Physiotherapy Board of Australia - Supervised practice framework
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Supervised practice framework

Supervised practice reassures the community, National Boards and Ahpra that a registered health practitioner whose practice is being supervised (the supervisee) is safe and competent to practise and is not putting the public at risk.

National Boards and Ahpra have developed the Supervised practice framework (the framework) to create a responsive and risk-based approach to supervised practice across the National Scheme.

The framework has been developed to:

  • give guidance when supervised practice is required to meet registration requirements, conditions or undertakings
  • set out core components that support high-quality, safe and effective supervised practice
  • support consistent processes and decision making within Ahpra
  • help supervisees and supervisors better understand what is expected of them
  • be clear, relevant and user-friendly.

The framework outlines the principles which underpin supervised practice, the levels of supervised practice and the National Boards’ expectations of supervisees, supervisors and employers. It also explains Ahpra and the Boards’ compliance processes and gives guidance on how to effectively comply with supervised practice requirements.

Read the framework.

Supervision guidelines

Some registration standards used by National Boards refer to supervision guidelines. New Supervision guidelines (the guidelines) have been developed to:

  • replace any previously approved supervision guidelines or framework from National Boards, and
  • adopt the framework.

Changes to relevant registration standards to explicitly refer to the framework rather than supervision guidelines will be made at a later date.

Read the guidelines.

Resources

The following information has been developed to help you understand and apply the framework.

Document  PDF  Accessible format  Date of effect 
Supervised practice plan template 
* Please ensure you download this form to your computer first, then fill it using Adobe Acrobat / Reader.
PDF 
(1.11MB)
  29 March 2023
APP Mid Unit Formative Feedback form  PDF
(279 MB) 
   
Supervised practice report template 
* Please ensure you download this form to your computer first, then fill it using Adobe Acrobat / Reader.
PDF 
(1.06MB) 
  29 March 2023
Supervised practice report template – For supervised practice following a complaint (notification) or for addressing health, performance or conduct concerns
* Please ensure you download this form to your computer first, then fill it using Adobe Acrobat / Reader.
PDF
(201 KB) 
  17 December 2024 
Physiotherapy orientation report PDF 
(178KB)
 

Changes to Physiotherapy supervision requirements

The Physiotherapy Board of Australia (the Board) no longer requires completion of question 18 in ‘Section G: Supervised practice goals and activities’ of the supervised practice plan (SPAA-00).

Information provided in ‘Section F: issues to be addressed during supervised practice’ of the supervised practice plan will consider the suitability of supervision arrangements.

The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) instrument1 will now be used for reporting against standards, capabilities, competencies, thresholds or standards of practice at question 19 in ‘Section E: Supervisor’s assessment’ of the supervised practice report (TPSR-00). You should no longer use the Section G attachment for Section E of the supervised practice report.

Question 19 of the report should refer to the seven domains of practice in the APP instrument. These domains are professional behaviour, communication, assessment, analysis and planning, intervention, evidence-based practice and risk management.

The APP instrument must be completed with a supervised practice report.

The APP Mid Unit Formative Feedback form is also in the ‘Resources’ section of this page.

The APP instrument will also be completed:

  • when there is a change of circumstances for physiotherapists with limited registration
  • for renewal of registration for physiotherapists with limited registration
  • for monitoring purposes in supervision reports
  • any time a report is requested by the Board
  • when concerns are raised by a supervisor (where restrictions imposed for performance concerns or limited registration is held)

More information on the APP instrument can be found at the APP Education website and at the APPLinkup website.

The APP instrument is expected to be completed with supervised practice reports for supervision arrangements approved from 28 January 2025.

Supervision arrangements approved before 28 January 2025 can continue to be reported against Section G of the supervised practice plan. You can change to reporting with a complete APP instrument at any time. You can start using the APP instrument from 28 January 2025.

Changes in circumstances

Proposed changes to an approved supervised practice arrangement should be submitted to the Board for approval in writing. The forms you are required to complete will depend on the purpose of supervised practice and the specific change requested.

If you have limited registration and are completing supervised practice and are seeking a change to the approved supervised practice arrangement (for example adding or removing practice locations, or a change in supervisor), you should complete a request for changes in circumstances form on the Board website. If you have limited registration and are seeking a change to your approved employer, you should complete an application for limited registration on the Board website.

If you are completing supervised practice following a complaint (notification) and are seeking a change to the approved supervised practice arrangement you may be required to make an application for a review of the conditions or undertakings. More information is available on the Ahpra website.

Other proposed changes may require completion of a new supervised practice plan.


1Dalton M, Davidson M, Keating J (2011) The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a valid measure of professional competence of physiotherapy students: a cross-sectional study with Rasch analysis. Journal of Physiotherapy 57 (4), 239-246.

 

Retired versions

Document  Accessible format  Date of effect 
Attachment for supervised practice plan - Assessment of Physiotherapy practice (APP) template  Word version 
(113 KB,DOCX)
from 1 February 2022 until 27 January 2025 
Attachment for supervised practice plan - Physiotherapy practice thresholds in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand template  Word version 
(114 KB,DOCX)
from 1 February 2022 until 27 January 2025 

Exemption from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

The APP Mid Unit Formative Feedback form has been made available on this website in compliance with the National Law and also in the interest of transparency. Wherever possible, Ahpra provides web content in accessible formats. However, in cases where the documents have been provided by other parties, accessible format files may not be available or be approved for use.

If you have difficulty accessing one of these documents, please contact Ahpra at DigitalServicesteam@ahpra.gov.au, and we will attempt to provide you with an accessible version. Ahpra notes that wherever possible, third party organisations are asked to provide documents in accessible formats. Ahpra will update documents on this website when accessible versions become available.

 

 
 
Page reviewed 28/01/2025