Something shifted for me in peer supervision recently.
We got talking about clinical wills. Who has one? What’s actually in it. What happens to our clients if something happens to us.
The silence in the room said a lot.
Most of us had thought about it. Fewer of us had actually done it. And almost none of us had asked our supervisees about theirs.
That last part is what stayed with me.
We supervise the clinical work carefully. We think about risk, about endings, about the therapeutic relationship. But somewhere in all of that, we’ve left a gap.
What happens to the clients we’re holding if we suddenly can’t show up?
I decided to do something practical about it.
But first — if you’re thinking about delivering clinical supervision in private practice, here are a few things worth knowing before you start.
On delivering supervision
Once you’re a few years into private practice and your diary is full, supervision is a natural next step. A different income stream, a different energy and often a much longer relationship than you’d have with therapy clients. Heres a link to my supervision services page - Supervision with Sarah
There’s no formal mandatory training requirement from the professional bodies but getting some training before you deliver is considered good ethical practice. I did mine with the Compassionate Mind Foundation and found it really valuable.
You’ll also want proper support around your own supervision practice. My clinical supervisor supervises me in my delivery of supervision, and I’m part of a monthly peer group where we discuss our supervisees. I’d always recommend having at least two supervisors yourself, just so you’re covered if someone’s away or you need to reach someone in an emergency.
Practically, you’ll need a contract with your supervisees, covering how sessions work, cancellations, payments, and what happens if risk arises or you have concerns about a supervisee’s conduct or fitness to practise. Check your insurance covers supervision delivery too. And keep notes, just as you would with therapy clients.
This brings me to what came up in my peer group last month and what I’m now changing.
Supervisors finding themselves in a situation where a supervisee has had to stop practising through illness, personal circumstances, or simply going quiet and becoming unreachable. As a supervisor, you’re holding a lot. You often know their clients, their caseload, the risks. If something happens, who do you contact? What do you do?
We started thinking about whether there was something practical we could add to our contracts.
Below, I’m sharing the exact clause, word for word, so you can use it too.
