Educational Psychology - Families and Young People

The EPS delivery mirrors the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle described in the SEND Code of Practice (2015) and is shown in the diagram.

• Data gathering may or may not include individual assessment with CYP.  The EP will work with the parents and carers and school staff concerned to explore how best to meet the CYPs individual needs and agreed outcomes.
• Greenwich EPS uses a consultancy model of delivering support, please see “What could an EP assessment involve” for more details.

EPs are involved in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment process. If an EHC Needs Assessment is agreed for a child or young person, Local Authority (LA) EPs are asked to provide advice to contribute to this assessment.  This a legal requirement must be completed within a specified time frame. This may impact upon time available for other work undertaken with CYP or those supporting them.

Please click here for more details on EHC’s.

We work with children and young people who experience a broad range of needs, such as:

• Find communicating difficult e.g. have trouble expressing themselves or find playing with others tricky
• Find an area or areas of learning difficult e.g. are having trouble learning to read or remember things
• Might be feeling low, worried, angry or want to hurt themselves
• Have a disability or sensory impairment

When discussing EP involvement, there will be consideration of a range of factors, including what the concerns are, information that has already be collected, the views of parents or carers, other agencies involved.  What has already been tried and whether it has helped or not with also be looked at.  Next steps for EP input might involve:

• Meeting with adults who live and / or work with the CYP.
• Observing the CYP.
• Meeting with the CYP, which might involve talking with them and exploring their views and perceptions (using a variety of approaches) and / or completing assessment activities.

In Greenwich we use a ‘consultation’ model to inform our assessment process. The diagram on the left provides an overview of the consultation model used by the EPS (for additional information please see this leaflet).

Understanding ‘the problem’

• EPs know that by the time they’re asked to work with adults, children and young people, many strategies and interventions have already been tried.
• ‘The problem’ can be or seem complex and messy.
• An EP, can use psychology to help explore what has been tried and use this to support thinking about what else may help. 

Working together

• Every child is unique, as is every class, teacher, parent or carer and so every solution needs to be carefully considered.
• EPs will most often want to work with different people to jointly solve a problem.
• Teachers have expertise about their classrooms and the curriculum.
• Parents and carers have deep expertise and knowledge about their children.
• EPs have expertise in child development and psychology.
• Coming together and sharing all this expertise is the best way to solve problems, but we’re also aware that this isn’t a quick fix process. In our experience one of the most powerful steps forward is having a shared understanding of what is going on, and what changes we would like to see in the future.

What do EPiTs do in Greenwich?

• EPiTs work with children or young people, schools, parents or carers together with other RBG teams.
• There is no set list of activities that EPiTs undertake as the range and scope of work is very broad, and the type of support offered in one context might be very different from another.

How are EPiTs supervised and supported?

• EPiTs are supported through the Local Authority and their university.  Any important part of the training is for EPiTs to work as EPs however it is acknowledged that they are not qualified EPs.
• EPiTs receive regular, planned support from maingrade and senior EPs. This includes opportunities to shadow qualified EPs and discuss observed activities and opportunities to engage in professional development activities.
• As training progresses EPiTs begin to act in a more independent capacity to recognise the progress they are making towards becoming qualified EPs. Reports produced by EPiTs are read and countersigned by their Local Authority supervisor.
• Alongside the support from the Local Authority EPiTs receive support and training from university.  

What do AsEPs do in Greenwich?

• Within the Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) Educational Psychology Service, AsEPs are an important part of the team. AsEPs are not employed to replace EPs. AsEPs do however supplement and enhance the work that EPs do in their work with children or young people, schools, parents or carers together with other RBG teams.
• There is no set list of activities that AsEPs undertake.

Why might an AsEP work with my child?

• An AsEP might work with your child if an EP will be working them in the future. For example the AsEP might observe your child in class or meet with them.  This information can help the EP and the AsEP understand your child’s situation and will help the EP make decisions about further work or interventions.
• An AsEP might also work with your child if he / she is part of an activity that the AsEP is leading with a group of children, for example to help with learning or to help with friendships.
• You will always be asked to provide written consent for the AsEP to work with your child individually or as part of a group and the AsEP would never work with your child without such consent. 

How are AsEPs supervised and supported?

• AsEPs receive regular, planned support from maingrade and senior EPs, including weekly supervision. This includes opportunities to shadow qualified EPs and discuss observed activities and opportunities to take part in training. Any work that AsEPs do will be agreed with and monitored by a qualified EP.