Introduction
Educational psychologists (EPs) in Scotland aim to improve the life chances of all children and young people. As part of the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate within Angus Council, we work closely with educational establishments and in partnership with families and other services to address inequalities and enhance the inclusion of children and young people. Every primary and secondary school in Angus has a named educational psychologist. EPs can also provide support within early learning and childcare settings (ELCCs). We follow and adhere to the professional standards and code of conduct of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
What we do
Our vision is to “Use psychology to improve the wellbeing and educational outcomes of all children and young people in Angus”.
We aim to achieve this by:
- Developing respectful and supportive relationships
- Influencing learning and teaching through robust and relevant research and development
- Identifying and sharing understanding of additional support needs within the Angus Continuum of Need
- Helping those who work with children to find solutions through creative and evidence-based practice
- Developing and delivering quality and impactful training to key adults in the lives of children
Consultation
Angus EPS has a consultation model of service delivery, which means we do not accept referrals or hold waiting lists, but instead negotiate our involvement with our schools. We carry out consultation with education staff to support a wide range of needs and work alongside families and young people to understand difficulties and find solutions to problems.
Assessment and Intervention
A key part of our role is to contribute to the assessment, planning and review process. This is done in collaboration with parents, schools, and other agencies, if relevant. In Angus this is called the Continuum of Need. We use our knowledge of psychology and child development to support identification and understanding of the needs and strengths of children and young people. Often it is not necessary for us to work with a child directly: we recognise the contribution and expertise of the key adults in children’s lives.
It is important for us as a profession to be as least intrusive as possible in the lives of children while remaining effective. Therefore, our contribution to the assessment process may involve gathering information from staff, reviewing a child’s work or school-based assessments, speaking to parents, or asking for the child’s view to be gathered by others. Where it is agreed it will be helpful for us to assess a child’s needs more directly, we may do this through observation, activities with the child, questionnaires and other recognised assessment materials as appropriate.
Working with others
We will always seek consent for our involvement and are required to follow data protection (GDPR) . The school will request that the parent or carer signs our privacy notice and/or that the young person signs the form if they are over 12. The privacy notice explains how we process the information we gather about the child or young person we are supporting.
Feedback of our involvement to parents or carers usually takes place either through school planning meetings or from school staff.
The parent or carer privacy notice is here, and the one for the young person is here.
Seeking involvement
If a parent has concerns regarding their child and it is a school-based issue then these should always be taken up in the first instance with the school. If the school believes that there is a role for the EP they will then seek a consultation with us to discuss. If a parent would like to contact EPS directly, this can be arranged by completing an online enquiry form on Angus Council’s website.
If you wish to make a complaint, compliment or suggestion about our service, please click this link to leave your feedback.
You can read more about the role of EP services in Scotland here.
