Educational Psychology Service (EPS) - WNC

Overview:

The provision of an educational psychology service (EPS) is a statutory function for local authorities and supports the local authority to discharge a range of its statutory responsibilities.

West Northamptonshire Council's Educational Psychology Service (EPS) provides a targeted and specialist service for and to children and young people experiencing barriers to their education and development, through direct work and through supporting their families and key professionals. These barriers include difficulties in:

• cognition and learning
• physical, medical and sensory needs
• communication and interaction
• social, emotional and mental health difficulties

It supports the council’s core purpose by helping those who are struggling to help themselves, particularly through specialist interventions with children, young people and families, as well as through helping people to help themselves, through advice and consultation.

Core-work Priorities:

For those children, young people and adults undergoing a statutory Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment, the council requests the EPS provide Psychological Advice. Where the demand for this work exceeds the capacity of the service to deliver, the council commissions psychological assessments from other approved providers. 

The EPS welcomes requests for involvement from other sections of the local authority and from health authorities, who will need to commission this support from the EP Service. 

Following a traumatic incident, the EPS provides support and advice to schools and early years settings in the immediate aftermath (such as for incidents including death or serious injury of a member of the school community - parent, pupil, or staff).

Early Years Work:

There is an opportunity for carers and practitioners of 2 to 3-year-olds (whose behaviour expresses an emotional need) to engage in an emotional wellbeing project with a relational emphasis over several sessions. Requests for the project are considered by the specialist senior educational psychologist for early years. It's open to children who have not met the criteria for a Specialist SEND Service involvement when discussed at Panel.

For Children in Care aged 0-5 years, the EPS provides consultation support for early years staff and carers to advise upon the child’s engagement and/or to aid planning for school transition. Such cases are requested via the Virtual School (usually as a result of an agreement at the child’s Personal Education Plan meeting).

Commissioned work via a service level agreement.

Commissioned work

Commissioned work is available as follows.

For early intervention, staff training and capacity building and preventative work, the council has retained capacity within the EPS that is available through a consultation approach to be commissioned by schools and other providers, including:

• systemic or capacity-building support through training and development
• individual assessment and intervention for children who have emergent needs, presenting with complexity and severity
• interventions with children at the whole-class level or in pupil groups

These interventions use a variety of evidence-based approaches appropriate to the context and assessment information. Dependent on the work involved, they are provided by qualified educational psychologists or by assistant educational psychologists who provide a variety of interventions focused on children with social, emotional and mental health needs, including supporting the transfer between primary and secondary schools.

Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS):

The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme is an additional priority supported by the local authority which is run jointly by North and West Northamptonshire EPSs. TaMHS supports the early intervention/prevention agenda to enable schools to maximise their capacity to promote and support children and young people’s mental health and to intervene where mental health difficulties emerge. TaMHS provides centrally-organised core-funded training to schools and partner agencies. In addition, schools can commission bespoke training and a full consultation process to support the matching of the needs of their school community with in-school provision. The full process involves audit, action planning, consultation, training, evaluation and review.

TaMHS offers a core funded accreditation process for schools to be deemed 'Mentally Healthy Schools' at Bronze, Silver or Gold levels. A school's TaMHS  accreditation is noted on their Local Offer description. 

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA):

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) training and supervision - are provided jointly by North and West Northamptonshire EPSs. The ELSA programme is a preventative capacity-building development programme for Teaching Assistants working in primary and secondary schools. The training aspect is funded by the local authority, with schools required to commission the ongoing supervision by educational psychologists.

Northamptonshire Baby Room Project:

Northamptonshire Baby Room Project aims to raise the quality of babies’ experiences by strengthening the relationships between practitioners and babies, and parents and their babies. The project is led by the West Northamptonshire EPS for more information please visit the Northamptonshire Baby Room Project website.

More Information:

How to access the Educational Psychology ServiceSchools and settings can commission support directly from the educational psychology service using a service level agreement (SLA).

Support for FamiliesThe Educational Psychology Service promotes the learning, achievement and emotional wellbeing of all children and young people.

Support for SchoolsHow the educational psychology service can help your school.

Supporting Young PeopleThe EPS are here to help you get the most out of school and to cope with any difficulties that might stop you from learning.

TrainingSchools can commission bespoke training or development work directly from the Educational Psychology Service or attend centrally organised training.