Students are required to undertake a supervised community placement during their training.  They are either attached to a parish or church other than their own, or to an institutional or sector ministry, for a twelve week period, roughly from mid-April to mid-July of their second year of training.  The placement is decided by a process of consultation between the student, his/her training minister, his/her regional training officer and STETS. The official request to a potential receiving institution and supervisor is made by STETS, though a potential placement supervisor may be approached tentatively and informally by an interested student.

The Supervisor is usually the incumbent/minister of the parish/church, or chaplain of the institution to which the student is attached for their placement, or sometimes another designated person, by agreement with STETS.

Supervisors are welcome to phone Kathy O’Loughlin 01722 424820 if they wish to discuss any matter relating to the setting up of the placement.  An induction day for supervisors is planned at Sarum College, Salisbury, on 24th February 2011 from 10 am until 3.30 pm, including lunch, which we hope can be given a very high priority whether or not you have supervised a placement for us before. 

The following is a possible outline of a supervisor’s responsibilities, although there is always room for maximum variability and flexibility of approach:

Setting up a resource group of two or three (maximum) people to assist and support the student in the placement to achieve the stated learning outcomes.

Planning an induction weekend/programme for the student, in consultation with the student and resource group.

Meeting with your student formally for supervision, at least weekly for full-time placements and at least six times for part-time placements. (This is in addition to meetings with members of the resource group.) At these meetings you should be:

• Helping the student to plan her/his time and to introduce her/him to the right people, so that the placement is put to best use.
• Helping the student to interpret what she/he is observing and experiencing during the placement in terms of God’s activity in the world, and to reflect on how her/his vocation is being affected by it. You would normally meet at least fortnightly in a part-time and at least weekly in a full-time placement.

Giving a written assessment of the student’s placement once you have seen the placement report, using the form supplied by STETS.