Fact sheet: Supervised practice framework - transition arrangements

Transition arrangements for the Supervised practice framework

The Supervised practice framework (the framework) and supporting documents come into effect on 1 February 2022 and are located on relevant National Board websites.

The framework and supporting documents apply to most uses of supervised practice and replace any previous National Board approved supervision guidelines or framework and forms (e.g. supervision agreement, supervision plan, supervision report). For more information about when the framework and supporting documents do not apply see Section 2 – Purpose and scope of the framework.

The National Board expects all supervisees and their supervisors to be following the framework and supporting documents by 1 April 2023. This has been extended from the previous deadline of 1 February 2023.

From 1 February 2022 you will need to do the following if:

You are a new supervisee and you are required to submit a supervised practice plan but have not yet done so

From 1 February 2022, you need to follow the framework and complete the framework’s supervised practice plan. All reports submitted will need to comply with the framework and supporting documents, such as the supervised practice report template.

Documents received after 1 February 2022 that do not comply with the requirements set out in the framework will not be accepted.

You are a new supervisee but you are not required to submit a supervised practice plan

Supervisees required to carry out supervised practice following a complaint (notification) are generally not required to submit a supervised practice plan.

If you are a new supervisee and you are not required to submit a supervised practice plan you will be expected to follow the framework from 1 February 2022. All reports submitted will need to comply with the framework and supporting documents, such as the supervised practice report template.

You are a supervisee or supervisor already part of a supervised practice arrangement submitted or approved before 1 February 2022

If you are a supervisee or supervisor who is part of a supervised practice arrangement already submitted to the National Board or approved by the National Board before 1 February 2022 you are expected to follow the transition arrangements below.

Requirements for supervisees undertaking supervised practice submitted or approved before 1 February 2022

Transition arrangements apply to supervisees and supervisors who were part of a supervised practice arrangement already submitted to Ahpra or the National Board or approved by the National Board before 1 February 2022.

Transition arrangements

A current supervisee is a supervisee who:

• has already submitted their supervised practice plan to Ahpra or the National Board or
• is already part of a supervised practice arrangement approved by a National Board

before 1 February 2022.

The National Board expects all supervisees and their supervisors to follow the framework from 1 April 2023.

If you are a current supervisee you have until 1 April 2023 to move from your current supervision arrangement to the framework. From this date your supervised practice should be managed under the new framework. You will be expected to use the framework’s relevant supporting documents such as the supervised practice report, to report when required. However, you don’t need to submit a new supervised practice plan or other supporting documents unless you are requesting a change to your current arrangement (see below for further information).

This is a firm deadline and Ahpra will not accept documents such as reports received after 1 April 2023 that do not comply with the requirements set out in the framework. 

Change to a supervised practice arrangement submitted or approved prior to 1 February 2022

If you are a current supervisee requesting a change to a supervised practice arrangement at any time after 1 February 2022 you must either:

• complete the framework’s supervised practice plan and make sure that the proposed supervised practice arrangement complies with the framework and supporting documents, or
  
  
• complete a request for changes in circumstances in writing, and if applicable using the changes in circumstances form on your National Board’s website (Chinese medicine, Nursing and Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, and Physiotherapy Boards have a change of circumstances form for some purposes of supervised practice). 

If supervised practice is in place because of a complaint, a supervised practice plan is not needed. Any changes to the existing supervised practice arrangement must comply with the framework and supporting documents, including notifying Ahpra in writing as soon as possible and within seven (7) calendar days or as stated in the condition or undertaking of any planned or unexpected supervisor changes (e.g. due to illness); and submitting a new proposed supervised practice arrangement to Ahpra for the National Board to consider, where applicable.