Foreword

I welcome the opportunity to recommend this document to all of the Allied Health Professions (AHPs) workforce at every level of practice. Supervision is a cornerstone of safe, effective, and person-centred care across Scotland’s health and social care services. It is fundamental to professional development, service quality, and workforce wellbeing.

Informed by evidence, practice experience, and recent national guidance, this document affirms our shared commitment to embedding high-quality supervision at all stages of the AHP career journey. It recognises the diverse roles AHPs play in clinical, educational, research, leadership, and support settings providing guiding principles that are inclusive of all staff, including AHP Health Care Support Workers.

This statement is not prescriptive, but instead offers a flexible framework to support local supervision policies and practices. It reinforces that supervision is not a luxury nor an optional extra, but an essential process for maintaining safe, reflective, and resilient practice. At a time of ongoing workforce pressures and evolving roles, the importance of supervision in supporting the wellbeing, capability and growth of AHPs has never been clearer.

By committing to this shared vision, we take a collective step towards fostering a culture of support, learning and professional excellence across the AHP workforce in Scotland.

Professor Carolyn McDonald

Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (Scotland)