Published 2026-08-10 • Category: Placement Guide • Author: CounsellingPlacements.co.uk Team
A placement logbook is easy to postpone until you are suddenly asked to total your hours, explain a gap, or provide evidence for your course. Keeping a simple record from the first week makes the administrative side of training much less stressful.
Your course handbook is the final word on what must be recorded and which hours count. The approach below is a practical starting point, not a replacement for your course's logbook or confidentiality policy.
Make a brief entry as soon as you can after the day or session. Record only the information needed to evidence your training:
Use totals as well as individual entries. A monthly total makes it easier to spot early if your client hours are progressing more slowly than you expected.
Do not put client names, dates of birth, contact details, full case histories or identifying combinations of facts into your personal logbook. A logbook is for your learning record, not a clinical note.
If you need to remember something to take to supervision, use the secure system your placement provides or make an anonymised prompt that only makes sense alongside the provider's own records. When in doubt, ask your supervisor what belongs in your course log and what must stay in the provider's case-management system.
Some trainees prefer a course-issued form; others use a spreadsheet, notebook or calendar alongside it. The best system is the one you can update consistently and store safely.
If you use a digital record, protect the device with a password and avoid saving it in shared folders. If you use paper, keep it somewhere private and do not leave it in a bag, car or placement office. Follow your provider's policies before using any personal device at all.
Set aside ten minutes each week to check your log against your calendar and the placement's own attendance records where appropriate. Flag differences early. It is much easier to clarify a missing entry from last week than from six months ago.
Before a course review, total the categories your course asks for and check whether a tutor or supervisor needs to sign anything. Keep copies in the way your course recommends.
Client hours can vary because referrals change, clients cancel, services pause intake or a placement has limited capacity. If your totals are lower than expected, speak to your placement contact and tutor early. They may be able to explain the pattern, adjust your expectations, or help you explore other options.
Accurate records protect you, support safe practice and make it easier to see how much you have actually learned over time.