1. Special Educational Needs & the Role of the Educational Psychologist
Dr Anne-Marie McBlain
Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist

2. What is Psychology?
Psychology – exploring and understanding individuals, the interactions between people, their environment and each other.
B = f(P x E)
Environment
Person
Show of hands: previous knowledge or experience of Psychology in the room?
previous knowledge or experience of Educational Psychologists in the room?
Psychology is about the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It is the scientific study of human mind and behaviour: how we think, how we act, how we react and interact, both individually and as groups.

3. 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
Educational Psychology is Applied Psychology
How children and young people think, feel, behave, develop and learn and how this all relates to school and education
Advocate for the child or young person

4. 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.

5. EP Training & Experience
Historically (pre-2006)
Currently (post-2006)
Psychology degree
Teaching qualification
At least 2 years teaching experience
Masters degree in Educational Psychology (1 year full time)
Psychology degree
At least 2 years relevant experience working with children or young people
Doctorate in Educational Psychology (3 years full time)
Currently – minimum of 8 years studying, training and working to become an EP!
Doctoral Training across the country, different specialisms – Doctorate in Educational, Child and Community Psychology
Change in route:
– to deal with more complex needs and situations
– gain more experience on the job
– to bring wider range of people into the profession – range of experience
Q’s – ‘don’t you need to be a teacher to advise teachers?’ – EP’s are not ‘super teachers’, our job is to apply psychology to explore needs and work collaboratively with school staff, children and families and other professionals, using this broad range of ‘expertise’ on the child and skills around ways to support learning and achievement. We’re not there just to give strategies, we’re there to deepen understanding – longer term impact, keep ownership within school.

6. AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE
Supporting residential care home staff
Provide training on Attachment
Attendance at EP interest groups for LAC
Support in setting up R:Vue
Monitoring and tracking of all LAC
Video 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 & 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
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICE
Provide training to Early Years Settings
Working with partner agencies
EARLY YEARS
Locality Networks
BEHAVIOUR and EXCLUSIONS
Attend PSTC/SEN meetings &
feed back to relevant EPs
Support, advice,
training to schools
Develop policies and procedures
Attending parent drop-in
sessions
Liaising with other local authorities
with a view to sharing good practice
Sharing knowledge
& skills with EY
settings & parents
Support, advice to parents
Developing protocol for joint
PSTC/EPS work in conjunction
with PSTC Co-ordinator
Ongoing casework –
assessment /intervention/
problem solving
Critical Incidents
Close work with
other agencies –
PRU/SEN /BST
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
YOT Panel
Involvement with children's Centres
including facilitating EPs' direct
involvement with parents and staff
Keep up to date with
policies, procedures
and research
Attend Pupil at Risk Panel –
monitoring primary pupils at
risk of exclusion
Liaise with EY SIA in relation to supporting
targeted Foundation settings to
implement the social skills programme
Tracking of primary exclusions – for risk

7. What do EPs do? School Family
Community
Family
Holistic approach – consider school, family and community systems:
CYP
Parents/Carers
Education staff
Multi-agency professionals (e.g. social workers, paediatricians, S&LTs)
Explore strengths & needs
Support development of provision & interventions to meet needs
Apply psychology – formulations, evidence-based practice
Formulations/Hypotheses: what do we (CYP, parents, school, professionals) think is going on?
Evidence-based practice – what does research tell us works to support that need?

8. What do EPs do? Levels of work: 0-25 years
Cognition & Learning
Health & Physical
Communication & Interaction
Social, Emotional & Mental Health
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
Individual – CYP: observation, direct work – assessment, discussion, therapeutic
- adults: education staff, parents, professionals, supervision
Group – consultation with key people, multi-agency working, CYP groups, supervision
Organisational – training (i.e. Attachment, Autism, Precision Teaching), systemic work – provision, policies, Local Authority – service structures and development

9. Casework Training Multi-Agency working Settings Community working
EPS
Casework
Training
Multi-Agency working
Settings
Community working
Research
EPS – Lead Psychologist, Specialist Senior EPs, EPs, within People Division, Children and Young People’s Service
Casework – individual/group, assessment, interventions, reviews, EHC assessment – psychological advice, evidence-based practice, tribunals
Training – small group (i.e. TA’s, lunchtime supervisors), whole staff
Multi-agency working – (i.e. Social Care, Localities, health professionals, parent partnership, CAMHS, LA services (CiC), Early Years) joint working (try not to double up), information sharing, TAC/CIN/CP meetings, LAC children, BST, SEND.
Settings – Early Years, mainstream, special schools, SENCO support, pupil referral units, out-of-city settings (Stoke CYP), policies and procedures, critical incidents
Community working – parenting courses (i.e. Early Bird, Webster Stratton), drop-in’s (parent/staff), talks/workshops (i.e. transition)
Research – doctoral training (TEPs), action research, LA projects, contributing to evidence-based practice, LA projects (i.e. IAPT)

10. EPs:
i Act as consultants for school staff, other professionals & parents and contribute to 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 providing reports.

11. 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.

12. Associated Legislation
• The Children and Families Act 2014 (Transitional & Saving Provisions) (No 2) Order • 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

13. 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 studio
schools)
• 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)

14. It covers the 0-25 age range
The main changes from the SEN Code of Practice (2001) reflect the changes introduced by the Children and Families Act 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

15. 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.

16. 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 the
majority 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 for
others of the same age in mainstream schools or post-16
institutions

17. 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

18. 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.

19. BPS/DECP A Framework for Assessment & Intervention (BPS 1999)

20. 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%)

21. 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.

22. 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 %)

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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

27. 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%)

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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.

31. The evidence provided when requesting an EHC Needs Assessment should indicate how additional support has been targeted at each stage.

32. 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.

33. Advice & information from: 9.45 The CYP (using appropriate methods)
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
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

34. Most importantly……..!!
9.49 Psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist who should normally be employed or commissioned by the local authority.

35. EP ASSESSSMENTS

36. Assessment In Context Includes: Observation
Discussion with staff, parent/carer, CYP
Curriculum-based assessment

37. 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)

38. 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

39. Questions?

40. REMEMBER – There are no right or wrong answers for this
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

41. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!