Purpose of this policy:

The aim of this policy is to clarify UKATA supervision requirements for students, Diploma holders, Contractual CTAs, CTA Qualified members, Senior Qualified Professional members (TSTA, PTSTA, TTA, STA, CTA Trainer).

1. The purpose of Supervision;

2. Supervision may be 1:1 and/or group supervision;

3. What counts as a supervision hour?

4. Supervision requirements for different categories of UKATA membership.

The purpose of supervision:

• To underpin and promote reflective and informed practice (for example, by making transparent the contract for, and mode of, work, and the assumptions that it embodies)

  
  

• As a result, to underpin and support best practice in a way that is beneficial to both practitioners and service-users.

UKCP state that: “Supervision is understood as a reflective and evaluative process conducted within an articulated working relationship between a qualified or trainee psychotherapeutic practitioner and an appropriately knowledgeable supervisor.”

More specifically supervision is understood:

• To help hold and protect the integrity of the therapeutic setting by ensuring supervisee therapists achieve awareness and/or address any personal/transferential/  countertransferential and/or competence-related issues that might result in harmful interventions and/or ineffective treatment of their clients, or therapeutic impasse.

• To offer ethical, clinical and methodological support to the supervisee therapist, so that they can provide safe and effective therapy to their clients, as required, and enhance their own professional development.

Supervision may be 1:1 and/or group supervision

Group supervision in a group brings with it many benefits: the opportunity to learn from one’s colleagues; the potential for networking and support.

Size of the Group:

A group may consist of just two supervisees. When considering the size of the group there are various issues upon which to reflect:

• Will all members have an opportunity to present each time v is the group small enough to allow contributions and feedback from all its members?

• Will the size of the group inhibit some from contributing to discussions or bringing issues?

• Will it meet EATA requirements and requirements of relevant professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS)?

What counts as a supervision hour?

Individual supervision: 1:1 counts as one hour of supervision.

Group supervision: recommendations for number of hours each group member can count as supervision and advanced TA training/Continued Professional Development can be found in Section 7.2 CTA (P) of the UKATA Handbook adapted from the EATA and ITAA handbooks.

Supervision requirements for different categories of UKATA membership:

Student member:

• seeing clients in Voluntary Placement and/or private practice is required to meet the supervision requirements of their RTE and other relevant professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS) as they proceed toward registration, accreditation and qualification. This may be 1:1 and/or group supervision. UKATA recommends that whilst in placement the student has TA supervision with a (P)TSTA or a CTA trainer who is able to attend to the educational and formative elements of supervision in relation to TA theory and practice.

UKATA recognises supervision which is on-line and in-person with the decision of the proportion of hours decided in consultation with their Principal Supervisor.

UKCP HIPC SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINEE PRACTITIONERS

Trainee practitioners should complete a minimum of 450 psychotherapy practice hours, normally at a supervision ratio of one hour to six sessions, whether in individual or group format, as set out in the HIPC Training Standards. Records of dates and duration of supervision need to be kept. OMs may determine group supervision ratios at their discretion.

Supervision contact should normally not be less than two hours per month covering the practitioner’s range of psychotherapy. Peer group supervision is an important aspect of training experience but hours do not count as part of training supervision requirement.

• All UKCP supervision requirements can be found at:

HIPC SV STANDARDS OF EDUCATION TRAINING FOR SUPERVISION on UKCP website

• BACP supervision requirements for students can be found at https://www.bacp.co.uk/membership/supervision/

Diploma Qualified member (UKATA TA Diploma or RTE Diploma):

• still in formal TA training is required to meet the supervision requirements of their RTE and other relevant professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS) as they proceed toward registration, accreditation and qualification.

• has completed their formal TA training is required to engage in regular supervision which may be 1:1 and/or group supervision. Although there is no requirement regarding hours of supervision, UKATA requires that the supervision received is appropriate for the size and nature of professional work and meets any other supervision requirements of their respective professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS).

UKATA recognises supervision which is on-line and in-person with the decision of the proportion of hours decided in consultation with their Principal Supervisor.

UKCP HIPC SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINEE PRACTITIONERS

Trainee practitioners should complete a minimum of 450 psychotherapy practice hours, normally at a supervision ratio of one hour to six sessions, whether in individual or group format, as set out in the HIPC Training Standards. Records of dates and duration of supervision need to be kept. OMs may determine group supervision ratios at their discretion.

Supervision contact should normally not be less than two hours per month covering the practitioner’s range of psychotherapy. Peer group supervision is an important aspect of training experience but hours do not count as part of training supervision requirement.

• All UKCP supervision requirements can be found at:

HIPC SV STANDARDS OF EDUCATION TRAINING FOR SUPERVISION on UKCP website

• BACP supervision requirements for students can be found at https://www.bacp.co.uk/membership/supervision/

CTA Contractual Trainee:

is required to have 150 hours of supervision, a minimum of 75 hours must be with a (P)TSTA or a CTA Trainer, at least 40 hours with their Principal CTA Supervisor. Other supervision may be with a non-TA qualified and experienced supervisor. This may be 1:1 and/or group supervision.

Further information about requirements/recommendations for supervision can be found in Section 7.2 CTA (P) of the UKATA Handbook adapted from the EATA and ITAA handbooks.  

UKATA requires that regularity of supervision is decided in consultation with their Principal Supervisor according to the different needs of the supervisee and their caseload.

UKATA, EATA and ITAA recognise supervision which is on-line and in-person with the decision of the proportion of hours decided in consultation with their Principal Supervisor.

*PTSC (March 2023) accepts and recognizes that online supervision is now an important part of training in some countries, whilst it is not authorized in others. PTSC is mindful that EATA is a European association needing to account for different needs and realities. Therefore, PTSC recommends for online supervision not to exceed 50% of the total amount of supervision hours required with Principal Supervisor. In all cases Candidates and Principal Supervisors have the responsibility to make sure that their National and/or European Associations’ requirements for online supervision.

CTA Qualified member:

• for the first 5 years following qualification are required to engage in regular supervision which may be 1:1 and/or group supervision. Although there is no requirement regarding hours of supervision, UKATA requires that the supervision received is appropriate for the size and nature of professional work and meets any other supervision requirements of their respective professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS).

• after the first 5 year following qualification are required to engage in ongoing supervision which may be 1:1 and/or group supervision. The requirements for supervision are more flexible, personalised and allow for a more consultative approach. Although there is no requirement regarding hours of supervision, UKATA requires that the supervision received is appropriate for the size and nature of professional work and meets any other supervision requirements of their respective professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS).

Senior Qualified Professional Member (TSTA, PTSTA, TTA, STA, CTA Trainer):

UKATA and EATA supervision requirements for Qualified Senior Professionals allow for a more flexible, personalised and consultative approach. This may be 1:1 and/or group supervision as well as peer supervision. Although there is no requirement regarding hours of supervision, UKATA requires that the supervision received is appropriate for the professional work undertaken and meet any other supervision requirements of their respective professional bodies (ie. UKCP, BACP, NCS).

UKCP HIPC SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS

C.1 Qualified psychotherapists and supervisors in practice should normally be in    

regular supervision with:

• a Recognised Supervisor or a supervisor of equivalent standing in an equivalent modality or professional body.

• a peer group of UKCP-registered psychotherapists or equivalent after 5 years.

• A mixture of individual and peer group supervision is recommended as good practice.

C.2 For the first five years following UKCP registration, supervision should be with a Recognised Supervisor, in accordance with the HIPC CPD Policy.

C.3 Supervision contact should normally not be less than two hours per month covering the practitioner’s range of psychotherapy and/or supervision work. Alternatively, where a practice is small (as a guideline, fewer than five sessions per week), an appropriate regular supervision ratio should be agreed with the Supervisor of the practice.

C.4 For CPD and reaccreditation purposes practitioners should keep records of dates and duration of supervision.

Full UKCP supervision requirements can be found at:

HIPC SV STANDARDS OF EDUCATION TRAINING FOR SUPERVISION on UKCP website

(Revised by TASC June 2024)