Values, Guiding Principles and Professional Standards for Ethical Practice

AAOS seeks to foster a commitment to values driven practice.

Values can be defined as beliefs or ideals that are important to and are valued by an individual or, collectively, to an organisation or culture.

Values in this context are the overarching principles that guide and define our behaviours and attitudes in our lives. We carry this with us as supervisors and supervisees within the diversity of our practice. Specific values we embrace include trust, confidentiality, mutuality, honesty, respect, integrity and accountability.

Ethics are rules of behaviour based on ideas about what is morally good and bad (definition: Merriam- Webster dictionary). 

Good ethical behaviour is apparent in the way supervisors conduct themselves in relationship with supervisees, with peers and with others.

All AAOS supervisors, whether trainees or fully qualified in the profession, aim to work with good, values- driven ethical practice. 

1. Relationship
Relationship is identified by AAOS as the overarching bond that directs and unites us.  It acknowledges that all our work as supervisors is relational and also notes, as a guiding principle, that relationships are multi-dimensional, and may be good or bad, effective or ineffective, pleasant or disagreeable and fall anywhere on a continuum  between these. Relationships are not static. All relationships, even with oneself, contain an element of conflict.  It is recognised that conflict is a normal aspect of being human and contains the seeds of growth and change.

AAOS’ supervisors work relationally across disciplines, modalities, contexts and professions. AAOS encourages cross disciplinary exposure to enhance and accelerate growth.

Relationship in supervision includes (and is not exclusive of) all these aspects:

· Self

· Others

· Organisation

· Secondary relationships

· The Professional

· Colleagues and peers

· Training organisation

· Group relationships

· Modalities

2. Scope of supervision

Supervision is concerned with the work of the supervisee NOT the supervisee’s clients.

Supervision on supervision is concerned with supporting the supervisor to reflect on their work with their supervisees and NOT the behaviours of the supervisee’s clients and those in the clients’ world.

3. Values and Ethical Practice

Honesty – AAOS supervisors act with honesty and provide feedback that is open, fair and reasonable.

Self-reflection – AAOS supervisors reflect on their practice to enhance their self- awareness and to ensure they uphold good values and reflect on the consequences of their actions. 

They reflect with their own supervisors to ensure their practices are delivered with integrity, insight and timely interventions.

Sustainability – AAOS supervisors ensure their practices are supported and are sustained through their own supervision and regular professional development.

4. Code of Practice

Establish appropriate boundaries:

Contracting: AAOS supervisors work with clearly defined contracts and accountabilities to their supervisees and trainees and, if appropriate, with the organisations for which those supervisees work.

Record keeping: AAOS supervisors will keep appropriate records of their sessions, stored to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the supervisees and only to be released to supervisees on request or externally in response to a subpoena.

Mandatory reporting: AAOS supervisors may be required to be mandatory reporters if they hear in session about acts of harm to a minor. The supervisor’s first step, however, would be to encourage the supervisee to make the report. In addition, supervisors must be aware of their own state legislation as there may be other mandatory requirements.  

Notes must be kept in accordance with Federal privacy legislation. If the supervisee works with minors, the supervisor is advised to consider their state or territory child protection legislation with regards to their record keeping. 

5. Respect, Integrity and Accountability

AAOS supervisors work with their supervisees respectfully, with due regard for their feelings, wishes, rights and cultural diversity.

AAOS supervisors work with humility, acknowledging, recognising and never abusing the power imbalances that exist in the supervisory relationship.

AAOS supervisors behave with professionalism at all times in their work, demonstrating reliability and a willingness to continue to expand their knowledge and practice skills in:

· Working with diversity

· Acknowledgement of power differences

· Reliability

· Stretching and expanding potential

6. Do No Harm

AAOS supervisors ensure they do no harm in their practices by monitoring their supervisory relationships to ensure integrity, transparency and professionalism at all times 

AAOS supervisors are aware of their strengths and limitations and maintaining clear boundaries in their practice at all times 

AAOS supervisors refer supervisees to others when the supervisee’s needs exceed the supervisor’s areas of expertise 

AAOS supervisors have a fiduciary relationship with their supervisees. This means that the supervisee places trust and confidence in, and may have a financial relationship with the supervisor, who has responsibility to ensure their practice is competent and appropriate to the supervisee’s needs.

AAOS supervisors ensure they are competent to practice by maintaining their own professional development and having regular supervision on their supervision with qualified supervisors.

AAOS supervisors are aware of, and are explicit about, any dual (or multiple) relationships that arise in the context of their supervision practice, and seek additional supervision to manage this ethically and responsibly, referring their supervisees elsewhere should the need arise, regarding all of the above, in summary regarding: 

• Self- monitoring
• Self care
• Supervisor strengths and limitations 
• Fiduciary duty
• Transparency and disclosure

7. Reflection and Growth

 AAOS supervisors are committed to their ongoing professional development and seek to continuously improve their skills and practice to enable them to provide the best possible service to their supervisees and peers.

AAOS supervisors demonstrate good judgement and ethical decision making in all

aspects of their work by approaching it with:  

• Commitment
• Courage
• Open-minded enquiry
• Discernment

8. Manage Privacy and Informed Consent 

AAOS supervisors seek informed consent from supervisees at the commencement of their working relationship outlining confidentiality and contract issues, and at any point thereafter if the supervisor is intending or required to disclose to a third party.

AAOS supervisors are required to ensure all records of sessions are held in accordance with State or Territory Privacy legislation.

The AAOS database is not shared with any other association or used for any other purpose than AAOS business

February 2017