Facilitating Long Arm Supervision (LAS) Placements

1. Establishing Foundations

Clarify Scope of Practice Early

• Establish a clear understanding of the learner’s scope of practice to ensure safe and appropriate task delegation. This supports confidence and autonomy and should be revisited throughout the placement.
• Refer to the Task Delegation Matrix in the Useful Tools section for an example proforma.

Develop a Shared Placement Plan

• Coordinate learning, supervision, and communication using a flexible, collaborative plan.
• Include tools such as Microsoft Teams (calendar, whiteboard, OneNote, SharePoint) to track goals, supervision times, and contacts.
• Include contingency planning (e.g. “what to do if…” scenarios).
• See the Useful Tools section for example proforma.

2. Supervision and Support

Regular Supervision

• Hold structured check-ins between the Practice Educator and learner to review progress and adjust goals.

Formats may include:

1. 1. Face-to-face meetings
   2. Telephone calls
   3. Virtual meetings (e.g. Microsoft Teams)

• Ensure regular updates between all involved parties (learner, Practice Educator, onsite mentor).
• Refer to the Supervision Record in the Useful Tools section for an example proforma.

Wellbeing Check-ins

• Include emotional wellbeing explicitly in supervision conversations to support holistic development.

Ongoing Feedback

• Provide timely, constructive feedback from Practice Educators, mentors, onsite staff, and—where appropriate—service users/carers.

3. Reflective practice and progress monitoring 

Support Reflective Practice

• Encourage learners to document and discuss experiences, challenges, and development. 

Monitor Progress

• Use learning logs, self-assessments, and feedback to track achievement of outcomes.
• See the Useful Tools section for an example proforma. 

Facilitate Professional Growth

• Promote interprofessional collaboration, problem-solving, and independent decision-making.

4. Peer Learning and Collaboration

Peer Learning Opportunities

• Encourage learners to reflect together or share experiences.
• Pair learners in similar placements where possible.
• Use shared reflection logs or prompts (e.g. Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle).

   

University of Edinburgh. (n.d.). Gibbs' Reflective Cycle. Reflectors’ Toolkit. Available at: https://reflection.ed.ac.uk/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-reflective-cycle [Accessed: 26 September 2025].

5. Demonstrating Learning

Creative Evidence of Learning
Encourage varied formats such as:

• Video reflections
• Diagrams
• Voice notes

Weekly Notes and Feedback

• Practice Educators and mentors should provide brief weekly notes and feedback on submitted work.

Simple Reflection Tools

• Use strategies like Two Stars and a Wish to support reflection and spark meaningful conversations. See the Useful Tools section for example proforma.

Wahid, M.I. and Khan, S. (2025). “Two stars and a wish”: A feedback strategy for reflective learning in medical education.

Tracking Learning Outcomes

• Encourage learners to map activities against learning outcomes using logs or trackers.
• Use the assessment form and learning agreement during supervision to ensure progress.