Psychologists offered Cluster Consultation Meetings from January 2018 to June 2018.
This was a collaborative problem solving forum where the needs of children and the trends or themes can be discussed at a more strategic level in order to consider how we might respond in ways that have a greater impact. It has assisted us in developing our priorities for training and development work for 2018/19.
We will be consulting with stakeholders on how we can achieve the aims of this type of service delivery as we move forward.
The aims included:
- having an overview of the range and profile of Additional Support needs at a level beyond a single school to allow the EPS to prioritise its limited resources
- providing a forum for collaborative solutions to meeting children’s needs at a more local level to assist in developing shared practice and expertise in a community
The next phase could include the following options:
- to continue with a modified form for cluster consultation
- to offer strategic consultation in themed areas of interest, such as social and emotional needs or mental health needs
- to offer strategic consultation with schools in ways more linked to closing the poverty related attainment gaps such as with “neighbourhood groups”
We continue to offer provide a service to the Children’s Services strategic groups.