Educational Psychology Service Research Articles

Adolescent drug use in Scotland: Is there a role for educational psychology services?

Adolescent drug use in Scotland: Is there a role for educational psychology services?

Every child matters: Can educational psychology contribute to radical reform?

This is a time of radical change for all services working with children in the UK. For educational psychologists recent publications outlining government strategy have created an urgent need to consider future directions that go well beyond those discussed in the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE, 2000) report on educational psychology services. In this paper we suggest that decisions about strategic direction and developments in practice should be based on a shared set of values focused clearly on the rights of children and young people. In particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989) could provide the framework for a compact between the profession and children. This will require an evaluative focus within educational contexts that goes beyond school satisfaction surveys. Both schools and support professionals will need to demonstrate the achievement of improved outcomes for pupils. Difficult questions about the value added by educational psychologist involvement can no longer be evaded.

The development of a group consultation approach to service delivery

This paper outlines the development, within a small, rural educational psychology service in Wales, of a group consultation approach to service delivery. This involved educational psychologists offering consultation to small groups of teachers as an alternative to direct assessment work. The process of implementing the group consultation approach is described and the findings of a pilot evaluation in the northern area of the county are discussed. The evaluation is a report on initial findings. It is expected that further update reports will be submitted.

Traumatic brain injury in childhood and adolescence: The role of educational psychology services in promoting effective recovery

An ecological-transactional framework is used to illustrate the complex interplay between risk and protective factors mediating immediate and enduring effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood and adolescence. A relatively high number of children are likely to experience TBI, and it is probable that many will be educated in maintained schools without specialist neuropsychological advice or support. Applied psychologists such as educational psychologists (EPs) have a key role in ensuring that neuropsychological and other forms of research can be applied to best effect to assist children’s recovery and future development. However, a questionnaire-based survey of the training of EPs (N = 117), and a more detailed survey of those who had worked with a child with a TBI within 12 months of questionnaire completion (N = 55) confirmed that it was unusual for more specialist colleagues, such as clinical neuropsychologists, to be involved in school-based consultation relating to such pupils, and indicated that, in a majority of cases, EPs’ initial and post-experience training had offered an insecure grounding upon which confidently to base their own practice in this domain. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the future training needs and practice of EPs, in order to ensure optimal support for children with TBI.

Fostering communication and shared play between mainstream peers and children with autism: approaches, outcomes and experiences

More pupils with autism are now being educated in mainstream settings and inevitably there is increased interest in their interactions with their peers. In this article, Philip Whitaker, of the Educational Psychology Service in Northamptonshire, describes his study of shared play between children with autism and their mainstream peers. The study involved ten youngsters with severe autism, educated in a unit attached to a mainstream school, and a group of volunteer ‘peer tutors’. The children met in weekly interaction sessions designed to promote shared play and communication. The peer tutors were provided with some coaching in interaction techniques and the impact of the intervention was evaluated through analysis of video recordings of play sessions made at the beginning and end of the project. The peer tutors and their parents were also interviewed at the end of the project to explore their experiences.The results Philip Whitaker reports are encouraging. All parents were strongly supportive of their children's participation. All but one of the peer tutors found the experience challenging but rewarding and wanted to continue their involvement beyond the 20‐week project. The video evidence revealed that the peer tutors, with relatively limited preparation, were able to engage the youngsters with autism in high and sustained levels of shared play. The frequency of requesting by children with autism increased substantially over the course of the project, although levels of initiation of shared attention remained consistently low. Philip Whitaker concludes his report with a series of suggestions for enhancing the impact of this interesting work.

An evaluation of induction programmes within educational psychology services in the UK

An evaluation of induction programmes within educational psychology services in the UK

Joining Educational Psychology Services as Communities of Practice: Perspectives from Educational Psychologists in Training (EPiTs) at the end of their year in training

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a small scale, informal survey, conducted by EPiTs from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, during their workshop at the annual EPiT Conference held in July, 2003, at the University of Dundee.The 32 EPiTs who attended this session comprised an opportunity sample, whose experiences prior to their year in training, perceptions of competence at the end of their year in training, views about some of the controversial issues which have long formed a focus of debate within the profession, and expectations for pay and conditions in their first year in post were surveyed.This short paper briefly summarises findings, and discusses implications for recruitment and retention, induction and continuing professional development, and use of the knowledge and skills of newly appointed EPs in contributing to developments in service delivery.

The Durham experience: promoting dyslexia and dyspraxia friendly schools.

The Durham County Policy Document on Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia and dyspraxia) has been developed over a period of years as a countywide response to ensure that children's specific learning difficulties are identified and that schools are equipped to offer a range of appropriate interventions. The content of the policy document is studied in depth along with the training programmes offered by the Learning Support Service and Educational Psychology Service that will support schools in putting the policy into practice. Future developments, including an exciting project on promoting inclusive practice for pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (dyslexia and dyspraxia), are outlined.

Panorama da psicologia escolar na cidade de Vitória: um estudo exploratório

A presente pesquisa apresenta um panorama da Psicologia Escolar em escolas públicas e privadas de Vitória. Foram entrevistados 34 sujeitos, todos de escolas diferentes, sendo quatro psicólogos e 30 outros profissionais de educação. Constatou-se que os poucos psicólogos atuantes não possuíam vínculo empregatício com as escolas e relatavam insatisfação com o trabalho. Os demais profissionais afirmaram que o psicólogo na escola deve trabalhar com os relacionamentos entre alunos, pais e professores. A maioria dos sujeitos considerou o trabalho do psicólogo na escola importante, ainda que, naquelas que não possuíam serviço de psicologia, outros profissionais acabavam por "fazer o papel" do psicólogo.

Getting it right from the start: developing a service delivery model for non‐maintained early years settings

In this paper, the author explores how Educational Psychology Services might respond to the requirement that they now deliver a service to all validated Early Years settings. In doing so, current service delivery to schools is critically examined and a number of difficulties identified. Five key elements to the development of such a service are propounded, in order to avoid the inherent difficulties identified in schools. These include elements that are under the direct control of educational psychologists and others that are of a more systemic nature. The paper concludes that although following such steps should lead to the development of a much improved model of service delivery, wider elements such as the nature of private provision and the legacy of previous educational psychologist practice may represent a threat to this development. As such, these areas present much scope for further investigation.

So far so good? A qualitative case study exploring the implementation of consultation in schools

This paper describes a small‐scale research project carried out one year after the implementation of a consultation model of service delivery within an Educational Psychology Service. Following a series of interviews held with special needs co‐ordinators, a hierarchy of development was identified, and conditions pertaining to this development isolated. Through identifying optimum conditions for the development of consultation, a number of specific recommendations are made, aimed at ensuring that all schools gain maximum benefit from this way of working.

Delivering educational psychology services to non-maintained early years settings: Inclusion ABC

This paper describes a pilot project aimed at developing a cohesive service delivery model to the large numbers of non-maintained early years settings which may now in theory request the support of an educational psychologist. Based on an inclusive model, a cluster of SENCos met on a regular basis with an educational psychologist and were trained to audit their settings for inclusion. Once this basic training had been completed, regular consultation sessions were held, in order to help the SENCos develop inclusive solutions for all the children in their care.This qualitative evaluation of the project describes its planning and implementation and will be of interest to any educational psychology service contemplating service delivery to this sector.

Responding to crises in schools: A consultancy model for supporting schools in crisis

The author will describe how Kent Educational Psychology Service (EPS) has developed a consultancy model to support schools in crisis based on their request for practical and emotional support in the immediate aftermath of a critical incident. This paper will describe the resources that have been developed to ensure the maintenance of the quality of the service’s response across the county. Issues for practice will be discussed, raised by feedback from schools via post-incident questionnaires collected over the last ten years in Kent, and the conclusions of a study conducted by the author following two incidents involving road traffic fatalities with large numbers of student witnesses. The author will consider issues raised for practice from recent research and conclude that there may be issues about the appropriate use of techniques such as psychological debriefing, but that these should not be confused with the benefits of supporting school communities in crisis.

Cross-school Working: a Model of Service Delivery

Cross-school working is the name given to an approach to service delivery which has been developed during the past three years by Dundee Educational Psychology Service (DEPS). This article offers an historical overview of the development of this approach and draws from one of the existing cross-school working projects (Specialism in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in order to illustrate some of the key features of the approach.

Starting to make a difference: responding to the challenges of recent developments in the early years

Recent national changes in ‘Early Years’ policy are likely to have major impact on the practice and profession of educational psychology. In this paper, implications at the individual, service and systemic levels are examined and practice examples given of how an Educational Psychology Service (EPS) might rise to the new challenges these major changes engender. The paper concludes that in order to maintain a clear overview of the continuing developments and demands in this area and to ensure that there is a co-ordinated response, the ‘Early Years’ should increasingly become recognised as an area for a Senior Specialist educational psychologist (EP). This EP would be charged with the responsibility for drawing up the service development plan for the Early Years and at the same time ensuring that the opportunities offered by the ongoing developments in this area are capitalised upon.

The merits of a Child Guidance Clinic – every Educational Psychology Service should have one

The merits of a Child Guidance Clinic – every Educational Psychology Service should have one

Factors influencing recruitment in educational psychology

This paper reports an investigation of the factors that educational psychologists in training (EPiTs) look for when applying for jobs in educational psychology services. Relevant literature on ‘job attraction’ is reviewed and a three-stage research process employed. This involved a focus group approach to questionnaire generation followed by questionnaire studies involving 87 EPiTs and 22 recently qualified educational psychologists. Results identify key aspects of service and staff development as crucial in recruitment. These are discussed within the broader context of psychological theory on job satisfaction in considering implications for both recruitment and retention.

DECP Working Party on Parent Partnership

Simon Burnham’s article on parents’ views of EP work (see page 31) is a welcome addition to our developing awareness in this area of work. Simon’s pilot study presents a snapshot of local parents’ views of the service they have received, and he quite rightly points out that such views are a reflection of the work of a particular educational psychology service (EPS). More research such as his throughout the UK should help to show similarities and differences of EPS parent work in the UK. Simon suggests that the next step would need to be to allow parents to make an informed judgment of the service they have received against specific service quality criteria. So far as I understand it, such service quality criteria are not yet a regular feature of EPS documentation.Service quality criteria for parent work is one of the areas the DECP Working Party on Parent Partnership, Parent Advocacy and Parent Training (here referred to as the Working Party on Parent Partnership for brevity) is studying. Colleagues might be aware that the DECP set up a parent partnership working party last year to find out how current work practices can be enhanced to achieve models for future best practice. Research techniques used involve questionnaires, parent focus groups, consultations with specialists, as well as an EPIT questionnaire asking this year’s trainees about their views on course contents in relation to parent work. We are also collecting a list of resources and references, and have a sizeable number of EPS booklets for parents on their parent work. Their content can reveal much about what services are considering as essential aspects of parent work in an EPS and consequently where there might be areas of underdevelopment. Below we print a copy of the parent partnership brief for the working party.

Bridging the Gap: probationer educational psychologists' use of computer-mediated conferencing

Twelve educational psychologists in training on the M.Sc. course at the University of Strathclyde were provided with e-mail and on-line computer conferencing facilities with the aim of developing critical thinking and transferable information technology skills. A follow-up 6 months after the end of the course revealed that the use of computer-mediated conferencing increased the amount of and improved the structure of exchanges between educational psychologists in training, which helped them to bridge the gap between the course and the commencement of their probationary period. The findings from this case study highlight the importance of computer-mediated conferencing for the training of educational psychologists. The implications for educational psychology services are also discussed.

CPD LinkIntroduction and editorial commentsInduction of EPs: Whose purpose does it serve?Holistic CPD: As a way of EPS life. Creating a vibrant and coherent learning organisationThree year programmes of initial professional training in Educational Psychology: Implications for supervision and CPD in Educational Psychology Services

CPD LinkIntroduction and editorial commentsInduction of EPs: Whose purpose does it serve?Holistic CPD: As a way of EPS life. Creating a vibrant and coherent learning organisationThree year programmes of initial professional training in Educational Psychology: Implications for supervision and CPD in Educational Psychology Services