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Staff Resources & Support

Introduction

The Care Home Education Facilitators (CHEFs) provide support to current and potential Practice Learning Environments (PLEs, clinical placements) for undergraduate student nurses. Non-NHS placements work with different governance and legislative system from the NHS and the CHEFs, therefore provide a more bespoke way of supporting nursing and care teams. Download our poster outlining the role of Care Home Education Facilitators, or visit NES Care Home Education Facilitator site for more details about the role.

Care homes can provide excellent learning opportunities for nursing students and students from a variety of other healthcare professions. In providing these learning experiences, they also expose these students to the possibility of a valued career in the care home sector and non-NHS settings on completion of their studies. 

NHS Education England mapped all the NMC proficiencies and skills that students must achieve to various non-NHS placements. They created the guide below so students and practice supervisors can easily see all that they can achieve in a care home or similar placement. 

Resources for care home Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors

There are usually fewer Practice Supervisors (PS) and Practice Assessors (PA) in care homes than in NHS PLEs, and many PS are senior carers / nursing assistants rather than nurses. Our experience and feedback is that bespoke tools and resources are required to help and support these staff members in this role, as many don’t have other PS/PAs for immediate support. We offer additional support to non nurse PS on aspects of the NMC code, NMC role and the content of a nursing degree as many will be unfamiliar with this. 

Further support for staff

There are many other group and 1-to-1 sessions that CHEFs can support staff with in line with the national CHEF role descriptor and the Practice Education priorities: 

  • General updates and support visits  
  • PAD (completing the student paperwork)  
  • An introduction to Future Nurse (proficiencies for ALL nurses) and SSSA (student supervision and assessment guidelines)  
  • Registering and using the free Turas Learn online learning system & CHEF Turas learning catalogue.  
  • The NMC Practice supervisor and Practice assessor roles – flexibility in practice examples.  
  • Using the Turas professional portfolio for CPL, CPD and revalidation.  
  • NMC Revalidation workshops  
  • Working with students with competency or professionalism difficulties including creating development support plans DSP 
  • Updating and using QMPLE  (quality management system for practice learning environments) 
  • The open university degree – awareness session  
  • Signing off platform proficiencies and skills annexes in the PAD
  • Exploring complex proficiencies and skills for students 
  • Supporting PS / PA to make reasonable adjustments for students (religion, disabilities, mental ill health etc.)  
  • Completing the student final assessment and grading matrix.  
  • Using the student activity “grab bags” as a resource  
  • Creating a student welcome pack  
  • Using the national pharmacology workbook with students 
  • Using the Care Home placement workbook with students 
  • Clinical supervision – CHEFs delivering guided reflection for staff (short term)  
  • Teaching of the entire practice supervisor / assessor content rather than it being self-directed – small 1-hour sessions over 6 weeks. (a quality improvement trial 2024-2025)
Placement resources that students should access

All information about individual care homes and similar placements is stored and accessible in the online platform QMPLE – the quality management of the practice learning environment website. The “suggested reading” section on QMPLE contains links to videos and resources that students should access prior to, and during their non-NHS placement. Please discuss with your CHEF if you would like QMPLE access as a care home staff member.

Student care home placement case studies

In order that students make the most of their Care home, or Non-NHS placements the CHEFs have devised these case studies – Case Study 1 and Case Study 2 to help give an overview of how your placement might work.

Example placement timetable

This example timetable will help you and your Practice Supervisors plan for learning and development opportunities. You can download a copy and modify for your own placement. We also have a blank copy of 8-week timetable for students available.

Care home workbook 

Nationally, the CHEFs created a Care Homes Workbook which we advise all students to print off and complete during their placements, as this may provide evidence to practice supervisors and practice assessors of achieve proficiencies and skills.   

Expectations of student and supervisors on care home placements 

The below 3 links will indicate to you examples of care, nursing activities and behaviours expected of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students on placement, as well as a reminder of what to expect from supervisors and assessors 

Expectations for 1st year (part 1) students 
Expectations for 2nd year (part 2) students 
Expectations for 3rd year (part 3) students 
Activities 3rd year students should be undertaking

Pharmacology workbook 

This NES Pharmacology Learning Resources Toolkit is also very helpful especially as many care activities around medicines management are very different in care homes.

“Grab bag” activities 

Lastly, these “Grab bag” activities were created so that if clinical activity is really busy or your supervisor (usually the only nurse or senior carer on duty) is called away to an urgent task which wouldn’t be appropriate for student learning; students can complete one of these activities, using evidence, research and local policy, and I relate it directly to the care of the residents in the clinical area. 

Grab Bag instructions
Continence
Prescribing
Pressure ulcer prevention and management
Respiratory Care
Stress and Distress
Urinary Tract Infection

Raising concerns about care or practice on clinical placements
Turas protocol and templates

Frequently Asked Questions for non-NHS placements

Other CHEF educational support

Aside from facilitating student nurse education in care homes, we also provide bespoke education sessions for care home staff in a number of NHS Education for Scotland (NES) initiatives and useful development sessions.  

At present we offer: 

The above links will provide general information on these programmes, but please contact your CHEF if you would like more information on bespoke provision within your care home or clinical environment. 

Lastly, we wish to provide links to many other resources for care home staff to help in your own CPD, but also for the education of students and learners in practice:

CHEF contact details

East and West Glasgow City and East Dunbartonshire  
Allan Dickins RNA 
allan.dickins@nhs.scot 
07789 271 460 

Glasgow City South, Inverclyde, Renfrew and West Dunbartonshire 
Jamie Gillies RNA 
jamie.gillies2@nhs.scot 
07901 587 862

Fiona McCartney RNA
fiona.mccartney@nhs.scot
07971 966 784

External links for staff

Additional training and information videos from NHSGGC

Reasonable adjustments and support for underperforming students in practice setting (NHS Education for Scotland)

Facilitation of Learning Programme (NHS Education for Scotland)

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Care Homes as Learning Environments for Student Nurse (The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland)

Promoting care home practice placements to student nurses (NHS Education for Scotland)

Page currently under construction.

The NMC Standards for Education and Training (updated 2023) replaced the NMC Standards to Support Learning and Assessment and students on pre and post registration programmes are now supervised and assessed whilst in practice learning environments. As a result of this change, the roles of mentor, sign-off mentor, practice teacher and teacher have been replaced with three new roles: the practice supervisor, practice assessor and academic assessor.

Information on the three new roles can be found in The National Framework for Practice Supervisors, Practice Assessors and Academic Assessors in Scotland (NES, 2019) and also NMC Supporting Information – What do practice supervisors do?, What do practice assessors do? and What do academic assessors do? However, you will find a summary below.

Practice Supervisors

As a practice supervisor of student nurses and midwives you will:

  • Serve as a role model for safe and effective practice in line with the NMC (2018) Code of Conduct.
  • Support learning in line with your scope of practice, enabling students to meet their skills and proficiencies.
  • Keep your own knowledge and practice up to date in the areas where you provide support, supervision and feedback.
  • Provide timely feedback on student progress towards achieving their skills and proficiencies.
  • Contribute to the student’s record of achievement by recording relevant observation of their practice.
  • Have sufficient opportunity to engage with practice assessors and academic assessors to share relevant observations on student performance in practice.
  • Appropriately raise and respond to student conduct and competency concerns and seek support when doing so.

Practice Assessors

As practice assessor of student nurses and midwives you will:

  • Have previous working knowledge of supporting and assessing students’ performance in practice
  • Are suitably prepared in supporting learning and assessment in practice and have a working knowledge of the students learning and achievement in theory.
  • Conduct assessments to confirm student achievement of proficiencies and programme outcomes for practice learning, including periodic observation of the student across a range of environments.
  • Make assessment decisions informed by feedback provided by the students practice supervisors and academic assessor.
  • Record objective, evidence based assessment on student performance from a range of sources.
  • Keep your own knowledge and practice up-to-date in the areas where you are providing support, supervision, feedback and assessment.
  • Work in partnership with the nominated academic assessor to review the student performance prior to recommending progression in the programme.

Academic Assessors

The academic assessor works with a nominated practice assessor to make recommendations for progression for the student they are assigned to. They collate and confirm the student’s academic and practice learning outcomes for the part of the part of the programme they are assigned to the student, before recommending them for progression on to the next part of the programme.

The three roles of practice supervisor, practice assessor and academic assessor required for the supervision and assessment of student nurses and midwives

The three roles undertaking the supervision and assessment of student nurses and midwives

It is important that you continue to develop your knowledge and skill in practice supervision and practice assessment. A National Framework for Practice Supervisors, Practice Assessors and Academic Assessors in Scotland (NES, 2019) offers suggestions on where you could develop in each role and resources that are available. Also, consider revisiting TURAS Self-Assessment and the NES CPD pathway to access useful resources for your ongoing continuing professional development (CPD).

The NHSGGC Practice Education Team can also support your continuing professional development in the PS and PA roles. Not only do we offer different topics as listed below, but also we offer them in a variety of different teaching and learning styles to meet your needs. In addition, your local PEF/CHEF can provide bespoke updates in your area so please get in touch with them. Also, remember that effective practice learning should be a focus of discussion within your annual appraisal and revalidation and that reflection on the supervisory or assessor role, feedback from students and CPD hours focusing on the PS or PA role may form part of the evidence for your NMC revalidation.

Continuing Professional Development Topics

Pre-Registration Nursing Programme Proficiencies, Skills and Procedures

As a practice supervisor or practice assessor you are required by the NMC to have an understanding of proficiencies and programme outcomes you are supporting students to achieve or the student you are assessing is aiming to achieve. Use our resources below to support your continuing professional development.

Online Awareness Session

During this session we aim to increase your awareness of the theory student nurses learn at university and the skills and procedures they must demonstrate to enter the NMC register. In addition, this session will provide an outline of governance processes and resources available to guide Practice Supervisor / Practice Assessor in their role of supporting students to demonstrate specific skills and procedures. This session will provide you with one hour of continuing professional development participatory time for NMC revalidation requirements.

Wednesday, 21st May 2025 at 2pm – 3pm via MS Teams

Download the Pre-Registration Nursing Proficiencies, Skills and Procedures slide set

Audio Podcast

**coming soon**

Listen at a time and place convenient to you, our audio podcast featuring your PEF colleagues discussing the role of the practice supervisor and practice assessor in supporting nursing students to demonstrate the proficiencies, skills and procedures required to enter the NMC register.

Staff guide to new NMC Skills and Procedures for student nurses undertaking pre-registration 2020 programmes

The NMC (2018) Future Nurse Standards contain some nursing skills and procedures that were not previously taught or assessed in practice. The Staff Guide to the new NMC skills and procedures (NHSGGC, 2023) will assist you when supporting these students and give you detail of when and how students will be provided with the theoretical underpinning to the skills and procedures and when they are able to undertake them in practice and/or simulation.

Reasonable Adjustments

Having an awareness of how you can support students with a disability to achieve proficiency is important in your role as their practice supervisor or assessor. Use our resources below to support your continuing professional development.

Online Session

During this session we aim to increase your awareness of reasonable adjustments. We will provide examples of situations that may require reasonable adjustments, the impact these may have on students, and how you as their practice supervisor or assessor can support them within the practice learning environment.

Furthermore, the session also provides you with opportunity to discuss what constitutes a reasonable adjustment, learning development support plans, interim feedback meetings and additional supports available and will provide you with one hour of continuing professional development participatory time for NMC revalidation requirements.

Please note this is a generic session and if you required information on specific topics such as anxiety, dyslexia or religion and culture, please contact your PEF or CHEF.

Download the Practice Supervisor Practice Assessor Reasonable Adjustments slide set

Audio Podcast

Listen to our audio podcast on reasonable adjustment and supporting student with dyslexia in the practice learning environment.

Reasonable Adjustments in the Practice Setting – NHS Education for Scotland Learning Resource

The aim of this three part, NHS Education for Scotland learning resource is to guide you in your role as PS or PA when you are, or will be, working with a student where reasonable adjustments should be considered to allow the student to safely perform during their practice placement or learning experience with you.

  1. Identifying and Evidencing Issues
  2. Implementing Action
  3. Resolution and Debrief
Reasonable Adjustments – Frequently Asked Questions

Download your own copy of our Reasonable Adjustments FAQ or see the list below.
What are reasonable adjustments?

Reasonable adjustments are changes that organisations and people providing services must make if someone’s physical or mental disability puts them at a disadvantage compared with others who aren’t disabled (GOV.UK)

How do reasonable adjustments relate to students?

At the application stage of the programme for the student, the HEI will determine if a student is able to meet the requirements of the programme. That is, will they be able to satisfactorily achieve all NMC proficiencies, skills and procedures taking into account their disability and what, if any, reasonable adjustments can be put in place.

However it is important to note that students may only disclose or be aware that they require a reasonable adjustments once they have already started their training.

Students represent our diverse society and therefore equality and diversity needs for all students must be considered.

What are examples of reasonable adjustments?
  • Changing the recruitment process so a candidate can be considered for a job
  • Doing things another way, such as allowing someone with social anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot desking.
  • Making physical changes to the workplace, like installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person.
  • Letting a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user.
  • Changing their equipment, for instance providing a special keyboard if they have arthritis.

(Above examples provided by GOV.UK)

What are the legal requirements of reasonable adjustments?

Equality Act 2010: Duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for their staff

The general definition of disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 is “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to day activities”. The Act defines long-term in this context as having lasted, or being likely to last for at least 12 months or the rest of the person’s life. Substantial is defined as more than minor or trivial.

What types of reasonable adjustments considerations could we have to manage in practice?
  • Student with dyslexia. One example could be a student that requires some extra time to complete documentation.
  • Student with religious or cultural needs. One example could be a Muslim student who requests use of a private area to pray.
  • Student with carer commitments. On example could be a student that has an elderly parent and has carer duties.
  • Student with anxiety. One example could be a student that suffers from anxiety and finds delivering handovers particularly challenging.
  • Student who requests flexible working due to childcare commitments. One example could be a single parent who struggles to work nightshift.

Please note that for such examples there are no hard and fast rules. Each request needs to be carefully considered at an individual level and impact on students learning or the areas ability to accommodate have to be carefully considered.

Who can support staff with students requiring reasonable adjustments?

In the first instance your local PEF can support. If you are unsure of who your local PEF is, please check via the NHS GGC Practice Education website.

Link Academic Assessor for your area can also assist.

When would I be made aware that a student has a reasonable adjustment in place?

Students may have a RAP in place before starting their placement. This may have been part of their induction university or put in place during their course. Occasionally a pre placement meeting is required to discuss the student and their reasonable adjustments request.

There is also an opportunity to discuss at the Initial meeting with your student. This should take place within the first 48 hours of starting placement.

Please see the students Practice Education Document.

What if I think my student may require a reasonable adjustment, for example, dyslexia and they are not disclosing?

It is the student’s decision to disclose, however the NMC does recommend that students disclose.

If a student has not disclosed an individual learning requirement/disability and you have a concern about their knowledge or practice, you would follow the same process outlined in the Practice Learning Support Protocol to ensure a fair support and assessment to your students.

The advice would be to have a chat with your local PEF or CHEF.

What can I do to support my student with a reasonable adjustment?

This would be dependent on what the reasonable adjustment was. It is a good idea to have a learning development support plan in place and review throughout the placement. 

What resources are available?
How can the university help?

The students can link in with their personal tutor to access support services offered by their university.

What about assessing students with a reasonable adjustment in place?

Reasonable adjustments can allow a student with an individual requirement to achieve a competency or meet a standard.  However professional standards and competencies must be maintained (NMC, 2019) 

It is the students decision and responsibility to disclose they have a specific learning need. 

The student can still fail even if they have reasonable adjustments in place if they don’t meet the required standard. There remains a duty to safeguard and protect the public. 

What if my student requests flexible working?
  • Employers must deal with requests in a ‘reasonable manner’
  • Examples of handling requests in a reasonable manner include:
    • Assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the application
    • discussing possible alternatives to the request
    • Offering an appeal process
  • GOV.UK – Flexible Working
What are the key messages?
  • Discuss with all students if they have any individual requirements
  • Always seek advice from the University and or PEF if you are unsure how to best support a student​​
  • Never lower the standard of competence required when implementing reasonable adjustments​​​ 
  • Seek regular feedback on whether reasonable adjustments are meeting the needs of the student and record within student documentation​​
  • Complete a fair assessment​ 
Other Learning Resources Related to Reasonable Adjustments

Practice Assessment Document (PAD)

Online Session

During this session we aim to provide a general overview of the PAD. In addition to discussing the role of the Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor, this session will provide information and encourage discussion on the topics of student assessment, grading and the proficiencies, skills and procedures that students must achieve, as well as the principles of learning development support planning.

This session will provide you with one hour of continuing professional development participatory time for NMC revalidation requirements.

PAD Resources

Designed by the Practice Education Team, this interactive PAD resource will provide you with information and guidance on how to complete the different sections of the Practice Assessment Document. From recommended timelines for each stage of the student journey, who completes the different sections, to clear and simple examples of evidence needed for each platform.

You might find it useful to access the relevant university/field specific Practice Assessment Document to review a particular section or if you require additional PAD pages these can be printed from the relevant Practice Assessment Document (Please note that NHS Scotland log-in required).

Our grading rubric calculator with worked example demonstrates how to use Glasgow Caledonian University’s grading rubric (Please note that Desktop MS Excel App required).

If you’re unsure about the terms used in the PAD when it comes to student assessment, we’ve created a helpful guide just for you. the PAD Terminology for Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors explains key terms (called level outcomes) and gives examples to help you understand what’s expected of your student by the end of their placement.

Addressing Student Competency Requirements

Learning Development Support Planning

Learning Development Support Plans are used to support students to meet specific objectives, particularly if they face challenges in achieving level of knowledge and/or skills required by their educational programme or if there are concerns regarding their professional practice. We have compiled a number of sample plans that you can use to help you to write an effective Learning Development Support Plan to support your students to progress in their practice learning environment.

**Coming Soon** Our Learning Development Planning Resource will give you useful information on how to write a LDSP, whose responsibility it is and how to implement them. Use this in conjunction with our assessment and grading terminology document to help you to write an effective LDSP.

Supporting a student with additional competency requirements

**Coming Soon**

This short presentation will give you an insight into ways in which you can support student nurses with additional competency requirements in practice and provide robust assessment.

Audio Podcast

** Coming soon**

Listen to our podcast featuring a practice assessor sharing their experience of supporting a student with additional competency requirements.

This page contains information on funding opportunities and access to live alcohol and drug related consultations for comment.

These will be removed when the funding application or consultation period ends.

Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) bring together local partners including health boards, local authorities, police and voluntary agencies. Based on an assessment of local needs the ADPs are responsible for commissioning and developing local strategies to reduce the use of and harm from alcohol and drugs alongside promoting recovery.

Across Greater Glasgow and Clyde there are 6 ADPs, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

Alcohol
Drugs
  • Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services – NHSGGC
  • With You – With You provides brief interventions, advice, referrals and emotional support.
  • Know the Score Know the score is a website that provides information and support on drugs including a free helpline and webchat.
  • The Thistle – Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility is a supervised healthcare setting where you can consume your own drugs, obtained elsewhere, under the supervision of trained health and social care professionals, in clean, hygienic and safe environments reducing the risk of overdose.
Young People
  • Routes – SFAD – Routes is a youth work programme delivered in East and West Dunbartonshire by Scottish families affected by alcohol and Drugs (SFAD). The service supports young people aged 12-26 years affected by alcohol and drugs within their family.
  • Glasgow City Youth Health Service – NHSGGC – Glasgow City Youth Health Service (YHS) offers support for young people across 9 locations in Glasgow. The Multiple Risk programme, which is a 12 week programme will address individual risks, this includes drugs and alcohol.
  • With You  – With You provides brief interventions, advice and emotional support via a Webchat service. Webchat is an accessible, free and anonymous service for anyone over the age of 13 who is in need of drug, alcohol or mental health support.
Families
Harm Reduction

LGBTQ+
  • LGBT Youth Scotlandsupport young people aged 13-25 in all aspects of their lives through the provision of amazing youth work, and we support them to use their voice to create change in equality and human rights.
  • Kinder Stronger Better – A website developed for and by members of the Glasgow LGBTQ+ community and professionals to provide information and advice to LGBTQ+ people about alcohol and drugs, as well as where to get help and support in Glasgow (and beyond).
  • LGBT Health and Wellbeing – Scotland’s health and wellbeing charity for LGBTQ+ adults. Working to improve the physical, social, and mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ adults (16+) in Scotland.
Justice
  • Families OutsideHelp, Information and support for families affected by imprisonment.
  • Sacro – Sacro is a Scottish community justice organisation which works to deliver life-changing services that empower people, give hope and protection, and help to build safe communities.
  • The Croft – Providing practical and emotional support, information and advice to the families impacted by a loved one’s imprisonment at HMP Barlinnie. 
Fellowships

Recovery
Other

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Facilitation of Learning animation
Introduction to the Facilitation of Learning Toolkit

This toolkit is a suite of resources designed to assist experienced educators and facilitators, with expert knowledge and skills in facilitating work-based learning, to deliver the NES Facilitation of Learning programme. Ideally, facilitators should have a qualification and experience in healthcare education, for example, those with a post-graduate certificate in education or professionals who work in continuing practice and professional development departments, or in a practice education role, or learning and development roles.

This toolkit provides information and practical guidance on preparing healthcare professionals and service users or carers, who may be involved in facilitating interprofessional learning, uni-professional learning, or service user/carer education in the workplace.

The toolkit is intended to be a flexible resource. Sections of the toolkit can be used to support existing learning programmes or activities or used in its entirety to plan specific programmes depending on local or individual needs. Specific considerations for online delivery of education are not covered in this toolkit. Information in relation to developing and delivering online learning can be found on the Guidance for education page in TURAS Learn.

The Facilitation of Learning Programme

Facilitation of Learning Programme aims to support health and social care workers with a role in facilitating learning in the workplace. It has been developed to support those involved in facilitating learning as part of their role in the workplace, who wish to develop or refresh their knowledge and skills in the delivery of education and training. Its purpose is to support the development of knowledge and skills in relation to the design and delivery of education and training and is relevant for both clinical and non-clinical roles.

Participants of the programme will be offered the opportunity to use a blended learning approach consisting of two parts. The first part is the completion of Units 1- 4 of the NES Facilitation of Learning programme (approximately eight hours) accessed via TURAS Learn. The second part is engagement in interactive workshops, either online or in-person (approximately eleven hours), arranged by your local facilitator. These workshops can be delivered in a variety of ways either four online workshops or two full day workshops. The programme aims to help them plan, deliver and evaluate their own learning programmes. The content is focused on the theory and principles which underpin effective adult teaching and learning. Facilitated development workshops can be delivered locally. All the resources required for facilitation of the programme and further information can be accessed via TURAS Learn.

Further information and support

You can get in touch with your local Practice Educator directly: Local nursing and midwifery practice educator (PE) contact details

Chloe Cowan 

  • Interim Acting R&I Director

Email: Chloe.Cowan@ggc.scot.nhs.

Chloe Cowan 

  • Senior R&I Manager

Email: Chloe.Cowan@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  

Dr Katriona Brooksbank

  • Innovation Lead

Email: katriona.brooksbank2@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Dr Melissa Robert 

  • Research & Innovation Systems & Operations Manager 

Email: melissa.robert@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  

Dr Caroline Watson 

  • Research Governance Manager 

Email: Caroline.Watson@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  


Dr Samantha Carmichael 

  • Lead Pharmacist 

Email: Samantha.Carmichael@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  


Dr Judith Godden 

  • Ethics Manager 

Email: Judith.Godden@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  


Charlie Mayor 

  • Safe Haven Manager 

Email: Charlie.Mayor@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  


Clare Orange 

  • Biorepository Manager 

Email: clare.orange@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  


Tracey Hopkins 

  • Lead Research Radiographer  

Email: Tracey.Hopkins@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  


Sandra Quinn 

  • Head of R&I Finance 

Email: Sandra.Quinn2@ggc.scot.nhs.uk  

“Clinical Supervision provides nurses with space to reflect on and discuss aspects of their role that are motivating and inspiring them, and also those elements that are frustrating or concerning them. Nurses and their supervisors can then jointly work through how the former can be promoted and the latter addressed” (Scottish Government, 2017).

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NHS Education for Scotland short animation giving an overview of clinical supervision
What is restorative clinical supervision?

The restorative model of clinical supervision is recognised as an approach to support reflective practice that can help build practitioners’ resilience by focusing on the individual’s (supervisee’s) experience, aiming to sustain their wellbeing and their motivation at work.

This is achieved through guided reflection, exploratory questioning and supportive challenge, enabling a focus on action planning and goal setting. Restorative clinical supervision offers practitioners the opportunity to regularly discuss the positive aspects of their work which is as important as exploring those issues they find more challenging (NHS Education for Scotland, 2021). 

Why is restorative clinical supervision important?

Restorative clinical supervision is considered essential to support the nursing and midwifery workforce with the emotional challenges of their role, develop their reflective capabilities, and enable them to address professional challenges in new and innovative ways, thus contributing towards a healthy workplace culture (NHS Education for Scotland, 2022). 

Why is clinical supervision important?

NHS Scotland is committed to enabling the nursing and midwifery workforce access to regular clinical supervision and support. This includes non-registered staff such as health and care support workers.

This commitment is required to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality person-centred care is provided to patients and support families and carers. In line with the Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland’s vision (Scottish Government, 2017), the aspiration is for all nurses and midwives to participate in clinical supervision appropriate to their role by 2030. 

How do I access clinical supervision?

If there is no established restorative clinical supervision within your clinical area, please contact your Practice Education Facilitator (PEF) or Care Home Education Facilitator (CHEF) for further information. If you do not have an allocated PEF or CHEF you can contact the team using the generic email address practiceeducation@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Where do I find out more information?

We recommend that all practitioners preparing to participate in restorative clinical supervision as supervisees, undertake Clinical supervision unit 1: fundamentals of supervision. Unit 1 is designed to provide you with an introduction to clinical supervision; what it is, the purpose, processes and potential benefits.  

How do I become a clinical supervisor?

One of the ways in which to develop the skills to become a clinical supervisor is to participate in the Clinical Supervisor Preparation Programme. This programme is managed and facilitated by the practice education team in collaboration with the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Nursing and Midwifery Practice Educators.

The programme will offer you an opportunity to participate in a programme using a blended learning approach which builds on the theoretical foundation provided by the self-directed online learning units. Completion of the units is undertaken in conjunction with the online skills development workshops. The programme will also provide you with an opportunity to practice and develop the knowledge and skills for the role of clinical supervisor. 

What is the programme structure?

Participants are asked to engage with and complete the four self-directed online learning units (approx. 6hrs). They can be accessed on TURAS Learn and are part of the NES Clinical supervision resource. You will then be offered five facilitated skills development workshops accessed using MS Teams (approx.11hrs) or two in person study days held centrally within the board area. 

How do I apply for the clinical supervisor preparation programme?

The enrolment process is managed and facilitated by the PE team. There is a current timetable for this year and the programme runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Participants are requested to choose a cohort when booking for example, all Tuesdays or all Wednesdays. The enrolment form has a list of all the cohort dates and times you should complete this with your preferred dates.

References