What is Educational Supervision?

 

* a process of regular meetings between teacher and learner with support for the benefit of the learner

* a process which allows the demonstration of strengths and revealing of difficulties so that these may be helped to be put right within the framework of the objectives set at the start of the programme.

 

* a process that is confidential (except in defined circumstances), primarily educational and developmental, and designed to help the individual to progress

 

* a positive process to give someone feedback on their performance, to chart their continuing progress and to identify developmental needs.

 

* a forward-looking process essential for the developmental and educational planning needs of an individual

 

All these definitions are basically saying the meetings are there to help the learner by giving them feedback, keeping them on track for their training and helping them to develop in those areas where there is an identified need.

 

 

 

In Summary:

and also, it helps ensure you are "on track" for your training as a whole.

 

 

 

What It Is and What It Isn't

 

In assessment the trainee tries to hide what they are bad at; in educational supervision they should be comfortable about displaying it

 

 

 

What's the Difference Between an Educational Supervisor and a Clinical Supervisor?

 

Throughout your training you will have one educational supervisor and several clinical supervisors. You will have regular reviews with both. However, don't confuse the two. Each aims to do different things as illustrated in the table below.

 

Educational Supervisor	Clinical Supervisor
Looks at your overall educational programme (ie the whole training scheme)	Looks at your clinical needs determined by your performance in your current post.
Helps ensure you get appropriate training and experience in an integrated way throughout your training and make you aware of educational opportunities for your needs in terms of the training programme as a whole	It ensures that an individual doctor’s timetable allows attendance at formal teaching sessions, is appropriate for his/her learning needs and that there is a correct balance between training and service in the placement.
Helps you keep on track for nMRCGP and is where the multisource feedback is reviewed
Involves a review of your assessments and feedback	Carries out assessments that will be reviewed in educational supervision. The clinical supervisor will supervise clinical activity ensuring that the trainee only performs tasks without supervision that they are competent so to do. In essence, clinical supervisors oversee the day-to-day work of the trainee.
Results in an educational supervisor’s report. The Educational supervisor will ultimately be responsible for signing off the trainee at the end of each ST year before progressing to the next. This needs to be recorded in the trainee's eportfolio.	Results in a clinical supervisor’s report. Clinical supervisors will sign off workplace-based assessments, and write an end-of-placement clinical supervisor's report to be recorded in the trainee’s eportfolio.
You have one supervisor throughout your entire scheme. Usually a programme director or trainer	Your clinical supervisor changes every time you change a post Usually a consultant from the department you are working in
In Yorkshire, you are meant to have two educational supervision meetings per post (roughly March & June / Sept & Dec	Clinical supervisors are expected to hold formative meetings with their trainee at the beginning, middle and end of their placement.
	They will be the trainee’s initial point of contact in issues relating to the specific post.

 

 

 

Okay, So How Does Educational Supervision Differ From Appraisal?

 

Often, appraisal and educational supervision are used interchangeably. However, educational supervision does hold some connotations that appraisal does not:

* Educational supervision can imply someone is checking up on you (as opposed to it being a developmental thing). Hence, it can feel more threatening to learners

* Educational supervision imparts too much emphasis on “education” (often perceived as knowledge), when in reality, personal and professional development are equally as important