Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Restriction: Supervised practice across entire practice area
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Restriction: Supervised practice across entire practice area

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

These conditions apply to performance and conduct, excluding psychology and pharmacy.

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

Supervision involves overseeing some or all of the practitioner’s practice to ensure that they are practising safely.

The restriction and following information state the level of supervision needed. More serious concerns about a practitioner need closer supervision.

We will only approve a supervisor who is suitably skilled and experienced to:

  • supervise the practitioner
  • give independent information about the practitioner’s practice.

The public register will identify the approval dates of supervisors and the level of supervision needed.

We monitor compliance by checking that:

  • the practitioner meets all required timeframes
  • the supervisor supervises as required
  • the supervisor does not have any concerns about the practitioner’s health, conduct or performance.

The following definitions of the level of supervision apply to this condition.

Direct: Before delivering care, the practitioner must consult the supervisor and follow their directions about patient management. The supervisor must always do both of the following:

  • be physically present at the workplace 
  • observe the practitioner directly.

Indirect 1 (present): The practitioner must consult the supervisor about patient management. The supervisor must always be physically at the workplace and available to observe patient management. 

Indirect 2 (accessible): The practitioner must consult the supervisor about patient management. The supervisor must be available:

  • by telephone or other means of telecommunication
  • to attend the workplace to observe the practitioner.

Remote: The practitioner must consult the supervisor about patient management. The supervisor must be available by telephone or other means of telecommunication.

Full text of restriction

Performance and conduct excluding psychology and pharmacy

  1. From #start date#, the practitioner must not practise other than under the supervision of an approved #registered health practitioner/profession# (the supervisor). 
    #A supervisor was approved on #date#. / No supervisor is currently approved#.
    The level of supervision required is #direct / indirect 1 (present) / indirect 2 (accessible) / remote#. 
  2. The practitioner must comply with the Supervised practice framework in force at the date these conditions  are imposed and then as updated from time to time
  3. The practitioner must provide the following, using the approved forms:  
    1. acknowledgement that they have read and understood the requirements of this condition within #timeframe# of the #start date# 
    2. nomination for a supervisor 
    3. acknowledgement from each nominated supervisor 
    4. nomination of a senior person at each practice location 
    5. acknowledgement from each nominated senior person  
  4. <include if required> The practitioner must meet #in person# with the supervisor at no less than #frequency# intervals. 

INDIRECT 2 / REMOTE:

  1. The practitioner must cease practice if no supervisor is approved, the approval of a supervisor is not published above or, is not available to provide the required level of supervision at any time on or after #start date#.

DIRECT / INDIRECT 1: 

  1. The practitioner must:
    1. cease practise if no supervisor is approved, the approval of a supervisor is not published above or is not available to provide the required level of supervision at any time, and 
    2. not be the only #profession/registered health practitioner# at any practice location.
  2. After a supervisor has been approved and published, the practitioner must provide supervisor and senior person reports, in the format required, on a #timeframe# basis or as otherwise required. 
  3. <include if required> For the purposes of this condition, the requirement to be supervised does not include #working in management/administration/policy development#.

‘senior person’ is defined as another person senior by position or experience. Where possible a senior person should be another registered health practitioner. 

'practice/ practising' and the level of supervision are defined in the Supervised practice framework.

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 nomination is not approved?

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

If the commencement date for the requirement for supervision has passed and you have no approved supervisors, and/or the approval date of supervisors has not been published on the public register you must cease practice and must not recommence practice until such times as the approval of a supervisor has been published on the public register. 

What if your nominated supervisor is no longer available?

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Direct and Indirect 1

You will be required to nominate a new supervisor. If you have an alternate supervisor 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 practice and must not recommence practice until such times as the approval of a new supervisor has been published on the public register.

Indirect 2

You will be required to nominate a new supervisor. If you have another supervisor approved, you will be able to continue to practise while your new nomination is assessed.

If you have no available alternate supervisors and, the date of commencement for the restrictions has passed, you must cease practice and must not recommence practice until the approval of a new supervisor has been published on the public register. 

If you have no available alternate supervisors, but the date of commencement for the restrictions has not passed, you may continue practising until the date of commencement for the restrictions.

After this time, you must cease practice, and must not recommence practice until such times as the approval of a new supervisor has been published on the public register. 

Who can be a senior person

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The senior person may be the practice principal, practice manager or other person senior by position. Where possible your senior person should be another registered health practitioner. 

Senior persons will provide information such as rosters, pay slips, appointment diaries, billing information and the like and may, on request from us provide copies of clinical records, audit logs, appointment and billing data and the equivalent to provide independent evidence of your compliance.

If there is no one more senior than you at your practice location, you should let us know. It may be that either another registered health practitioner, practice manager or other third party may be able to provide the required information.

Can you practise while your nomination is being considered?

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If the commencement date in the restrictions has passed and you do not have an approved supervisor published on the public register you must cease practising and not practise. 

For indirect 2 and remote supervision: 

If the commencement date provided in the restriction has not passed you may practise whilst your nomination is considered. If the commencement date has passed you must cease practice, and must not recommence practice until such times as the approval of a supervisor has been published on the public register. 

For Direct and Indirect 1 supervision:

You must not recommence practice until such times as the approval of a supervisor has been published on the public register.

What if there is a medical emergency and you don’t have an approved supervisor?

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You must notify your case officer or team as soon as possible 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 directly 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.

We will consider any breaches of the supervised practice restriction and may decide to take further regulatory action in circumstances where:

  • you fail to notify Ahpra within [timeframe] of any incidents where you were not able to comply due to a medical emergency, or
  • the circumstances did not meet the definition of a medical emergency as stated above.

Your circumstances have changed, what should you do?

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Contact us 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.

 
View the
National Restrictions Library 2.0 View all
Ahpra Protocols
 
 
Page reviewed 7/10/2024
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