Diploma in Supervision

Who is the course for?

Aimed at those who feel ready to undertake the next step in their professional development and meet the challenges of a supervisory role, this course is suitable for counsellors, psychotherapists, teachers, mental health workers, medical staff, social workers, consultants, and others in the helping professions.

This course has been developed to reflect BACP and UKCP standards for supervisory training. It is particularly valuable preparation for those moving towards BACP and UKCP accredited status and for Transactional Analysis practitioners wishing to become a PTSTA post qualification as a Certified Transactional Analyst.

How will the course be structured?

Set over six weekends, Patrick and Anita will adopt a blended learning approach: face-to-face contact complemented by some preparation for sessions through pre-reading and pre-session tasks. They will use participative methods: large group discussion and small group experiential exercises. Thoughts, observations, questioning and critique are encouraged. Additionally, there is a strong focus on the practice of supervision and training for the skills involved. The course will also embrace ‘live’ supervision practice sessions with peer and tutor feedback.

You will be expected to undertake 40 hours of supervision under the guidance of a consultative supervisor as part of the course to integrate theory into practice and practise your supervisory skills.

Your training embraces a wide range of theoretical models of supervision, supervisory tasks, values, ethics, codes of professional practice, legal issues, the treat/teach boundary, handling safety and risk, diversity, and equal opportunities. We want you to feel prepared to supervise those with different levels of experience and to adapt your style to facilitate different learning styles and needs.

What does it cover?

• The supervisory relationship and what makes for ‘effective’ supervision.
• Developing a working alliance with supervisees
• Establishing and managing an ongoing supervisory contract.
• Examining different styles of supervision
• The main developmental models of supervision to understand the ‘task’ and competencies.
• Handling Fitness to Practice issues
• Raising and discussing issues of importance, including ethics, boundaries, diversity, disability, culture, and organisational sensitivities
• Working with the unconscious process: transference, countertransference, and parallel process
• Different modes of supervision (e.g. one-to-one and group)
• Long-term versus short-term supervision
• Safety and assessment of risk
• Creative Supervision
• Supporting supervisees through accreditation and qualification.

Assessment and qualification requirements

• Attendance on all 12 days of the formal training

• I x Micro teach on the supervisory subject of your choice.

• I x Group assessment of a live recording.

• Forty hours of supervision overseen by 10 hours of consultative supervision

• 1 x 3000 word Case Study.

• Additional subject-specific reading will be required throughout the course.

You can meet the assessments to suit your timetable, as long as they are completed within one year from the commencement of the course.

What outcomes can I expect?

At the end of the course, you can practice as a supervisor within your professional field or approach. You will have developed a network of peers to support you in your supervisory practice. On successful completion, you will be awarded a Connexus Institute Diploma in Supervision with 120 hours of CPD as part of our ‘Ongoing Professional Development’ programme.

Please note: payment plans are available – contact us for more details.