Clinical Supervision in Professional Practice

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision in Professional Practice

This newly validated Certificate is validated by QQI ( Quality and Qualifications Ireland) at Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Clinical Supervision can assist professionals involved in supporting professions engaged in a range of activities to optimise their functioning and effectiveness in areas such as individual recovery, wellbeing in health and human science disciplines and also at policy and preventative levels in terms of public health models, thus enriching the lives of individuals and communities.



The area of clinical supervision is evolving as one of significant professional interest within the Irish health and social care setting. Education and government policy demand that all professions who rely in their day to day practice on a range of theoretical perspectives maintain or put in place a framework to accommodate the acquisition and continued maintenance of higher-order skills to underpin their practice as well as having educational progression routes to support their professional development and provide opportunities to enhance their own professional knowledge base. Ryan (2008) traced the evolution of nursing as an academic discipline in Ireland, noting that the journey towards academic professionalisation accelerated since the 1960s when programmes in higher educational institutions became available for nurses. These were generally initially restricted to programmes at training and leadership level initially and expanded thereafter to all qualified practitioners and subsequently to pre-registration level from 1994 onwards. A similar pattern was obvious in the UK (Ryan,2008). All those programmes incorporated structures for the mentorship and/or preceptorship of students and in 2015 the Department of Health formally mandated all mental health services to provide clinical supervision for Mental Health Nurses, recognising the need for appropriate professional support structures for qualified practitioners as well as students (Department of Health, 2015).



Recognising these trends, it is important that there are opportunities for professionals to study clinical supervision up to Major Award level at Level 9 on the NFQ. In Ireland currently, those opportunities are currently limited and this course offers participants a new and exciting means to study Clinical Supervision at Masters Level. This course is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to become confident, critical, analytical, and reflective practitioners who are able to make maximum use of resources, including research in their day-to-day practice. Competent practice within contemporary health and social care settings demands flexibility as well as higher levels of knowledge and skills. Students will develop the knowledge and skills to become flexible through the development of the capacity for positive openness to change. It is our belief that this will be best achieved through collaboration and strong links between education and service, which will promote the effective integration of theory and practice. This programme will facilitate the student to evolve to a level of expert practice in clinical supervision in the context of interdisciplinary care models and driven by principles of holism.

The modules and associated credits relating to the Certificate in Clinical Supervision in Professional Practice are laid out below.

• Principles and Practices of Clinical Supervision (10 ECTS),

• The Practice and Process of Supervision (10 ECTS)

• Practicum Module (10 ECTS).

The knowledge, skills, and competence required to successfully participate in and complete this Level 9 programme will normally require applicants to have successfully achieved a Level 2:2 award in a relevant Level 8 degree.



Those who have completed other relevant educational programmes or have relevant professional experience etc., where Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) and Acquired Prior Learning (APL) can be applied to the programme by submission of programme content, qualification, and assignments equivalent to an appropriate Level 8 award at an Honours 2:2 standard, can also be considered.



Applicants will normally have a minimum of two years of experience in areas of relevant practice such as a helping or caring role, or related leadership or teamwork role. This could include experience gained in helping roles within undergraduate studies.



All applicants are required to be over 23 years of age and will be required to complete the Garda vetting procedure and all applicants will be subject to the College’s ‘Fitness to Practice’ policy, which is set out in detail in the Programme Handbook and on the website. These arrangements are in accordance with the National Vetting Bureau Acts 2012-2016 which species a statutory requirement for all learners on programmes that include placements.

24 Weeks



Available at our Dublin and Limerick Campuses

Start Date: September 2025