Allied health professions (AHP) learning site

What is preceptorship?

Preceptorship is tailored structured support for all grades of the AHP workforce who are going through a period of transition, for example, becoming a newly qualified practitioner, returning to practice after a career break, undertaking a career development or change in speciality.

HCPC Principles of preceptorship

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) have developed high level preceptorship principles which are appropriate to a range of settings and work arrangements and supportive to HCPC regulatory infrastructure.

  ‘The preceptorship principles and supporting information set out in this document are designed to support all professionals registered with the HCPC to access preceptorship when and where they need it, to support them at key transition moments in their careers, and to help them in providing safe, compassionate and high-quality care.’

Link to HCPC Preceptorship Principles: Principles for preceptorship | (hcpc-uk.org)

Preceptorship principles:

• Principle 1. Organisational culture and preceptorship
• Principle 2. Quality and oversight of preceptorship
• Principle 3. Preceptee empowerment
• Principle 4. Preceptor role
• Principle 5. Delivering preceptorship programmes

What is the role of supervision during a period of preceptorship?

Scotland’s statement for AHP Support and Supervision states that, ‘All AHP practitioners, irrespective of their level of practice or experience, should have access to, and be prepared to make constructive use of supervision.’ 

The statement states that there will be times when supervision is needed with greater frequency, such as, for newly qualified staff joining the workforce who will benefit from preceptorship or enhanced supervision to support their learning and development.

More information on AHP Support and Supervision can be found here:

Allied health professions (AHP) support and supervision | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot)

This webinar was delivered on the 6th March 2024 by NHS Education for Scotland with guest speaker Florence Milliken from HCPC and AHPs with experience in preceptorship from across Scotland. 

The aims of the webinar are:

• to introduce the HCPC Preceptorship principles
• to describe what preceptorship is and it's benefits
• to identify who should have access to preceptorship
• to explain the roles and responsibilities of preceptee and preceptor
• to share case studies examples of preceptorship in practice and shared learning 

Please see links below to any resources to support your practice that were highlighted in this webinar.