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About this guideAbout this guideHETI has produced this guide in response to the numerous requests from people involved in supervising oralhealth professionals for a simple and practical guide to clinical supervision. We hope this guide can help generateinterest in enhancing skills and knowledge of clinical supervision in the oral health field, and thereby lead togreater professional satisfaction and, above all, quality patient care. This guide has been adapted from previousSuperguides to be relevant to the needs of those working in oral health.We hope you can use this guide as a practical resource to improve the effectiveness of clinical supervision.It gives information, tips and suggestions based on the published evidence and the knowledge of many experiencedsupervisors. It is not intended to be prescriptive and it is not a policy document.While clinical supervisors are generally involved in teaching and training to facilitate professional developmentand competence in clinical practice, they also have a supportive role to play. Supervisors are often responsible forguiding supervisees in the administrative functions of the profession. This guide therefore provides information toequip clinical supervisors with practical strategies to facilitate the acquisition of skills and knowledge across theseareas. It provides information about:• supervising oral health professionals in ways that contribute to the safety and better care of patients;• effective methods of contributing to the education, welfare and professional development of oral healthprofessionals.It is acknowledged that the way clinical supervision is carried out varies across the oral health disciplines andacross practice settings. In addition, it is important to recognise that each discipline has its own requirements forregistration and continuing professional development.This guide is not intended to override any professional requirements.We have tried to make this guide as inclusive as possible for oral health practitioners across the different areasof practice and at all levels of experience. It is intended to be an accessible resource that can either be read fromstart to finish or dipped into for practical tips and ideas at the point of need. We have produced both hardcopy andelectronic versions to make it even more accessible. Both have graphic elements to highlight key points and theelectronic version has links to make it easier to find the information you are seeking.This document should be used in conjunction with existing discipline specific supervision requirements andworkplace policies.This guide, updates and other useful resources are available on the HETI website.8 HETI The Superguide FIRST EDITION