Sunday, 7 September 2008
The Educational Psychology Service exists to support the psychological and educational development of all children and young people in Doncaster who encounter barriers to effective learning. Through the application of psychology and child development principles it provides a service to children, young people and their families, as well as to schools. In this way, the Educational Psychology Service actively contributes to national and local priorities for raising attainment, supporting good inclusive educational practices and supporting school improvement.
The Educational Psychology Service places high priority on working in genuine partnership with all those who use the Service, and individual Educational Psychologists are required to actively seek the views of children and young people and their parents or carers in all advice provided on meeting their needs. The Service also provides training and professional support for staff in schools, early years settings and for school governors, as well as contributing advice on aspects of child development and to workshops for parents and carers.
In addition, it also fulfils statutory duties within the Local Authority in identifying those children with complex and long-term special educational needs and advising on the best ways to meet those needs. The Service contributes towards the Local Authority's inclusion policy development and its strategic training programme.
Educational Psychologists are qualified and experienced teachers who have additional undergraduate and post-graduate qualifications in psychology. They work closely with local schools - all schools have a named Educational Psychologist who visits schools regularly, at least once a term and usually more often. Assistant and trainee Educational Psychologists are increasingly working as part of the Educational Psychology Service in Doncaster, and are closely supported and supervised by experienced and fully qualified Educational Psychologists.
The Educational Psychology Service is developing new ways of working in Doncaster, in line with national recommendations to ensure that Educational Psychologists' skills and unique knowledge are used in the most effective ways, and without duplicating the good work of local schools and education support services. The balance of work carried out by Educational Psychologists is increasingly moving more towards working with the key adults closely involved in children's lives - parents/carers and staff in schools, with perhaps less direct involvement with children and young people for routine, one-off assessment work. However there will always be times when individual work with children and young people is appropriate in delivering support for prevention, early intervention work and planning programmes.
Educational Psychologists work across the full age range 0-19 years although the majority of their time is focused on the years of statutory education in years 5-16.
