Dr Anne-Marie McBlain Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist
Dr Anne-Marie McBlain
Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist
What is Psychology?
• Psychology – exploring and understanding individuals, the interactions between people, their environment and each other.
B = f(P x E)
Environment
PersonPerson
What is Educational Psychology?• Educational Psychology is
concerned with supporting CYP experiencing difficulties that are hindering their chance of learning (BPS, 2013).
• Educational Psychologists (EPs) strive to improve and optimise the learning and development of all CYP (HCPC, 2012).
Education
Families/ communities
Children and young people
What Do EPs Do?
EPs offer a wide range of support & advice to:• Children & young people (CYP) aged 0-25• Families• Professionals in a wide range of settings
(including: EY settings, schools, colleges, YOIs, Health & Care facilities)
• They have a statutory role in providing advice or information to local authorities for CYP who have SEND and are undergoing a statutory EHC needs assessment.
EP Training & Experience
Historically (pre-2006)
• Psychology degree• Teaching
qualification• At least 2 years
teaching experience• Masters degree in
Educational Psychology (1 year full time)
Currently (post-2006)
– Psychology degree– At least 2 years
relevant experience working with children or young people
– Doctorate in Educational Psychology (3 years full time)
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EDUCATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE
EDUCATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY
SERVICE
Develop policies &
procedures
Support for
Bereavement & critical
incidents
Mental Health
Projects
Brief therapeutic
work (solution
focused, CBT)
Positive
Psychology
Provide training
for schools &
other
professionals
Liaise with CAMHS
ELSAs
MENTAL
HEALTH/
EMOTIONAL
LITERACY
Support with
provision/
intervention
management
Advice and
evaluation of
interventions
Consultations
Annual
reviews
Support &
training of
SENCos
Planning &
supporting
interventions
Out of area reviews
Training
teachers &
support
assistants
Inclusion
Development
Programme
Tribunals
Statutory
assessmt
SEN and
LEARNING
Provide training on
Attachment
Attendance at EP
interest groups for
LAC
Support in setting up
R:Vue
Monitoring and
tracking of all LACVideo Interaction Guidance
Provide training for
foster carers
Vice Chair of Foster
Panel
Member of Life Chances
Team
Develop policies and
procedures
Attendance at out
of area reviews –
PEPs, ARs, LAC
reviews
LOOKED
AFTER
CHILDREN
Develop policies
and proceduresLocality Networks
BEHAVIOUR
and EXCLUSIONS
Provide training to
Early Years
Settings
Working with partner
agencies
EARLY
YEARS
Attend PSTC/SEN meetings &
feed back to relevant EPs
Developing protocol for joint
PSTC/EPS work in conjunction
with PSTC Co-ordinator
Involvement with children's Centres
including facilitating EPs' direct
involvement with parents and staff
Liaise with EY SIA in relation to supporting
targeted Foundation settings to
implement the social skills programme
Liaising with other local authorities
with a view to sharing good practice
Keep up to date with
policies, procedures
and research
Attending parent drop-in
sessions
Sharing knowledge
& skills with EY
settings & parents
Attend Pupil at Risk Panel –
monitoring primary pupils at
risk of exclusion
Tracking of
primary
exclusions – for
risk
Ongoing casework –
assessment /intervention/
problem solving
Support, advice,
training to schools
Support, advice to parents
Close work with
other agencies –
PRU/SEN /BST
YOT Panel
Supporting
residential care home
staff
What do EPs do?• Holistic approach – consider school,
family and community systems:
– CYP
– Parents/Carers
– Education staff
– Multi-agency professionals (e.g. social workers, paediatricians, S<s)
• Explore strengths & needs
• Support development of provision & interventions to meet needs
• Apply psychology – formulations, evidence-based practice
School
CommunityFamily
What do EPs do?
• Levels of work:– Individual– Group– Organisational
• 0-25 years
• Complex needs – severe and persistent
• Vulnerable groups –statements of SEN/EHC plans, at risk of exclusion, children in care
Cognition & Learning
Health & Physical
Communication & Interaction
Social, Emotional &
Mental Health
EPS
Casework
Training
Multi-Agency working
Settings
Community working
Research
EPs:
i Act as consultants for school staff, other professionals & parents and contributeto the development of direct work with CYP.
ii Carry out assessments, develop interventions, monitor progress & write reports.
iii Contribute to multi-agency planning processes for CYP by attending meetings and/or providingreports.
The Special Educational Needs And Disability Code Of Practice: 0 To 25 Years - January 2015
Provides statutory guidance:
• For organisations which work with
& support CYP who have SEN or
disabilities
• On duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated regulations and applies to England.
Associated Legislation
• The Children and Families Act 2014 (Transitional & Saving Provisions)(No 2) Order 2014.
• The Special Educational Needs & Disability Regulations 2014
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Detained Persons) Regulations 2015
• The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014
This Code of Practice is statutory guidance for the following organisations:
• Local authorities (education, social care and relevant housing and employment and other services)
• Governing bodies of schools, (including non-maintained special schools), FE colleges & 6th form colleges
• Proprietors of academies (including free schools, university technical colleges and studioschools)
• Management committees of pupil referral units
• Independent schools and independent specialist providers approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014
• All early years providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors that are funded by the local authority
• The NHS Commissioning Board
• NHS Trusts Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)
• NHS Foundation Trusts
• Local Health Boards
• Youth Offending Teams & relevant youth custodial establishments
• The First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
The main changes from the SEN Code of Practice (2001) reflect the changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014. These are:
• It covers the 0-25 age range
• It relates to disabled CYP as well as those with SEN
• Has a clearer focus on the participation of CYP & their parents in decision-making at individual and strategic levels
• Has a stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving outcomes for CYP
• Includes guidance on the joint planning and commissioning of services to ensure close co-operation between education, health and social care
• Includes guidance on publishing a Local Offer of support for CYP with SEN or disabilities
• Promotes a graduated approach to identifying and supporting pupils and students with SEN (to replace School Action and School Action Plus)
• Education, Health & Care plans (EHC plan) replace statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs)
• A greater focus on support that enables those with SEN to succeed in their education and make a successful transition to adulthood
• Information is provided on relevant duties under the Equality Act 2010& relevant provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005
• There is new guidance on supporting children and young people with SEN who are in youth custody.
The CoP definitions of Special Educational Needs (SEN)
• xiii. A CYP has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
• xiv. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
- has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than themajority of others of the same age,
OR- has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from
making use of facilities of a kind generally provided forothers of the same age in mainstream schools or post-16 institutions
5.32. CYP’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support:
• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs
The Graduated Approach
• Is a 4 part, assess, plan, do & review process.
• As a part of this process, medium & long-term outcomes may change.
• Is a continuous data collection which monitors the success of interventions.
1.24 High quality teaching that is
differentiated and personalised
will meet the individual needs of the
majority of children and young
people (approx. 80%)
• 6.38 In deciding whether to make SEN provision, the teacher and SENCO should consider all of the information gathered from within the school about the pupil’s progress, alongside national data and expectations of progress.
• This should include high quality and accurate formative assessment, using effective tools and early assessment materials.
Stage 1 of the Graduated Approach
Where a CYP needs educational provision that is additional to or different from this
to enable them to access independent learning and the curriculum.
(Approx. 18-19%)
Stage 1 SEN provision
• This is special educational provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
• Schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it.
SEND Support Plans
• At stage 1 the teacher(s) & SENCO with parents/carers and CYP create a SEND Support Plan.
• The outcomes, interventions & support should be agreed by all parties
• The expected impact on progress, development or behaviour should be considered
• A date for review should be set
Stage 2 SEN Provision• 5.48 Where a child continues to make less than expected progress,
despite evidence-based support and interventions that are matched to the child’s area of need
• Builds on the arrangements for Stage 1
• Involves more frequent review & more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the needs of the CYP.
Stage 2 SEN Provision
Involves specialists eg:• CAMHS• GPs• Paediatricians• OTs &/or Physios• Health visitors• School nurses• Speech & language therapists• Portage workers• Educational psychologists• Specialist teachers • Support services.
• Such specialists can help to identify:
• Needs• Effective strategies• Equipment• Programmes • Support/Resources• Other interventions to enable the CYP to make progress towards the desired learning and development outcomes.
• Review progress
An EHC Needs Assessment
• Builds on arrangements for Stage 1 and Stage 2
• Is only appropriate for CYP with complex, persistent & long-term needs in 1 or more of the 4 broad areas (ie. the most complex cases (approx. 1-2%)
In these cases,
• The severity of the CYP’s SEN indicates a need for the Local Authority to become more actively involved.
• It is likely that there will be prolonged multi-agency involvement.
EHC Needs Assessment
• A request for an EHC assessment is likely to happen where there is a perception that SEN provision currently being made for the CYP by the setting from their own resources, is not be enabling them to make adequate progress.
• Settings or parents can request an EHC needs assessment
EHC Needs Assessment
• Before considering a CYP for
an EHC Needs Assessment,
careful consideration should be given to
the circumstances,
• This may reveal good progress from a low base & not all CYP are expected to progress at the same rate.
The evidence provided when requesting an EHC Needs Assessment
should indicate how additional support has been targeted at each
stage.
It should show either that:
• the CYP is not making adequate progress despite appropriate support at Stage 2;
or,
• that there will be a clear need to provide long-term support over and above that which can be reasonably provided at Stage 2 to ensure the CYP continues to make appropriate progress.
Advice and information required for EHC Needs Assessments Relevant legislation: Section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and Regulations 6, 7, and 8
of the SEND Regulations 2014 9.49
Advice & information from:
• 9.45 The CYP (using appropriate
methods)
• 9.49 The CYP’s parent’s/carers
• 9.46 Relevant professionals about the CYP’s education, health and care needs, desired outcomes & provision required
Most importantly……..!!
9.49 Psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist who should normally be employed or commissioned by the local authority.
EP ASSESSSMENTS
Assessment In Context
Includes:
– Observation
– Discussion with staff, parent/carer, CYP
– Curriculum-based assessment
Assessment over time
Eg. Assessment through teaching
- Establishes a baseline
- Teaching is based in the CYP’s needs as
identified
- Testing follows teaching to determine
the CYP’s progress
(This data should have been collected at stage 2)
Normative Assessment
Eg. British Ability Scales-III; Nepsy-II; WISC-V; WIAT-III
- Provides information about the CYP’s
cognitive abilities compared to other CYP
of the same age
Questions?
Scenerio
• What stage of the SEN Code of Practice is Tom currently at?
• Is this appropriate?
• What reasons would you give for Tom’s behaviour?
• Think about what might affect Tom at home, in the classroom and at playtime
• Have some ideas to share with your colleagues.
REMEMBER – There are no right or wrong answers for this
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!