Most practitioners do best with supervision every two to four weeks, spread evenly across the year. All three associations set a yearly minimum of at least 10 hours, and ACA also asks that those hours are regular rather than gathered into one or two long sittings. A steady rhythm gives you somewhere to take a difficult case while it is still fresh.
The yearly minimums at a glance
| Association | Minimum each year | Year runs |
|---|---|---|
| ACA | 10 hours at Levels 1 to 4 | Your membership year, from your renewal date |
| PACFA | 10 hours, or 15 if you pass 400 client practice hours in the year | 1 July to 30 June |
| AASW | 10 hours of professional supervision for all members | July to June, recorded in your CPD record |
Sources: ACA Supervision Policy, PACFA Clinical Supervision Standard, AASW CPD requirements.
Your caseload matters too
ACA recommends 1 hour of supervision for every 20 hours of client contact, and suggests weekly supervision where possible for counsellors working full time, and not less than monthly. PACFA lifts its minimum to 15 hours once you see more than 400 client hours in a year. AASW notes that newer social workers and those in complex roles benefit from more frequent supervision than the minimum.
ACA counts hours in a particular way
Only 1 hour a week counts towards your ACA total, apart from one session of up to 2 hours each month. A session longer than 2 hours is treated as training.
Think beyond the minimum
The 10 hours is a floor. If you are newly qualified, changing settings or carrying heavy work, more supervision is a sign of good practice.
For the full rules, see our guides to ACA supervision requirements, the PACFA supervision requirements, and the AASW CPT overview.
Sources
The associations’ own documents, checked 16 October 2026.