How to arrange supervised practice

AHP supervised practice request form

If you wish to progress with supervised practice, please contact your chosen health board using the AHP supervised practice request form.

You’ll then need to do the following:

• Meet with your health board's return to practice team so that they can check your documents and discuss the process with you.
• Confirm your return to practice with your health board. They will then assign you a supervisor.

If you have any questions at any stage, your health board’s return to practice team will be available to support you.

AHP return to practice contacts

If you want to ask a specific question about local return to practice arrangements, the key contact details are listed below. If you haven't received a response within 10 working days, please email ahp.practice.ed@nes.scot.nhs.uk

All Scottish local authorities

NES AHP Practice Education team - ahp.practice.ed@nes.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Ayrshire and Arran

AHP Practice Education team - aa.aaahppracticeeducation@aapct.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Borders

AHP Practice Education team - sarah.florida-james@nhs.scot

NHS Dumfries and Galloway

AHP Education team - dg.ahpeducation@nhs.scot

NHS Fife

AHP Return to Practice team - Margaret Braid margaret.braid@nhs.scot

NHS Forth Valley

AHP Practice Education team - claire.hedley@nhs.scot and helen.paterson3@nhs.scot

NHS Golden Jubilee

AHP Practice Education team - ggc.gjnhahpepl@nhs.scot

NHS Grampian

Return to practice team - gram.ahprtp@nhs.scot

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

AHP Practice Education team - ggc.gjnhahpepl@nhs.scot

NHS Highland

AHP Practice Education team - nhsh.ahp-pel@nhs.scot

NHS Lanarkshire

AHP Practice Education team - ahp.practice.ed@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Lothian

AHP Practice Education team - ahppracticeeducation@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

NHS Orkney

Gina McMahon - gina.mcmahon1@nhs.scot

NHS Shetland

AHP Practice Education Lead - sarah.goudie@nhs.scot

NHS Tayside

AHP Practice Education team - tay.ahpeducation@nhs.scot

NHS Western Isles

AHP Practice Education Lead - laura.ohalloran@nhs.scot

The State Hospital

AHP Practice Education team - tsh.ahppracticeeducation@nhs.scot

Confirming your supervised practice

Before your supervised practice can be confirmed, you'll need to provide various information to the health board.

This will include:

• Proof of identity.
• Evidence of your professional qualification.
• A letter from the HCPC stating when you left the register and any previous fitness to practise issues you may have had.
• A professional reference, if available.

The health board will provide all the required forms.

Your responsibilities during supervised practice

In the return to practice process, your competency is not assessed. You, the returnee, lead the process. Your supervisor is there to support you and sign off that you have done the required supervised practice.

You should make sure that you:

• Meet with your supervisor at the start to discuss your learning needs and what you hope to achieve during supervised practice.
• Agree on a learning plan with your supervisor.
• Adapt your learning needs during the period of supervised practice.
• Develop a portfolio to demonstrate your learning and development.

You must also make a professional decision as to whether the period of supervised practice undertaken has been enough to allow you to practise safely and effectively.

Your supervisor’s responsibilities

Your supervisor is there to support you and confirm that you've completed the required hours of supervised practice. They're not there to assess your fitness to practice. That's your responsibility.

However, your supervisor will:

• Assist you in identifying the skills and knowledge you need to update.
• Arrange for you to receive the support and access you need.
• Make sure that colleagues in the team you're working with know your role so that you're properly supported.

Your supervisor will also sign off your paperwork to show you have completed your supervised practice.

Working during supervised practice

As a qualified allied health professional, you can see patients. Return to practice is your opportunity to refresh your skills, not start from scratch.

Once you've re-registered with the HCPC, you can apply for any roles you feel you have the skills and knowledge. You do not have to start at a lower band position.

View all vacancies on our recruitment website.