OT Supervision: It’s more than you think

Making Occupational Therapy Supervision Work for you. Purpose, Benefits, Frequency and Style

As occupational therapists and healthcare professionals, our role involves holding space for our clients and working to facilitate their best outcomes. We may work by ourselves, but we also work in teams, services, and businesses that need our professional input to develop and maintain standards of practice. We continuously focus on keeping up to date with the best evidence-based and evidence-informed practice. Some of us may also run services or OT businesses. That sounds like a lot of balls being juggled!

Did you know that OT supervision is also a standard of practice in the UK?

The Royal College of Occupational Therapy and the Health Care Professions Council emphasise the need for this as part of our practice. It enables us to reflect on our practice, check that staff work in line with their competencies and scope of practice, and promote safe practice and effective services for our clients.  Across our careers, we may both provide and receive OT supervision.

So, who needs OT Supervision?

In short, everyone, from the undergraduate occupational therapist to the highly skilled and experienced one, from research and academic OTs to OT business owners and managers. It can even support your retirement planning. Let’s not forget the excellent support staff in our teams; they also need the opportunity to engage in OT supervision. It is essential in statutory services, independent practice, OT business, research and academia, across the career lifespan.

What do we mean by OT Supervision?

It is an opportunity to create space to review professional and personal development. Looking at competencies and skill development to ensure the best services for our clients is a part of it. Developing effective teams, systems, services and businesses to enhance the quality of occupational therapy delivered to clients is essential.  Most of us became occupational therapists to help people do what they want and need to do.

However, OT supervision can be a holistic process. Alongside professional skill development and benefits to our clients, we need to use this space to focus on our personal growth and well-being. To truly grow as an occupational therapist, the supervisory space needs to create a safe space for being open, trusted, and, at times, vulnerable. Where you can access a professional sounding board, work through your reflective practice and clinical reasoning in a way that fosters learning from mistakes and success and nurtures growth in both professional and personal skills. A space that acknowledges and supports your wellbeing, how many times do we hear the phrase “you cannot pour from an empty cup”? In reality, are you using your OT supervision time to reflect on and plan for your well-being so you can continue to show up for your clients, service, and business while still having space left over for all your other occupational roles and yourself? We can take time in supervision to look at your own occupational balance, just like you do for your clients?

This space enables us to learn to give and receive feedback. It is so important to understand effective ways to do this. Both the supervisor and supervisee should be comfortable about giving and receiving feedback, not just on the supervisee’s skills and development, but also on the effectiveness, structure and focus of the OT supervision sessions.

Let’s look at the benefits of effective OT supervision

It creates a safe space to:

• Learn and grow.
• An opportunity to delve into deeper reflective practice.
• A chance to look at situations from a different perspective.
• Build on clinical decision-making skills.
• Examine relationship dynamics within your role.
• Enhance your learning and communication styles and reflect and understand the styles of the people you connect with.
• Feel heard. Work on plans for challenging situations and how to navigate these with support.
• To celebrate your successes.
• To grow in confidence as an occupational therapist, colleague, leader, researcher, teacher and business owner.
• Network and learn from others.
• Reflect on your occupational balance and take actions that support this.
• And so many more….

What types of OT Supervision can I access?

You can engage in supervision that is face-to-face, often internal, from a colleague or line manager within your team.  Alternatively, you can access OT supervision online, with a therapist external to your team, organisation or business.

Most people access traditional 1:1 OT supervision sessions, which allow individuals to explore the topics most important to their development.

However, group OT supervision presents a valuable opportunity to connect with other OTs, whether they are from your team, area of practice, or working in independent practice, diverse settings, or OT businesses. It offers a chance to learn from others, network, and gain insights into how other OTs operate.

How often should I have OT Supervision?

There is much debate in this area, which is often determined by local standards due to professional bodies hesitating to set concrete guidance, as there can be many variables.

From all the information I have read, my recommendation for best practice is as follows:

• Newly qualified, return to practice, early career or change of clinical speciality, then OTS benefit from supervision on a two-weekly basis.
• Established in your role as a therapist, leader, manager, OT business owner, then monthly supervision for full-time staff.
• Established in your role as a therapist, leader, manager, OT business owner, and every six weeks for part-time staff.

What’s Next?

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and that it has given you an insight into how I view OT supervision. Maybe it’s answered all your questions. If not, feel free to reach out for a chat to discuss any OT supervision needs or sign up on the waiting list for my OT supervision skills training.

Most importantly, make the most out of your OT supervision sessions, it's quality time for you.