Educational psychology service
Who and what are Educational Psychologists?
Our service consists of a Business Support Manager, Assistant Educational Psychologists, Trainee Educational Psychologists, Maingrade and Senior Educational Psychologists who are managed by the Principal Educational Psychologist
Our Educational Psychologists (EPs) are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as ‘practitioner psychologists’, with enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certification to work with children and young people
Our EPs have a qualification in psychology at first degree level that is recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a higher degree (at Master’s or Doctorate level) in educational psychology
As part of their training, EPs have experience of working directly with children and young people in school and other educational settings
What do Educational Psychologists do?
EPs try to develop a clear understanding of children or young people’s learning, social and emotional needs and behaviour by applying specialist knowledge of developmental psychology
EPs aim to identify evidence-based strategies and interventions that will help children and young people to make good progress, and to advise schools or settings on how to implement these strategies and interventions
An EP:
- will talk or ‘consult’ with parents or carers, teachers and non-teaching staff, and other services (such as speech and language therapy and medical professionals) who know a child or young person well
- may observe children or young people in their educational setting and conduct some specialist assessment work with them to identify strengths and needs
- will provide a written summary of their work and their recommendations for the school and parents or carers
- will contribute to the statutory process if a child or young person is having an Education, Health and Care Plan assessment
EPs also work to support staff in schools and settings by providing consultation and training across a wide range of subject areas (including Autism, ADHD, Anti Bullying, Behaviour Management, Bereavement etc). This often includes helping to review and develop the provision that schools have in place
How can I ask an educational psychologist about my child?
The EP Service operates in a traded services context. This means that schools commission or pay for the EP Service
Each school or setting (that commissions the service) has an allocated EP who works closely with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) or the Inclusion Manager at the school or setting. The SENCo or Inclusion Manager has responsibility for co-ordinating services and meeting the range of special educational needs in the school
If you have concerns about the progress of a child or young person please arrange to meet the SENCo or Inclusion Manager at the school to discuss your concerns
EPs will only work directly with children where parents/carers have given consent
How we work
We apply Consultation, Assessment, Intervention, Training and Research in our work.
Consultation
A consultation is a structured discussion that seeks to develop an understanding of a problem and work towards a constructive solution and a positive outcome for a child or young person. The EP service uses a consultative model of service delivery to promote inclusion. In this collaborative problem-solving approach EPs use psychology to help others to clarify and address problems
Assessment
Assessment involves parents, carers, teachers, and children and young people. It includes discussion, observation, and direct work with children and young people. The service uses a ‘plan, do, review’ model
Assessment may be based on direct and indirect work with a child or young person. It may include observation, analysis of work, questionnaires, curriculum-based assessment and use of recognised assessment tools where appropriate
Intervention
EPs offer advice and guidance on a wide range of evidence-based interventions to support individuals, or groups of children and young people. Effective interventions involve collaborative working and the sharing of professional skills
Training
EPs offer and support training for schools and educational settings. Training links research and psychological theory with practice. EPs have knowledge of learning, behaviour and the psychological development of children and young people as well as an understanding of the systems and contexts in which they live and work
Research
EPs are trained to develop and evaluate research evidence in education. They use knowledge and understanding of research methodology to contribute to policy and strategy, and to evaluate and encourage reflective practice
What else does the Educational Psychology Service do?
All our psychologists have access to regular continuing professional development (CPD) and supervision
Each psychologist uses their CPD to maintain their skills in line with HCPC proficiency standards and to develop areas of specialist interest
Specialisms in the team have included Autism; Early Intervention with Parents project; developing a local ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) network in schools; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Narrative Therapy; Therapeutic Story Writing amongst others
Contact
The Educational Psychology Service,
Barking Town Hall,
Barking, IG11 7LU
Tel: 020 8270 6900