Supervision is described as a professional relationship which involves the act of watching an individual or activity and making certain that everything is done correctly, safely, etc. There are many different types of supervision, clinical or practice supervision, management supervision and weekly learner supervision.
Delegating learner supervision
In liaison with the Higher Education Institute (university), practice educators may wish to delegate some learner supervision to individuals who have the relevant knowledge, skills, experience and abilities to facilitate learning. Other professionals or support workers can provide evidence of competence relating to a non-specialist competence as can dietitians with less responsibility within services. However, the final assessment should be undertaken by a practice educator. In addition, the benefits of supervision from alternative sources need to be made clear by the practice educator to the learner and relevant Higher Education Institute colleagues. Benefits need to be mapped clearly to desired learner (student) learning outcomes. These may include inter-professional learning, teamwork and understanding different roles, learning about how health and social care systems operate.
Mentorship
Mentorship is described as a relationship which involves the provision of influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor to influence the professional growth of a mentee. A mentor is someone who listens; encourages; share experience; gives help, advice and guidance within the scope of their role and where appropriate, direct the learner to other sources of available support. The mentor is usually an individual who is not directly involved in Practice-based Learning (placement), but understands Practice-based Learning expectations. The partnership between learner and mentor should be based on confidentiality; anything discussed is kept private. However, there may be circumstances where it becomes necessary for the mentor to share details of a discussion with other relevant staff, with the learner’s prior agreement. This may be to speak about a specific issue or concern, or if the mentor believes there is a risk of harm to the learner or another person.
For learners ensuring they have a mentor will improve their Practice-based Learning experience. A mentor is someone that the learner can meet with to discuss how they are finding Practice-based Learning, reflect and look at ways to get the most out of their Practice-based Learning. This may be something that learners engage with at different levels. This is usually someone who is not directly involved in the Practice-based Learning programme, but who has an understanding of what is expected during placement. The mentor does not need to be a HCPC registered dietitian.
The role of the mentor is to listen; encourage; share experience; give help, advice and guidance within the scope of their role and where appropriate, direct the learner to other sources of available support. The mentor is not a trained teacher, counsellor or social worker, and they will not complete work for a learner or give advice based on their own personal opinions.
The partnership between learner and mentor should be based on confidentiality; anything discussed is kept private. However, there may be circumstances where it becomes necessary for the mentor to share details of a discussion with other relevant staff, with the learner’s prior agreement. This may be to speak about a specific issue or concern, or if the mentor believes there is a risk of harm to the learner or another person.
Take a look at these useful resources to help you with your mentorship:
Mentoring on placement - student action plan
Guidance for the Mentors of Dietetic Students
Roles
Expectations around supervision roles and responsibilities should be clear for all parties and discussed at the outset of the Practice-based Learning. These should include areas such as:
- Learner induction & pre-Practice-based Learning preparation, reporting, assessment, welfare
- Communication channels between HEI, practice educator and learners
- Development of suitable evaluation to ensure that all Practice-based Learning professional experiences are valued