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ACAT Supervision Requirements across the Organisation

Agreed October 2011, revised January 2018

 

PURPOSE

The purpose of supervision, amongst others, is to ensure the quality and efficacy of the work with the client and that the high standards of ACAT are maintained.

 

1   IN TRAINING

 

1.1 Skills Training

In normal circumstances, skills trainees should be in supervision with an ACAT accredited supervisor.

 

1.2 Practitioner Training

Trainees should be in weekly supervision with an ACAT accredited CAT supervisor.  The supervision must continue until the completion of all clinical work for the course.  Each case carried should get, taking one week together with another, a minimum of 15 minutes discussion per week.  The supervision normally takes place face to face in groups and this group set up for supervision is the preferred setting.  No supervision group should be constituted in such a way as to carry more cases than can be discussed.  Trainees must complete a minimum of 8 supervised cases.  Supervision is for a minimum of 40 weeks/year (please also see the ACAT Training Handbook).  Authorisation for alternative arrangements rests with the Course Director.

 

1.3 Psychotherapy Training

Trainees should be in weekly supervision with an ACAT accredited CAT supervisor.  To fulfil UKCP requirements for clinical work, trainees must complete a total of 450 supervised clinical hours which includes the clinical work accrued through the CAT Practitioner Training.

The supervision requirements for psychotherapy training are complex and to obtain full details the course handbook for the IRRAPT training should be consulted.  In summary, 225 supervised clinical hours need to be supervised by an accredited CAT supervisor at practitioner or psychotherapy level of accreditation, and 225 hours need to be supervised by an accredited CAT supervisor at psychotherapy level of accreditation.¹ Trainees can count clinical hours accrued after practitioner training and before beginning psychotherapy training as long as these have been supervised weekly by an accredited CAT supervisor.

A minimum of 8 cases must be supervised by an ACAT accredited supervisor at psychotherapy level during the IRRAPT training.  For the 8 cases required for practitioner training and the 8 cases required for psychotherapy training, each case needs to be supervised for a minimum of 15 minutes discussion per week.  For the remaining hours, supervision time can be reduced to 10 minutes per patient.  Weekly supervision is essential throughout the training but in exceptional circumstances for the psychotherapy training, face to face contact with a supervisor can be fortnightly alternating with telephone contact.  Trainees are expected to remain in supervision until completion of all their clinical work.

 

1.4 Supervisor Training for Practitioners or Psychotherapists planning to undertake Supervisor Training

Applicants will normally have completed sixteen cases, the first eight of which are those needed to qualify as a CAT Practitioner.  The second eight cases over and above the original eight, whether pre or post accreditation, normally have to be supervised and signed off by either an accredited CAT supervisor or a trainee CAT supervisor and countersigned by their senior supervisor.  Where an accredited CAT supervisor has not been available for reasons of geography or lack of availability for the additional eight cases, the person who provided supervision must have extensive experience of CAT practice and supervision in general, or this may have been provided through well managed peer supervision with other CAT therapists.  However the prospective trainee supervisor needs to make contact with a senior supervisor by their 14th CAT case to discuss their training and development plans.  It is strongly suggested that if you are planning to commence supervisor training, you are in supervision with an ACAT accredited supervisor for at least six months prior to commencing training.  This supervisor may also supervise your training.  This will ensure that your senior supervisor is able to write a reference for you, which is a required part of the application process.

 

2   ACCREDITED PRACTITIONERS AND PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

 

2.1 Accredited Practitioners

Once accredited as a practitioner ACAT members should continue to be in supervision with an accredited ACAT supervisor or an ACAT trainee supervisor, according to an agreed plan that is acceptable for maintenance of ACAT CPD.  In some circumstances, a combination of peer-supervision with other CAT therapists in consultation with an ACAT accredited supervisor may be acceptable for the maintenance of ACAT CPD.  There needs to be a minimum of 1.5 hours per month planned CAT supervision in group or individual supervision.

In the case of CAT practitioners in peer supervision, ACAT would consider that the minimum involvement of an ACAT accredited supervisor would be to agree with each supervisee in the group the suitability of their prospective supervision arrangements for the coming year, as part of their annual CPD Personal Development plan, drawn up in accordance with the ACAT CPD policy.  Use of a non-accredited CAT supervisor is not recommended for members intending to go on to psychotherapy or supervisor training as these cases would not be counted, please see 1.4 for details.  

 

2.2 Accredited Psychotherapists

In the first five years post accreditation as an ACAT accredited psychotherapist, it is recommended that psychotherapist members continue in individual or group supervision with an ACAT accredited supervisor - this is a requirement for UKCP registrants¹.  After the first five years post qualification the psychotherapist should arrange for supervision or consultation on their clinical work as appropriate.  In most cases, the supervisor will be an ACAT accredited CAT supervisor but this is no longer a requirement.  Use of a non-accredited CAT supervisor is not recommended for members intending to go on to supervisor training as these cases would not be counted, please see 1.4 for details.

 

3   PRIVATE PRACTICE

 

3.1 Practitioners and Psychotherapists in Private Practice

Practitioners and Psychotherapists in Private Practice should be in appropriate supervision as indicated above.

If further clarification is needed on any of the requirements stated, please contact the ACAT office.

 

¹Both the ACAT categories of supervisor are recognised by HIPC as Registered Training Supervisors, at either practitioner or psychotherapy level, either by migration of the ACAT supervisors’ register to HIPC at the point of grand-parenting in 2014 or subsequently on completion of training.

 

Agreed October 2011, revised January 2018

 

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