Information for Practitioners

The Educational Psychology Service provides a service for individual children through a consultation approach. This means we are speaking to and advising the key adults around the child. There is significant evidence that a consultation approach, involving problem solving, identifying interventions and review, can have a very positive impact. Unfortunately we cannot offer this universally. We provide a tiered approach to our service delivery  which means we consider individual children at stage 3 of the Falkirk Council Staged Intervention Approach as follows:

Stage 1 – online materials and guidance on this blog.

Stage 2 – a general consultation or targeted training

Stage 3 – a level 1 consultation about an individual child by phone or video call.

Stage 4 – Substantial Involvement – attending TAC Meetings, assessment/intervention

Stage 2 – General Issue

Often practitioners are looking for advice about a specific type of approach or an area of additional support needs or psychological development. We can often provide you with information on the subject, or direct you to resources and materials that will assist. We try to publish as much of this on the materials section of these pages, which can be useful to check.

Stage 2 – Request for Training or Development Work

When practitioners identify areas for training it is often the case that there is more practitioners identifying this same need. Please discuss with the linked Psychologist. This is to assist us in both prioritising the work and in identifying whether it could be offered to a wider audience in the same session. There is information on the training we have provided and online. We will develop new training if we have enough time to explore the needs and skill requirements of the audience.

Stage 3 – Level 1 Consultation – Initial Request for Assistance

The Educational Psychologists make themselves available on particular days for Level 1 Consultation. You can contact the link psychologist to arrange one, however this is usually coordinated or prioritised by a manager within the school, so make sure you have asked them about involving the psychologist. please email the link psychologist or the educational psychology Mailbox with:

• a consent form or a clear indication of verbal consent from the parent, legal guardian with parental rights or young person if over 16.
• the details of the child (name date of birth address), their parent, (name address, email and phone number) their school and the key additional support needs
• the evidence of the stage 2 assessment and intervention already undertaken by the education establishment (Child’s Plan Form 2, 3, 4 and 6 or other specialist reports). This would normally include evidence of what strategies have been tried using advice from this Blog.
• Please indicate what level of priority this is (see below).

We have found it works best when this is arranged in advance either by emailing the psychologist or calling the office on 01324 506600. If you cannot manage on the specific day please don’t worry, contact the psychologist and arrange a mutually convenient time.

Who can call?

Usually it is a manager or teacher with responsibility for pupil support in school or nursery. We accept calls from social workers, ASL Officers/Teachers and other agencies with the appropriate level of consent from parents. Parents can call too, although we tend call this a discussion.

Consent and previous assessments

When calling about an individual child please ensure you have consent from the parents, or person holding parental rights. It is also useful to share with us the existing assessment information as captured in the Child’s Plan. This should be in place for the vast majority of child as Educational Psychologists are joining the process for an individual child when the school or ELC have already identified concerns at stage 2.

We will be asking you about what the main concerns are, what assessments you have undertaken and intervention strategies that have been tried. There will usually be a joint problem-solving component of the conversation where we together identify a way forward appropriate to the child’s needs.

The outcome of this Level 1 consultation is usually one of:

• Advice of a general nature and there is no involvement of the psychologist (stage 2)
• Specific advice or guidance on further assessment or intervention strategies for you and the Team Around the Child. In this case we will keep a record of the conversation and send you a copy. a follow up video or telephone call may be arranged. (stage 3)
• We agree that substantial involvement of the Educational Psychologist is required.  For our involvement to proceed we often ask for signed consent from the parent, child over 12 with capacity, or person holding parental rights.  Consent is ongoing.
  This will commonly then begin with our engaging with the next Team Around the Child meeting and or arranging a meeting with the parents and the school. (Stage 4)

Consent Form

Download a consent form and send it to us once completed.

FALKIRK COUNCIL EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE CONSENT FOR INVOLVEMENT 2023

Stage 4 – Substantial Involvement

Substantial involvement is jointly agreed by teh Psychologist either at the planning meeting or following the Level 1 Consultation. Our role will be to assess, consult and advise in more depth and to join the Team Around the Child in that process. This is often helps to determine what stage of intervention the child should be at longer term within the staged intervention framework. Our role is to bring a psychological perspective to understanding a child, their strengths and needs, any barriers to learning and then assist in identifying what adaptations or strategies are best suited.

We have found that this process assists schools and parents to improve outcomes for the child, and we will continue to self-evaluate and improve.

Stage 4+ – Significant Involvement

For some children our involvement is over a long period of time and requires multiple meetings, assessments or interventions.

Prioritisation

The Educational Psychology Service does not operate a waiting list system. We aim to be responsive as a service and so we do this through a prioritisation system.

A. Statutory requests from parents, young people or the Local Authority. These need to be responded to within specified timescales, usually 10 weeks for an assessment, and potentially 16 weeks.

B. Prioritised jointly with school manager(s):

1. 1. critical incidents – please contact the link and EP and the Principal Psychologist as this often requires rapid resource re-deployment.
   2. children at risk of education placement breakdown
   3. children where there is evidence that high levels of adaptation are required
   4. assessment in relation to significant Additional Support Needs or placement change
   5. children educated in Non-Falkirk Council schools with significant Additional Support needs
   6. exploratory Assessment to identify areas of concern

We are in the process of updating our Critical Incidents Guideline which will be issued shortly. In the meantime if you have a critical incident please inform the Heads and Director of Education. If looking for specific advice and support from the Educational Psychology Service please contact Nick Balchin directly or the link EP for your establishment.