Why Do EPs Enjoy Being EPs

1

• Welcome to the
• Educational
• Psychology
• Open Evening

2

• Format for the Evening
• Introduction and Outline of the evening
• The changing government climate
• Being an Educational Psychologist in 2008
• The British Psychological Society Role
• Three years at University of Southampton
• Curriculum Placement learning Research
• Informal Discussion Question Generation
• Current Trainee Educational Psychologists
• Applying for a place on the programme

3
Context for Service Development

• The death of a child, Victoria Climbie
• The Laming Report, 2003
• Every Child Matters, 2004
• The Children Act, 2004
• The National Service Framework for Children,
  Young People and Maternity Services, 2004
• Youth Matters Green Paper, 2005

4
Five Outcomes of Every Child Matters

• Be healthy
• Stay Safe
• Enjoy and Achieve
• Make a Positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

5
Future Developments

• The community beyond school
• Working with voluntary agencies
• Children in Care
• Fostering and adoption support
• Pre-school and play-groups
• Young Offenders
• Emotionally vulnerable children out of school (eg
  teenage mothers)

6
Every Child Matters

• Integrated service delivery
• Lead professional
• Common Assessment Framework
• Information sharing
• Early Intervention
• Pupil and Parent participation
• Childrens Workforce Reform Professional
  Development
• Common Core of Skills and Knowledge

7
What do EPs do?

• EPs work with school staff, parents and other
  professionals to promote the learning,
  development and well-being of children aged 0-19

8
How is this different to what other professionals
can offer?

• EPs are applied psychologists
• We apply systematic psychological problem solving
  to problems that arise in educational contexts
• We work collaboratively with other professionals
  (e.g. through consultation)
• We take an interactionist, systemic and
  solution-focused approach

9
Why do EPs enjoy being EPs?

• Variety of work
• Range of people we work with
• Range of contexts
• Different levels of work
• Its challenging and intriguing
• You can be creative
• You keep learning
• Applying psychology to make a difference!

10
What is life like for an EP in Southampton in
November 2007?

• Statutory Code of Practice (case)work (70)
• School-based in a patch of
• 7 primary schools,
• 2 secondary schools
• 1 special school
• Early Years work
• Pupils placed in Non-LA schools
• Local Authority work/complex casework

11
What is life like for an EP in Southampton in
November 2007?

• Traded Services (30) e.g.
• Training
• (e.g. Positive Behaviour Management, Autism,
  ELSAs)
• Research and evaluation
• (e.g. Nurture Groups, CAF, MPTs etc)
• Work with other agencies
• (e.g. CLA, BRS, JIGSAW)
• Strategic development work
• (e.g. Emotional Well-being, Pupil Participation)
• Specialist interventions
• (e.g. Critical Incident Debriefing, CBT)

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EP work that contributes to the Every Child
Matters 5 Outcomes

• Be healthy
• (e.g. stress management, emotional literacy)
• Stay safe
• (e.g. anti-bullying, parenting)
• Enjoy and achieve
• (e.g. learning styles, social skills)
• Make a positive contribution
• (e.g. peer mentoring, person centred planning)
• Achieve economic well-being
• (e.g. promoting inclusion, transition support)

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SOUTHAMPTON PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE
Examples of work at different tiers of involvement

• The Service can work at various levels within a
  particular tier
• In relation to concerns relating to individual
  children
• In relation to concerns about groups of children
  or whole classes
• In relation to whole school issues
• In relation to research and policy development
  across Childrens Services

14
Three year training

• Story so far
• Accreditation/approval process
• Curriculum/Learning Outcomes
• Placements
• Funding, host authority and employment contract
• Entry requirements

15
Comparison with Old Training Route for
Educational Psychologists
16
Division of Educational and Child Psychology

• Aims
• Encourage generally, the highest possible
  standards for the application of psychology to
  promote learning, development and the general
  well-being of children and young people
• Extend the contributions which psychological
  knowledge can make to the above aim
• Promote the efficiency and usefulness of its
  members by setting up and maintaining a high
  standard of professional training and conduct in
  Applied Psychology
• Key tasks of the DECP Training Committee
• Produce accreditation criteria for postgraduate
  training and review regularly
• Accredit all postgraduate courses on a five year
  cycle
• (University of Southampton, May 2008)

17
Programme Accreditation

• Staffing levels
• Staffing qualifications
• Resources
• Core curriculum
• Placement learning.is a planned period of
  learning, where the learning outcomes are an
  intended part of the programme of study.
• NB Currently the DFCS recognises accredited
  programmes as providing the appropriate
  qualification for employment in a local authority
  as an educational psychologist.

18
Assessment Units

• The programme is divided for assessment purposes
  into six units
• Learning difficulties
• Essay (ass), RPA, Essay (int), RPA
• Emotional and Behavioural difficulties
• Essay (ass), RPA, Essay (int), RPA
• Clinical assessment
• RCAs, Supervisors report
• Organisational issues
• Practical workfile
• Elective specialism
• RPA, Supervisor report
• Research and Enquiry
• SSRP, Thesis

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Problem Based LearningLearning Difficulties

• The Parent teachers association in a large
  primary school has asked the EPS to help clarify
  what is meant by dyslexia. Recent media messages
  that there are no grounds for making a
  distinction between different types of reading
  difficulty and the implication that the normal
  school provision should provide for all, have led
  to confusion.

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Problem Based LearningEmotional and Behavioural
Difficulties

• The trigger was an extract from a BBC programme
  called Inside Out. The groups task was to
  present a case that the Local Authority had
  failed to take adequate measures to ensure
  Janices educational provision.

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Placement Learning

• Year 1
• Skill acquisition
• Field Tutors
• Year 2
• Placement practice
• Supervision Coordinators
• Fieldwork Supervisors
• Year 3
• Moving to independence
• Fieldwork coordinators

22

• Time for Questions
• Robert Stratford, Programme Director
• Sarah Wright, Educational Psychology Tutor
• Julia Katherine, Deputy Principal Educational
  Psychologist, Southampton EPS/Placement
  Coordinator
• Question Facilitators
• Amber Evans Current
• Charlotte Bonnar Trainee Educational
• Karen Sage Psychologists
• Rebecca Newman
• Emily Prince
• Hannah Wallington
• University of Southampton Educational Psychology

23
Comparison with New Training Route for
Educational Psychologists
24
(No Transcript)
25
Applications for Three Year Training in
Educational Psychology

• Application to CWDC Clearing House
• Shortlisting by Universities
• Interviews held in March
• Our interviews are on 18,19,24,25
• Informed of a place by
• 3 April
• More information from
• www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/educationalpsychology
• University of Southampton Educational Psychology

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Pre-requisite knowledge skills and experience

• Psychology (graduate basis for registration)
• On-going interest in psychology
• (eg through reading)
• Awareness of the application of Psychology to
  work with Children and Young People
• Experience of work in a childcare, educational or
  community setting for children and young people
• Interpersonal skills and Emotional Literacy
• For illustration see
• The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the
  Children's Workforce
• http//www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringser
  vices/commoncore/

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Common Core of Skills and Knowledge

• The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the
  Children's Workforce sets out the basic skills
  and knowledge needed by people (including
  volunteers) whose work brings them into regular
  contact with children, young people and families.
  It will enable multi-disciplinary teams to work
  together more effectively in the interests of the
  child.
• The skills and knowledge are described under six
  main headings
• Effective communication and engagement with
  children, young people and families
• Child and young person development
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the
  child
• Supporting transitions
• Multi-agency working
• Sharing information
• Over time we expect everyone working with
  children, young people and families will be able
  to demonstrate a basic level of competence in the
  six areas of the Common Core. In the future, the
  Common Core will form part of qualifications for
  working with children, young people and families
  and it will act as a foundation for training and
  development programmes run by employers and
  training organisations.

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Effective communication with children, young
people and families

• Good communication is central to working with
  children, young people, their families and
  carers. It is a fundamental part of the Common
  Core. It involves listening, questioning,
  understanding and responding to what is being
  communicated by children, young people and those
  caring for them.
• It is important to be able to communicate both on
  a one-on-one basis and in a group context.
  Communication is not just about the words you
  use, but also your manner of speaking, body
  language and, above all, the effectiveness with
  which you listen. To communicate effectively it
  is important to take account of culture and
  context, for example where English is an
  additional language.
• Effective engagement requires the involvement of
  children, young people and those caring for them
  in the design and delivery of services and
  decisions that affect them. It is important to
  consult with them and consider their opinions and
  perspectives from the outset. A key part of
  effective communication and engagement is trust,
  both between the workforce, children, young
  people and their carers, and between and within
  different sectors of the workforce itself.
• To build a rapport with children, young people
  and those caring for them, it is important to
  demonstrate understanding, respect and honesty.
  Continuity in relationships promotes engagement
  and the improvement of lives.

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Effective communication with children, young
people and families

• Skills
• Listening and building empathy
• Establish rapport and respectful, trusting
  relationships with children, young people, their
  families and carers.
• Develop and use effective communication systems
  appropriate to the audience.
• Communicate effectively with all children, young
  people, families and carers.
• Be aware that some children and young people do
  not communicate verbally and that you need to
  adapt your style of communication to their needs
  and abilities.
• Understand the effects of non-verbal
  communication such as body language, and
  appreciate that different cultures use and
  interpret body language in different ways.
• Build rapport and develop relationships using the
  appropriate form of communication (for example,
  spoken language, play, body and sign language).
• Build open and honest relationships by respecting
  children, young people, parents and carers and
  making them feel valued as partners.
• Hold conversations at the appropriate time and
  place, understanding the value of day to day
  contact.
• Actively listen in a calm, open, non-threatening
  manner and use questions to check understanding
  and acknowledge that you have heard what is being
  said.