Both the Diploma and the Certificate are modular programmes which can be taken over a flexible period of time, from a minimum of a year upwards, chosen by our students. The Certificate programme has the same modules as the Diploma but has one assignment and self and peer assessment. The Diploma course includes three assignments which are described with the appropriate module. Both courses consist of four modules, supervision on supervision, a final tutor report and tutorials as follows:
- Two required modules: The Fundamentals of Supervision and Supervision Integration.
- Two of the Special Interest Modules – Working with Groups, Working with supervisees within organisational settings and Psychotherapeutic Supervision
- Ten hours of Supervision on supervision with a supervisor from our list of supervisors covering 50 hours of supervision practice.
- 3.5 tutorials with a member of the CSTD Bath staff for those undertaking the Diploma (initial 25 min tutorial after Fundamentals, and three further tutorials). Certificate students need to have 1.5 tutorials, an initial 25 min tutorial after the Fundamentals module and a final qualifying one at the end of the course.
- Assignments - One compulsory assignment for the Certificate. Three assignments in total for the Diploma, two compulsory and the other drawing on one, or both, of the chosen Special Interest Modules.
All students will receive a complimentary copy of the book ' Supervision in the Helping Professions', 5th edition
Course Content
Fundamentals of Supervision
This module includes:
• Why Supervision• Definitions of supervision
• Contracting
• Listening as a supervisor
• Feedback as a supervisor
• Using all seven modes of the Seven Eyed Model
• Developmental Model
• Practice in threes
Psychotherapeutic Supervision
This module is for those supervising practitioners (often psychotherapists or therapeutic counsellors) who work with the therapeutic process in depth. Often, but not exclusively, they will be working in private practice.
This module includes:
• The nature of the supervision relationship and working alliance
• Working with the intersubjective triangular space between supervisor, supervisee and client.
• Developing inclusion and confirmation....a Dialogical approach
• Working with difference
• Working with challenging situations
• Practice in threes
Supervising Practitioners Who Work in Organisational Settings: Charities, Training Placements, the NHS, Schools, Universities and other educational settings etc. Accountability, Performance and Development. Mostly, though not exclusively, for those working in organisational settings where organisational accountability often requires focused and time conscious work.
This module includes:
• Different types of contracts for supervision
• Ways of structuring a supervision session
• Legal issues relevant to supervision including safeguarding issues
• Evaluating the effectiveness of supervision
• Working with challenging situations including assessment and giving difficult feedback
• Supervisory relationship and working alliance
• Working with difference
• Styles of facilitation
• Working with the wider organisation, including its culture and dynamics
Working with Groups
This module is for those who work, or wish to supervise in groups and/or teams.
This module includes:
• Focus, purpose and experience of group supervision
• Contracting for group supervision
• Different ways of running and organising group supervision
• Group dynamics and ways of working with them in supervision
• Techniques for utilizing group resources and processes in the service of supervision
• Practice in small groups and within the larger group
Supervision Integration
This is the final module of our training. The module is run in the form of a learning community. As well as input from the tutors, members take responsibility for their own and each others’ learning by leading seminars themselves.
This module includes:
• Use of video feedback
• Advanced skill training
• Developing ethical maturity
• Supervising difficult situations
• Sharing of learning from other modules
• Special interests
Below is a table explaining the main differences between the Diploma and Certificate:
Diploma
✅ 1-3 years in length
✅ Assessments (1)
✅ Assignments (3)
✅ 4 x Modules
✅ 3.5 x Tutorials
✅ 10 supervision on supervision sessions
✅ 50 hours delivering supervision
Certificate
✅ 1-3 years in length
✅ Assessments (1)
✅ 1 Assignment
✅ 4 x Modules
✅ 1.5 x Tutorials
✅ 10 supervision on supervision sessions
✅ 50 hours delivering supervision
Diploma - pathway through the course
Fees: £300 for the marking of assignments, to be paid upon registering for the Diploma
Module 1: Fundamentals of Supervision
Choose a Tutor from the list (pages 5 & 6 of the student handbook) and make brief contact with him/her.
Tutorial 1 (25 min initial tutorial): Meet with your Tutor to discuss writing your first assignment, setting up as a supervisor and choice of optional Modules.
First Assignment: Fundamentals of Supervision 2,000 words
Write a document in two parts - to use directly with your current and prospective supervisees, and to prepare/develop your thinking about your supervision practice.
Part One: a short statement about the practical arrangements of your work (where, when, payment, cancellation etc)
Part Two: a more extended piece for yourself (to clarify your ideas for when you are meeting someone for the first time). This should outline why supervision is important, what it covers, how you work as a supervisor, and how your supervisee's clients will benefit from supervision.
Tutorial 2: Feedback on Draft or on final Assignment.
Modules 2 and 3: choose TWO from the following
- Psychotherapeutic Supervision (A)
- Working with supervisees within organisational settings (B)
- Working with Groups (C)
Write second Assignment
Tutorial 3: Feedback on Assignment
Module 4: Supervision Integration
Ideally you will have completed at least half of the 50 hours of supervision before attending this module.
Self and Peer Assessment Process: gather feedback from sources as indicated. Write a reflective summary of the feedback together with some comment on your ‘journey’ through the CSTD training (see page 9 for assignment title in full)
Final Qualifying Tutorial: Feedback on Assignment. Completion of Tutor Report Form leading to Award of the Diploma or Certificate
Experience has taught us the minimum period for taking the course is 12 months. Most people take about two years. We recommend that people take at least 12 months to complete. For this reason, we suggest that you do not book your Integration Module date until you have commenced training.
*Important Note for the Award to be gained - 50 hours of supervised practice should have been completed + 10 hours of supervision on supervision
CSTD Modules Diagram
Testimonial
CSTD Bath’s supervision training fitted into my professional development alongside private practice, teaching and research. My experience of the course was that it was relevant, nourishing, supportive, challenging, well-structured and unhurried. I particularly enjoyed meeting people from other fields as well as reconnecting with several colleagues from my time as a student at BCPC. I have no reservation in recommending this training to anyone keen to practise as a supervisor in the helping professions. And incidentally, I love the supervisory work!
Dr Richard Sale, Psychotherapist, Bristol
CSTD Bath’s supervision training fitted into my professional development alongside private practice, teaching and research. My experience of the course was that it was relevant, nourishing, supportive, challenging, well-structured and unhurried. I particularly enjoyed meeting people from other fields as well as reconnecting with several colleagues from my time as a student at BCPC. I have no reservation in recommending this training to anyone keen to practise as a supervisor in the helping professions. And incidentally, I love the supervisory work!
Dr Richard Sale, Psychotherapist, Bristol
Assignments - part of the Diploma
Assignments for Diploma students will be marked by your tutor.
First Assignment: Fundamentals of Supervision 2,000 words
Write a document in two parts - to use directly with your current and prospective supervisees, and to prepare/develop your thinking about your supervision practice.
Part One: a short statement about the practical arrangements of your work (where, when, payment, cancellation etc)
Part Two: a more extended piece for yourself (to clarify your ideas for when you are meeting someone for the first time). This should outline why supervision is important, what it covers, how you work as a supervisor, and how your supervisee's clients will benefit from supervision.
Second Assignment: (following your choice of Optional Modules) 2,000 words
Write up a Supervision session (individual or group) showing the following: how you have applied what you have learnt on your two optional Modules, and how your learning has informed your reflection on the session.
Third Assignment: Supervision Integration 2,000 words
Write a reflective piece on your journey through the supervision training. Include your reflections on the 360 degree feedback process. Discuss your understanding of your strengths as a supervisor as well as your learning needs in this role, and indicate how these will be attended to in your future development.
Certificate - pathway through the course
Fees: £100 for the marking of the assignment, to be paid upon registering for the Certificate.
Module 1: Fundamentals of Supervision
Choose a Tutor from the list (see pages 5 & 6 of the student handbook) and make brief contact with him/her
Tutorial 1 (25 min initial tutorial): Meet with your Tutor to discuss setting up as a supervisor and choice of optional Modules
Modules 2 and 3: choose TWO from the following
- Psychotherapeutic Supervision (A)
- Supervising Practitioners Who Work in Organisational Settings (B)
- Working with groups (C)
Module 4: Supervision Integration
Ideally you will have completed at least half of the 50 hours of supervision before attending this module.
Self and Peer Assessment Process: gather feedback from sources as indicated. Assignment - write a brief reflective summary of the feedback together with some comment on your ‘journey’ through the CSTD training. Send this to your Tutor and arrange a Tutorial.
Final Qualifying Tutorial: Completion of Tutor Report Form leading to Award of the Certificate
Experience has taught us the minimum period for taking the course is 12 months. Most people take about two years. We recommend that people take at least 12 months to complete. For this reason, we suggest that you do not book your Integration Module date until you have commenced training.
*Important Note for the Award to be gained – 50 hours of supervised practice should have been completed + 10 hours of supervision on supervision
CSTD Modules Diagram
Testimonial
I was looking for a supervision course that was grounded in theory yet also creative and open to me as a person with my own personal and professional values. The course exceeded my expectations and a part of me wishes I could do it all over again. The tutors brought out the best in all the participants and through those contacts I learnt about myself as a supervisor. I am grateful to have received lifelong tools for understanding the contexts in which I work.
Yasmin Jefferies, Counsellor, London
I was looking for a supervision course that was grounded in theory yet also creative and open to me as a person with my own personal and professional values. The course exceeded my expectations and a part of me wishes I could do it all over again. The tutors brought out the best in all the participants and through those contacts I learnt about myself as a supervisor. I am grateful to have received lifelong tools for understanding the contexts in which I work.
Yasmin Jefferies, Counsellor, London
Following completion of the Certificate, three Assignments can be written in order to convert to a Diploma Award
Conversion of CSTD Certificate to Diploma
- select a Tutor and make email contact to inform him/her of your intentions (perhaps best to have the same Tutor as for the Certificate)
- get support in whatever way needed for the first assignment
- write first assignment
- have tutorial for feedback and discuss second assignment
- write second assignment
- have tutorial for feedback and discuss third assignment (ways of integrating what you have already written for the Certificate, ie the feedback process)
- have tutorial for feedback and completion of Tutor Report Form for the Diploma
- pay the Diploma assignment marking fee – (in addition there will also be the cost of three tutorials to be paid to the tutor). The total Diploma marking fee is £300. If you convert from a Certificate to a Diploma within two years of starting training, a balance of £200 will be payable. If you convert after three years you will be required to redo the third assignment and the total fee of £300 will be payable.
Assignments
Assignments for Diploma students will be marked by your tutor.
First Assignment: Fundamentals of Supervision 2,000 words
Write a document in two parts - to use directly with your current and prospective supervisees, and to prepare/develop your thinking about your supervision practice.
Part One: a short statement about the practical arrangements of your work (where, when, payment, cancellation etc)
Part Two: a more extended piece for yourself (to clarify your ideas for when you are meeting someone for the first time). This should outline why supervision is important, what it covers, how you work as a supervisor, and how your supervisee's clients will benefit from supervision.
Second Assignment: (following your choice of Optional Modules) 2,000 words
Write up a Supervision session (individual or group) showing the following: how you have applied what you have learnt on your two optional Modules, and how your learning has informed your reflection on the session.
Third Assignment: Supervision Integration 2,000 words
Write a reflective piece on your journey through the supervision training. Include your reflections on the 360 degree feedback process on the Module. Discuss your understanding of your strengths as a supervisor as well as your learning needs in this role, and indicate how these will be attended to in your future development.
Entry Requirements for the Certificate and Diploma Programmes
Candidates should be an accredited member of one of the Helping Professions and a member of a professional association with a code of ethics and complaints procedure. They should be in good ethical standing with their professional association.