times as the approval of a new supervisor has been published on the public register.

Your circumstances have changed, what should you do?

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Contact us as soon as possible using the details provided in your monitoring plan.  

You may be able to apply for a change in your restrictions, or an extension of the date of commencement of the requirement for supervision. Circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Can you start practising before your nomination is considered?

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You must not commence practise or recommence practise until after we have assessed and approved a supervised practice arrangement and the approval has been published on the public register. 

We will consider any practise in these circumstances a breach of the restrictions and may take further regulatory action, even if your nominated supervisor is subsequently approved.

How do you know when you have met the requirements of the restrictions?

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This depends on your circumstances. 

Sometimes the supervised practice arrangement we have approved will include information on the amount of supervision (number of hours) required to complete the period of supervised practice. You will need to complete the duration included in your approved supervised practice arrangement. Once you have completed the required duration, you may apply to have your restriction removed. 

In other cases, you will be required to pass an exam or qualify for general registration. 

If you are unsure whether you should request a review of the requirement to be supervised, you should contact your case officer or monitoring team. 

You must continue to only practise in accordance with the approved supervised practice plan until you are advised otherwise.

What if there is a medical emergency?

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You must notify your case officer of any incident where, due to a medical emergency, you are unable to comply with the condition requiring supervised practice. We will assess whether the circumstances were such that compliance with the condition would affect your ability to provide care that would have a direct benefit to a patient in a medical emergency.

A medical emergency is defined as an event where it is not possible or reasonable to have a patient with a serious or life-threatening condition seen by another practitioner or transferred to the nearest hospital.

We will treat any failure to notify of non-compliance in the circumstances of a medical emergency as a breach of the condition and may take further action in relation to a breach of conditions.

Your circumstances have changed, and you can’t complete the requirements, what should you do?

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You must contact your Ahpra case officer or team as soon as possible if you have had a change of circumstances or are unable to comply with the requirements for any reason. See your monitoring plan for contact information.

 
View the
National Restrictions Library 2.0 View all
Ahpra Protocols
 
 
Page reviewed 4/10/2024
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