Educational Psychology Service

The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) delivers high-quality education support services to schools and settings across Devon.

How educational psychologists help children and young people

Educational psychologists (EPs) use specialist psychological knowledge and skills to promote the development, learning, achievement and well-being of children and young people from 0 – 25 years.

It takes at least 8 years to train as an EP. The training includes an initial psychology degree, work with children and completing a doctorate in Educational Psychology. Ongoing training and development is a professional requirement. This means that we base our independent advice on extensive up-to-date knowledge of research and good practice.

How educational psychologists’ skills are used in Devon

• Schools and settings engage us to use psychological knowledge and skills in specific ways depending upon what is needed.
• Each of our EPs completes a range of work to achieve different purposes.
• Some EPs also have specialisms in areas such as Early Years or Relational Practice.
• The EPS is organised into three locality teams across Devon: Exeter and East Devon, North and Mid Devon, and South and West Devon.
• Each team provides a service to a group of learning communities and the children, young people and families who live there.

Most EP work is consultative. This means that the EP meets with adults who know the child or young person well to agree action plans without the need to meet them, unless this is necessary.

Our EPs are trusted professionals because they have:

• a passion for thinking about the perspective of children and young people and achieving best outcomes
• a friendly and approachable style so that they are good at connecting with people
• a detailed understanding of child development, emotional health and wellbeing and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• substantial experience supporting children and young people in education from 0- 25 years of age
• excellent knowledge of the current education system including the SEND legislation and Devon-specific processes
• commitment to providing independent advice and working ethically based on the British Psychological Society Code of Ethics, Conduct and Professional Practice Guidelines (2018)

Our EPs are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) 

Information for children and young people and parents

The Devon EPS has made two short videos for children and young people, to explain what an educational psychologist does.

How the work of the EPS is funded and delivered

The Educational Psychology Service is funded by Devon County Council (DCC) to provide core aspects of our service delivery, for example to provide psychological advice as part of an education, health and care needs assessment. We are also funded to undertake specific tasks, such as supporting schools in the event of a critical incident.

For schools that have opted in to our early intervention (traded) services we are able to offer DCC funded School Review Consultations . These meetings provide an opportunity to problem-solve key priorities and challenges linked to SEND with an Educational Psychologist and other partners.

School Review Consultation Meetings will be used to:

• Consider and problem-solve whole school priorities and challenges linked to SEND.
• Consider effective, evidence-based interventions and support at the individual, group, staff, whole-school, or community level.
• Bring anonymised situations for immediate problem-solving.
• Unpick the needs of vulnerable groups and agree an action plan.
• Plan the focus of any additional EP Psychology Works consultation, supervision and training (traded work).

Statutory assessment

Most children’s needs will be well met within the ordinarily available inclusive provision and targeted provision within schools. For some children with significant and persistent needs, more joint assessment and planning may be needed via an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA).

The Educational Psychology Service is commissioned to provide assessment and advice as part of an EHCNA.

Critical incident support

The EP service provides support to schools and settings following a sudden and unexpected traumatic event which may overwhelm usual coping mechanisms.

Further information can be found in our critical incident pack.

Educational Psychology Service traded services – purchased by schools and settings

The EPS offers traded services to schools that express an interest in working with us. Primary schools can purchase up to two days of EP traded services per year. Secondary schools can purchase up to four days of EP traded services per year.

This time can be used for: Psychology Works consultation, training and supervision.

Psychology Works Consultation

Read more here about the Psychology Works consultation support.

Training

The Educational Psychology Service can deliver training on many subjects to meet the needs of a range of audiences and settings. Training can be delivered to groups of staff, individual schools and/or MATS and federations. The training can be designed to meet the specific requirements of the setting. 

Examples of training include – Using Relational Approaches, Executive functioning in the classroom and Understanding Emotionally Based School Avoidance. 

Supervision

The EP Service can support schools and settings to promote staff wellbeing via psychologically informed staff supervision. Providing effective supervision can build resilience and wellbeing and support effective problem-solving and decision-making, which in turn promotes positive outcomes for children and young people.

We can provide individual and group supervision, which can be run with a single school or with groups of schools.