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Occupational Therapy Supervisor Resources

Thank you for supporting SCU Occupational Therapy students throughout their Work Integrated Learning (WIL) journey.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy - 2026 - SCU

Your guidance, patience, and commitment to our growth make an enormous difference as we transition from learners to emerging practitioners.

If you or your student require additional support or experience an incident on placement, please contact Unit Assessor, Linda Furness linda.furness@scu.edu.au

SCU support services are available to students on placement.

  • SCU After-Hours Crisis Counselling support line – 1300 782 676 (text - 0488 884 143)
  • SCU Counselling Services 02 6626 9300 counselling@scu.edu.au

You are also welcome to contact the Work Integrated Learning unit at health.wil@scu.edu.au 

The Pre-WIL Briefing session was recorded - follow the link to access 

OCCU3003 Supervisor Briefing Session (Passcode: +x2ChKe7 )

Supervisor drop-in sessions

These have been scheduled for approximately week 4 of placement, prior to the midway SPEF-R2. Please feel free to use this time to drop in and ask questions about resources or how to support student learning. These sessions will include information about providing feedback, and using midway SPEF-R2 feedback to support learning

Block 1 - Tuesday 7 April 1230-1330 - Drop-in here

Block 2 - Tuesday 12 May 1300-1400 - Drop-in here

Placement calendars for Occupational Therapy can be found below:

2026 WIL Calendar - Occupational Therapy

This manual provides essential information for occupational therapy students' work-integrated learning experiences.

Please familiarise yourself with this resource, as it holds key information to support supervisors and students through placement.

The following resources are available to support supervisors / educators whilst supervising SCU students on placement:

Name Resource Further Information
Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) Allied Health Learning Guide A NSW Health handbook for allied health professionals facilitating learning in the workplace. This resource provides practical information to further develop your skills facilitating learning in the workplace. 
Practice Education Videos

Practice education videos - Occupational Therapy Practice Education Collaborative - Queensland - University of Queensland

These videos will help if you are new to student supervision, as a refresher or to further develop your skills as a supervisor.

Topics include:  

  • Why supervise a student?
  • Select the placement option for you
  • Planning and preparing for placement
  • Introduction to base supervision skills,
  • Facilitating professional reasoning
  • Advanced supervision tips and suggestions
SPEF-R2 Training

 Training and Resources | OT Futures  This site is designed for professional practice educators using the SPEF-R2© to evaluate students in occupational therapy professional practice placements. The site has primarily been developed with the needs of occupational therapy practice educators in mind and has a strong emphasis on practical application responding to the key question: "What do I have to know to use the SPEF-R2© effectively?" Completing this online training package will provide you with the information you need to use the tools with confidence, not only during times of formal evaluation, but also as a useful adjunct to practice placement planning and ongoing student communication

SPEFR Online Home

Select university relevant to your student 
OT Futures Training and Resources | OT Futures  The Occupational Therapy Work Integrated Learning collaborative in Queensland called OT Futures provides information and education regarding work integrated learning. Use this link to access to help with planning for and running a successful student placement. 
 
OT Futures Practice Education Training Calendar 206.docx
ClinEdAus

Enabling Clinical Education Skills - ClinEdAus

ClinEdAus aims to support high quality clinical placement experiences for allied health students and supervisors through the provision of open access, contemporary, evidence-based clinical education resources that support clinical education across all allied health professions. You’ll find information on: 

  • Core clinical education skills 
  • Managing difficult situations 
  • Meeting diverse learning needs 
  • Maintaining metal health and wellbeing And much more 

Q: Can students negotiate their own schedule, attendance, placement hours, or planned absences?  

A: No. Students must attend the rostered placement hours as determined by their supervisor or placement site. Planned absences or changes to attendance cannot be negotiated directly with the supervisor. All absences must meet the AVA Approved Grounds to be considered for approval 

Q: How should students manage absences?  

A: If a student is unable to attend a shift, they must:

  1. Notify their supervisor as soon as possible, and
  2. Email their Unit Assessor, and
  3. Submit a Placement Attendance Variation Application (AVA) in Sonia Online

All three steps must be completed for the absence to be formally considered.

Q: What do supervisors need to do with timesheets?

A: Students will submit their timesheets through Sonia Online. Supervisors are required to review and approve the timesheet once submitted. We strongly recommend supervisors approve timesheets weekly, as this allows the Unit Assessor to track student hours and progress throughout placement. More information can be found on the Sonia Quick Guide - OT Supervisor.