Effective September 2015

The current Clinical Supervision Standard of Practice (dated September 2015) will remain in effect until such time as the revised draft receives final Council approval.

Click here to view Standard 4.4 Clinical Supervision as a PDF document.

Standard

A regulated member of ACSLPA is responsible for quality services delivered by personnel under his/her direction and supervision (e.g., employees, support personnel, students).

Indicators

To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:

 a) Comply with relevant guidelines pertaining to the supervision of personnel.

 b) Identify clients who are appropriate to receive services delivered by personnel under the direction and supervision of the regulated member.

 c) Ensure that clients have all the relevant information regarding any supervised personnel who will be providing services (e.g., training, titles, roles, responsibilities) and consent to receipt of services by supervised personnel.

 d) Assign activities based on the knowledge, skills and abilities of supervised personnel that fall within their scope of practice (e.g., do not involve interpretation of findings, development or modification of treatment plans).

 e) Carry out direct and indirect clinical supervision in compliance with relevant legislation and ACSLPA guidelines to ensure safe and competent service delivery.

 f) Assess the role of and services provided by supervised personnel and monitor service outcomes.

 g) Inform employers and clients of the need to discontinue services by supervised personnel when the regulated member is not available (e.g., extended absence, resignation) to provide the required supervision.

Expected Outcomes

Clients are informed of the roles and responsibilities of the personnel providing services and that the services they receive are supervised and delivered in a competent manner.

Resources

All ACSLPA documents and relevant Alberta Government legislation can be accessed from the ACSLPA website at www.acslpa.ca.

  • ACSLPA. (2017). Code of Ethics. Edmonton: Author.
  • ACSLPA. (2011). Audiologists’ Guidelines for Working with Support Personnel. Edmonton: Author.
  • ACSLPA. (2011). Clinical Documentation and Record Keeping Guideline. Edmonton: Author.
  • ACSLPA. (2011). Speech-Language Pathologists’ Guidelines for Working with Support Personnel. Edmonton: Author.
  • CAASPR. (2018). Practice Competencies for Speech-Language Pathologists in Canada. Ottawa: Author.
  • CAASPR. (2018). Practice Competencies for Audiologists in Canada. Ottawa: Author.
  • Government of Alberta. (2000). Schedule 7.1 Health Services Restricted Activities in Government Organization Act. Edmonton: Alberta Queen’s Printer.
  • Government of Alberta (2002). Health Professions Act, Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists Profession Regulation. Edmonton:  Alberta Queen’s Printer.

Glossary

Client refers to “an individual, family, substitute decision maker, group, agency, government, employer, employee, business, organization or community who is the direct or indirect recipient(s) of the regulated member’s expertise”.

Competence/competent/competency refers to “the combined knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgment required to provide professional services”.

Quality services refers to “services in the health care system as measured by accessibility, acceptability, appropriateness, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety factors”. 

Regulated member refers to “an individual who is registered with ACSLPA in any of the categories of membership prescribed in Regulation and in the ACSLPA Bylaws”.

Support personnel refers to “individuals providing services under the direct supervision of a speech-language pathologist and/or audiologist. This excludes teachers, volunteers and family members”.

Draft Standard – January 2021

As of January 2021 a draft revised Standard of Practice on Clinical Supervision is awaiting external stakeholder consultation by Alberta Health. As the consultation process will be delayed due to the impact of COVID-19, the revised version has been made accessible for review by members. The revised Standard complements the recently revised  Speech-Language Pathologists’ and Audiologists’ Guideline for Working with Support Personnel (January 2021).

Standard

This standard specifically refers to the clinical supervision of support personnel and/or speech-language pathology and audiology students. Support personnel or students are named as appropriate in each indicator, and the term “supervisees” is used when an indicator addresses both support personnel and students.

A regulated member of ACSLPA is responsible and accountable for services delivered by personnel under their direction and supervision (e.g., support personnel and speech-language pathology and audiology students).

Indicators

To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:

 a) Provide pertinent information to the client regarding the supervisee’s role and responsibilities and obtain client consent for services delivered in this manner.

 b) Provide adequate on-the-job training and orientation to supervisees as it relates to the clinical and employment context.

 c) Optimize both client safety and outcomes by considering the following when assigning clinical activities to support personnel:

i.   the competence of the SP,
ii.  the client’s individual needs, and
iii. factors unique to the practice environment.

 d) Except as permitted by indicator e), refrain from assigning activities to support personnel that involve clinical interpretation.
Activities that involve clinical interpretation include the following:

i.   Interpretation of assessment findings
ii.  Initial discussion of clinical findings, treatment rationale, or prognosis with clients
iii. Determination of treatment goals and procedures, including the independent planning, development, or modification of treatment plans
iv. Completion and sign-off on formal clinical reports
v.  Selection of clients for referral to other professionals or agencies
vi. Discharging clients from service
vii. Approval of clinical content in public education materials

 e) Provide a clearly documented algorithm or flowchart to be used by support personnel when activities that have a component of clinical interpretation are assigned to them. The regulated member will only develop algorithms or flowcharts for use by support personnel when risk to clients regarding a particular activity has been adequately assessed and it has been determined that the risk can be adequately managed through use of a documented decision-making tool. The regulated member will instruct support personnel on the use of the flowchart or algorithm and will monitor their conformance.

 f) Comply with applicable regulations and standards of practice regarding assignment and supervision of restricted activities to supervisees.

 g) Determine the amount of both direct and/or indirect supervision that is required for support personnel under one’s direction and supervision. The regulated member should have sound rationale to support these decisions and should be able to articulate this rationale as required.

 h) Monitor the services provided by supervisees on a regular, consistent basis, including client outcomes, modifying and/or reassigning service delivery as determined by clients’ needs.

 i) Be available for consultation through some mode of communication or develop a plan for supervision coverage when they are not available.

 j) Inform employers and clients of the need to discontinue services provided by the supervisee when the SLP/audiologist is not available to provide required supervision and a coverage plan or replacement supervisor is not available (e.g., extended absence, resignation).

 k) Provide direction and supervision to SLP and audiology students who assign activities to support personnel and to support personnel who are mentoring and/or orienting other SP in training.

 l) Inform the appropriate employer/manager if there are support personnel performance concerns, despite direct and indirect supervision, activity modeling, retraining, and communication regarding performance concerns.

 m) Refrain from entering into an employment agreement whereby they clinically supervise the person who employs them (whether in a paid or volunteer capacity).

Expected Outcomes

Clients are informed of the roles and responsibilities of the personnel providing services and that the services they receive are assigned and supervised by the speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Services are delivered in a safe and competent manner.

Related Standards

  • Standard 1.1 Client-centred service
  • Standard 1.3 Client assessment and intervention
  • Standard 1.5 Collaboration
  • Standard 3.4 Conflict of interest
  • Standard 4.3 Documentation and Information Management

Resources and Glossary

Remain the same.