The Responsibilities of the Host Organisation Supervisor
The Responsibilities of the Host Organisation Supervisor
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Prior to the Placement being approved All host organisation supervisors must read this manual . In addition to completing the Law & Justice Host Organisation Form it is a mandatory requirement for all placements that a delegate at the host organisation signs the Work-integrated Learning Agreement , including the UNSW Core Terms . This document sets out important responsibilities for both the host organisation and UNSW . It is important that all staff at the host organisation who have a supervisory role in relation to our students are aware of this Agreement . Any questions regarding this Agreement can be discussed with us prior to placement approval .
Before the internship begins The host organisation supervisor must consider the organisation ’ s workload , the capacity of the student , office space and resources before deciding to take on interns . Supervisors for students should be people who are interested in supervision of students and have sufficient time and energy to do this work and have the capacity to supervise legal tasks . They need to have patience and effective communication skills as well as technical expertise in their work .
1 . If supervisors are playing a role in selection of students , they should consider the attributes they are looking for and make these clear so that students can address these in their applications .
2 . Students should have a dedicated supervisor . The supervisor should develop student assignments and , if possible , provide a thorough description of work tasks so that there is clarity about the work the students will be doing . The work allocated to the students should challenge the students . Don ’ t underestimate their abilities . Students will want to feel they are really contributing to the organisation . Please have extra projects available in case an intern successfully completes a project ahead of schedule . If possible , try to include the intern in staff and other meetings and allow opportunities for networking and conversations with other officers in the organisation .
3 . Before interns commence their placements they should be provided with information about transport , dress codes , hours of work , lunch and other breaks .
4 . Students must be inducted by the host organisation in relation to safety , workplace bullying and harassment policies and procedures in the workplace
5 . Partner host organisations are responsible for :
› providing a fit-for-purpose workplace , including task allocation and ongoing supervision , which allows the requisite learning to occur
› Communicating as required with UNSW Law & Justice staff
› Inducting students into the workplace , including informing them of required health and safety policies and procedures , ensuring that potential risks , such as workplace hazards , are identified prior to a student commencing any work-integrated learning activity and that risk mitigations are put in place to comply with all Work Health and Safety ( WHS ) requirements , and
› Contacting UNSW staff promptly should an incident or issue relating to the student ’ s performance or wellbeing in undertaking the work-integrated learning activity occur .
6 . Host organisations must ensure that infrastructure is in place to support the intern including sufficient workplace ( desk , computer workstation , access to the organisation ’ s intranet , phone , company email if necessary , etc .) Clarify if the student has any additional needs which the organization will need to accommodate .
7 . The host supervisor should meet the student on their first day , or as soon as possible once the student commences their placement , to discuss the student ’ s learning objectives . This includes helping the student to complete the Learning Objectives Agreement and to schedule a mid-term review to review the placement in the context of the Learning Objective Agreement .
8 . The supervisor should have regular times available in their work schedule set aside to meet with the student and discuss their progress . Weekly meetings are recommended . Site supervisors should provide constructive feedback about the intern ’ s professional skills and competencies during the internship so that the student can learn as they go . There should always be someone available regularly to answer the intern ’ s questions and the intern should feel comfortable when the internship starts . Ongoing high-quality supervision is the key to a successful internship .
9 . With remote work from home supervision we ask that supervisors take extra care in making clear arrangements with the student regarding meetings , allocation of work tasks and processes for obtaining feedback on work tasks . For example , setting up a Zoom / Teams / Phone meeting at the beginning of each scheduled internship day to discuss the work for that day and then a further check-in toward the end of the day to answer any questions and agree on next steps . We also strongly encourage supervisors to invite students to staff and other meetings that may be occurring throughout the day .
10 . We ask that for work-from-home placements , particularly , that the host organisation ensures that our students are engaging with , and being supervised by , more than one person . It is essential to their learning that they have the opportunity to interact with more than one person over the duration of their placement . This issue becomes critical if the student is at home and not on the premises .