FAQs
Working as a Practice (Clinical) Educator
This document provides responses to questions that Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) members ask
about offering student placements and becoming a Practice (clinical) educator (PE).
Members are also encouraged to read SPA’s Practice (Clinical) Education Position Statement
This information is to be used as a guide only and is not a substitute for legal advice. If you require
specific advice, you should speak to a lawyer. For insurance related questions please contact your
insurer.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact National office by phoning 03
9642 4899 or 1300 368 835 or emailing office@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au.
What is practice education?
‘Practice education’ is now the preferred term used by Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) to describe
‘the practice of assisting a [speech pathology] learner to acquire the required knowledge, skills and
attitudes in practice settings to meet the standards defined by a university degree structure, or
professional accrediting/licencing board’ (Rose & Best, 2005, p.3). Other terms for practice education
include clinical education, clinical supervision, fieldwork education, fieldwork supervision, workintegrated learning, and work-based learning.
SPA’s shift in preferred terminology from ‘clinical education’ to ‘practice education’ acknowledges the
breadth of contexts in which speech pathologists work, and therefore the diversity of contexts in
which the education of speech pathology learners may take place (SPA, 2020a). Practice education
encompasses all practicum/placement experiences, including simulation, that occur during university
degree programs, postgraduate clinical programs or workplace programs where learners work
directly and authentically to service individuals and/or communities.
What are the benefits of becoming a practice educator?
Becoming a practice educator has many direct benefits to the speech pathologist, practice educator, as
well as to the workplace, the student, and the individual and communities speech pathologists serve.
Many of these are explored on the ClinEdAus website, as well as within the Clinical Education in
Australia: Building a profession for the future document.
Speech Pathology Australia views practice education as a critical component for supporting the
development of the profession. Therefore, providing practice-based learning opportunities to develop
and advance the future workforce is a key element of the Professional Standards (see Professional
Standards, 3.6a).
I’d like to offer a student placement. What experience or training do I need?
That’s great! SPA requires practice educators to have sufficient knowledge and skills to equip them to
provide a student with quality supervision and to ensure risks are minimised for the student and the
people they work with. The time it takes to develop this knowledge and skill will be dependent on
factors including the student learning needs, placement learning outcomes, placement design,
speech pathologist factors, student competency, user factors, contextual factors and available
resources. The Association expects universities to ensure practice educators are suitably equipped
to provide a quality learning experience and to assess the student’s competency (if required). The
student’s university may therefore offer practice education training or advise you of other training
opportunities. The university will want to work with you on your journey to becoming a practice
educator.
We encourage you to access the following resources to learn more:
Position Statement: Practice (clinical) education; The importance and value of practice education
for the speech pathology profession
SPA ’s Clinical Education in Australia: Building a profession for the future document
Courses on SPA’s Learning Hub:
o Practice education innovation in the private practice sector
o Practice education: Strategies to maximise student learning
ClinEdAus website
What are my responsibilities?
As a Practice Educator you will have responsibilities to the person with a communication and/or swallowing
need, the student and the university.
As a qualified speech pathologist, you are ethically and legally responsible for the delivery of
services and responsible for the “duty of care” to the people with whom you work. As a practice
educator you are responsible for any actions taken by students you are supervising and, as
such, the law would hold you responsible for a student’s actions just as if you were providing the
service yourself. The law refers to this as “vicarious liability.”
The Code of Ethics states “we accept responsibility for those we manage, supervise or employ.”
Therefore, you are responsible for developing guidelines and protocols to guide the practice of the
student; and to provide supervision, training and establish the competency of the student to carry
out the delegated tasks. This includes providing information on the laws and legislation relevant to
the delivery of the services. It is recommended you complete an orientation or induction process
for students and provide them with information such as your privacy policy.
The university will provide information on the learning outcomes of the placement and
assessment tools or protocols that should be used or followed. The university may also ask you to
abide by a specific agreement. As an educator you have a responsibility to meet the requirements
of the agreement and provide requested information and assessment results to the university.
Can students provide services to the people with whom I work?
In most circumstances, students are permitted to provide supervised speech pathology services.
Explicit permission should be provided by the person or their parent/guardian. Restrictions may apply if
a person is a NDIS participant or claiming through private health fund or Medicare (see below). You
should gain written consent and fully inform everyone of how the student will be involved in their
speech pathology program. The person with whom you are working should be informed that they can
request to discontinue working with the student at any time as well as how they would action this.
Educators are encouraged to provide details of the amount and type of supervision being provided to
the student. Educators should also seek feedback from the people with whom you work about their
student-delivered service as appropriate.
Are there any restrictions related to third party funding arrangements?
Yes, some restrictions do apply and are detailed below:
Private Health Funds
Typically, a person cannot claim a rebate from their private health fund if a student provides the
service usually provided by the speech pathologist. You may negotiate to provide additional speech
pathology services (sometimes at no or low fee and are not claimed against private health insurance)
or supports (e.g., development of resources to be provided to that person to enable student
participation and enhance the care provided.
Students are also able to observe sessions, take notes and participate in other opportunities without
compromising rebateable services.
Medicare
The MBS Online guidelines indicate that the allied health professional must personally attend the
client services for the time period specified within an item code. For more details see SPA’s
information about Medicare programs and registering for a provider number.
Additional services could be provided by the students as long as a Medicare rebate was not being
claimed for the service provided.
FAQs from SPA members: Private Practitioners as Clinical Educators
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NDIS
Students may provide services to NDIS participants, but they must be supervised by the speech
pathologist. The participant must also agree to the student delivering the service. The NDIA also
expects the student delivered services will result in added flexibility (e.g. lower hourly rate or additional
hours of service) for the participant. You can find out more on the ‘Students on clinical placements
working with NDIS participants’ FAQ on the SPA website.
If a person has access to other types of funding, you should confirm with the funding provider whether
the student can work with them. You should also confirm how much direct service must be provided by
the speech pathologist and how much direct supervision of the student is required.
I work in private practice, should I charge less for student-delivered services?
This is an individual business decision you will need to make, and will be based on factors such as:
Will the session be the same length as a non-student delivered session? (Note: some studentdelivered services are over a longer period, or are supplementary services to those provided by
the speech pathologist)
Will the student-delivered service be the same as the service usually provided to the person?
Will the student be providing additional resources or benefits not typically offered to the person?
Will there be more than one student working with the person at the same time?
Will I be paid to supervise students?
Generally no, however, some universities employ educators specifically to supervise students. Private
practitioners may wish to negotiate arrangements directly with universities.
Do I need to co-sign all progress notes and reports written by the student?
This is your decision to make unless it’s a specified requirement of the university or by law. There is
no insurance requirement to co-sign student documents. Co-signing student prepared documents
implies you agree to the content and that the content is correct. However, co-signed or not, all student
prepared documentation completed during the placement and for the placement is your responsibility.
Does the student have their own insurance?
Yes. Student placements are typically covered by university insurance, as long as the placement is
formally arranged and fulfils a requirement of the university course. That is, voluntary or additional
experiences arranged by the student may not be covered by the university’s insurance. It is advisable
to confirm this with the university prior to agreeing to supervise the student.
Does my professional indemnity insurance cover me if I supervise a student?
Yes. The policy wording provides cover for professional indemnity claims arising from a person for
whom you are vicariously liable. Please contact your insurer for more specific information about your
individual policy.
Does my public liability insurance cover the student as well?
As the student is not the policy holder, they are not covered for their direct liability. However, the policy
covers you for public liability associated with your healthcare practice. Therefore, if the student is
under your supervision as part of your healthcare practice when a public liability incident occurs, you
may be vicariously liable. Please contact your insurer for further details.
Are Working with Children Checks and/or Police Checks required for students?
Yes. All universities require speech pathology students to obtain a police check, typically at the
beginning of each year of the course, and/or prior to commencing placements. Working with Children
Checks (or equivalents) are also obtained prior to students commencing placements.
FAQs from SPA members: Private Practitioners as Clinical Educators
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How do I find out more about supervising students?
You can contact your local speech pathology university program to express your interest in practice
education or discuss future options. The Association’s University Program page provides a list of the
speech pathology programs in Australia. A list of clinical education university contacts is available via
the Practice (clinical) Education webpage of the SPA website.
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Original November 2013
Latest Update: November 2023
Disclaimer: To the best of the Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited’s (“the Association”) knowledge, this information is
valid at the time of publication. The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content or accuracy of the
material in this publication. The information in this publication is of a general nature; it does not apply to any specific circumstances.
The information does not constitute legal or other advice. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability
for negligence) in respect of the use of the information provided. The Association recommends you seek independent professional
advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this publication.
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