Supervision Resources

Monitoring and maintaining patient safety is the most fundamental aspect of the GP supervisor’s role.

Clinical oversight

It is essential that the supervisor implement a model of clinical oversight that reflects the learner’s level of competence and ensures safe patient care. This requires early and ongoing assessment of performance, and a clear understanding of the nature and volume of patient encounters.

One of the key aspects to ensure patient safety it is important for the learner to be able to seek assistance from the supervisor about clinical care, either within or soon after the encounter. This can be facilitated by a clinical supervision plan.

Cultural safety

Another important element of safety is cultural safety, in particular for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients. Cultural safety has been defined as ‘overcoming the power imbalances of places, people and policies that occur between the majority non-Indigenous position and the minority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person so that there is no assault, challenge or denial of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person’s identity, of who they are and what they need’ (Closing the Gap, 2025). Supervisors have a responsibility to ensure that their patients are receiving culturally safe care by all providers, including learners in the practice.