Who we are
The Education Psychology Service (EPS) is part of the Division of School and Student Services and the Principal Educational Psychologist is responsible to the Head of that division for the organisation and management of the Service.
Our training and experience
EPs need at least 7 years training and experience to become qualified.
The minimum requirements are:
- a first degree in psychology
- teacher training
- at least two years' teaching experience
- post graduate training to masters degree level
In practice we seek to recruit members of the team who have experience and/or academic qualifications beyond this minimum. We also seek to ensure that the team members have a range of experience of mainstream and special education.
Our team
We have a Principal, a Deputy Principal and 7.5 main grade Educational Psychologists. Each EP works with a geographic area of schools and works with pre-school children who live in the area local to these schools. By working mainly in one area of the authority, each EP develops good working relationships with staff from local clinics, nurseries and playgroups who support pre-school children. A list of EPs and the schools (and therefore areas) in which they work is available on request.
What we do
EPs are employed by the Council to provide independent professional advice on children's needs. Our principal clients are the children and young people with whom we work .
How does a child get referred?
- usually by health department colleagues, speech and language
- therapists, paediatricians, health visitors etc.
- education staff, voluntary workers in pre-school settings and social workers also refer
- parents can refer, but usually their requests come through health staff
Which pre-school children do we see?
- children under school age who may have special educational needs requiring additional help when they go to school
- children under school age who would benefit from pre-school educational provision to address their difficulties
Why do we see them?
- to advise on the most appropriate pre-school provision for them
- to assist pre-school provision (parents and professionals) in meeting the child's needs
- to make an assessment of their needs so that appropriate help can be arranged in school
When do we see them?
- as soon as possible - specialised nurseries can take children as young as two and a half and there are waiting lists
- the best time for pre-school children to be referred is between the ages of two and 2½.
What happens next?
- we see the child in at least one setting with which they are familiar, such as their home, playgroup, nursery
- we observe how they get on with others, how they play with toys, how they organise themselves, how they communicate etc.
- we may do some individual work with them, such as structured games and puzzles
- we discuss their progress with parents, staff and any other professionals working with them
- we agree and implement a course of action, e.g. seek a nursery place, advise on behaviour management, advise on language development etc.
- we report on the outcomes to the referrer and others
- we advise on the implementation of individual education plans, monitor progress and follow up as necessary
- in some cases we will advise on the need for a formal assessment of the child's strengths and weaknesses to ensure that the provision is appropriate when the child goes to school.
We have a pre-school referral form that we ask people to use (see 'How to Contact us') and we ask that parents are always made aware of the referral and the reasons for it. We often find it helpful if referrals come via health visitors as they have an overview of the child's developmental history.
Health Authorities and NHS trusts have a duty to notify the Local Education Authority (LEA) when they think that a child may have special educational needs. They must give parents an opportunity to discuss their opinion before bringing it to the attention of the LEA. In Havering, the Education Psychology Service is then asked to advise on whether a statutory assessment of the child's special educational needs may be required.
Other services offered for pre-school children
- general advice to teachers, nursery nurses, non teaching staff, governors and other professionals concerned with the developmental needs of young children
- a named educational psychologist for each nursery, each Early Years Centre and each specialised pre-school provision
- training opportunities for those working with young children
- contributions to policy development regarding pre-school children
- management of the Portage home teaching service
- regular attendance at health service review meetings
- organisation and running of special pre-school projects.