A supervision agreement is the written understanding between supervisor and supervisee about how you will work together. A good one covers the purpose of supervision, how sessions run, what counts towards registration, each person’s responsibilities, fees and cancellations, confidentiality and its limits, how concerns are raised, and how the arrangement ends. On Supriva, a complete standard agreement is ready to use, so you can sign it together before your first session and spend that session on the work itself.
Why every supervision relationship needs one
Professional supervision is a formal, contracted arrangement, as our guide to what professional supervision is explains. The AASW Supervision Standards ask for an agreement to be in place within the first three sessions, covering purpose and goals, roles, frequency, records, confidentiality, how disagreements are handled, fees and a review date. Agreeing these at the start gives both of you a clear, safe frame for the reflective work that follows.
What Supriva’s standard agreement covers
- Purpose of supervision. Protecting client welfare, supporting the supervisee’s development and meeting their registration requirements.
- Structure and delivery. Individual and group sessions by secure video or in person, a general framework for each session, and how urgent sessions work.
- What counts towards registration. The current rules on annual hours, session length, group size and peer supervision, including ACA’s weekly limit under its Supervision Policy and PACFA’s requirements under its Clinical Supervision Standard.
- Roles and responsibilities. What the supervisor offers, including a session note for each session, and what the supervisee brings, including de-identified client material.
- Concerns and professional body procedures. How either person raises a concern, and what happens if client welfare is at risk.
- Booking, fees and cancellations. Clear notice periods, rescheduling and refunds.
- Confidentiality and privacy. How information is handled under the Australian Privacy Principles, and the specific situations where confidentiality may be set aside.
- Group and peer supervision. Expectations for respectful, confidential group work.
- AI-assisted documentation. The supervisee’s express, opt-in consent before any AI note-taking tool is used.
- Insurance, boundaries and liability. Professional indemnity cover for both parties and clear professional boundaries.
- Ending the arrangement. Notice, what happens to records, and how disputes are resolved.
Room for each supervisor’s own practice
Supervisors can add supplementary terms of their own, such as an agreed session frequency or a particular way of working. These sit alongside the standard agreement and never override it, and supervisees see them before they book.
How signing works
The supervisor reviews and signs the agreement once, when they set up their practice on Supriva. Each supervisee then reads and signs it online before their first session, and both of you can download the signed copy from your dashboard at any time. If the agreement is ever updated, you are both asked to sign the new version before your next session, so you always know you are working to the same terms.
Keep it a living document
Revisit your arrangement together when something changes, such as a new role, a new caseload or a move to group supervision. Any variation is recorded in writing on Supriva and accepted by both of you, which keeps your agreement current and clear.
Sources
The associations’ own documents, checked 16 October 2026.