Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment Framework

A national framework that provides practical guidance on how to apply the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s standards for student supervision and assessment (SSSA) across Nursing, Midwifery and Nursing Associate settings. It is aimed at practice supervisors, practice assessors, academic assessors, and those who support learners across the NHS, social care, and independent sectors.

The framework sets out 10 core principles to ensure consistent, high quality preparation and support for staff involved in supervising and assessing learners. These principles cover areas such as blended learning approaches, collaborative preparation between education providers and placement partners, maintaining accurate training records, ensuring expert-led teaching, protected time for assessment activities, standardised preparation content, strong communication between roles, and the use of a consistent feedback model.

The guidance includes:

• Best practice examples from organisations nationwide to illustrate how the principles can be applied in real settings.
• Self assessment tools for practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors, designed to support annual appraisal, revalidation, and personal development.
• Resources aligned with the Safe Learning Environment Charter and wider quality and safety standards.

Overall, the framework aims to strengthen learner support, ensure role clarity, and create consistent, supportive, and high-quality practice learning environments.