Educational Psychology Traded Service

Transcription

1 Buckinghamshire County Council Learning Skills and Prevention Educational Psychology Service County Hall, Walton Street, Aylesbury, HP20 1UZ Telephone Fax Educational Psychology Traded Service Service Description 2013/14

2 DEFINITIONS EPS practitioners EPS Senior Managers School/setting Educational Psychology Service School/setting Senior Staff The Educational Psychologist s professional judgement Includes Educational Psychologists, Trainee Educational Psychologists and Psychology Assistants The Senior Management Team of the Educational Psychology Service The school/setting to which this document applies This is the Buckinghamshire County Council Educational Psychology Service This refers to the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, Head of Year or Assistant Head or Special Educational Needs Coordinator in the school/setting to which these terms and conditions apply The professional judgment of the Educational Psychologist applied in relation to Health Professions Council (HPC) regulations and EPS core principles, standards of conduct and ethics EPS Educational Psychology Service 2

3 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this document is to outline the Buckinghamshire County Council Educational Psychology Traded Service and set expectations regarding delivery of the Traded Service into schools / settings. This Traded Service operates a not for profit business model, with all costs being covered by a day rate fee to schools / settings. The document will outline the services available, fees and ordering, and quality standards. It also details any responsibilities that must be met by the school / setting to enable the service to be provided. We strongly advise ordering the EPS Traded Service at the beginning of the financial year (April / May) to guarantee access to the service. Requests later in the year will be subject to availability. 2. CONTACT Buckinghamshire County Council Educational Psychology Service New County Offices County Hall Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP20 1UZ tseps@buckscc.gov.uk TRADED SERVICE OVERVIEW The Educational Psychology Practitioner will undertake a range of work aimed at promoting inclusion, psychological well being and raising standards in children and young people aged 0 to 19 years, across the full range of abilities. Traded Service work focuses upon areas/issues other than current EPS high priority groups or statutory work. High priority and statutory work is undertaken by the school s link Educational Psychologist. The Traded Service Practitioner will not be the link Educational Psychologist. The EPS practitioner s professional judgement will be used to consider and agree requests for Traded Service involvement from the school / setting according to the Service s core principles. All EPS practitioner activities will be planned in consultation with school/setting senior staff. 3

4 EPS practitioner involvement requires informed and signed consent from either those with parental responsibility or from young people considered to be competent. The purchased service is commissioned by a school/setting not by individuals (e.g. parents). Schools/settings will not charge parents for EPS involvement. If a charge is proposed or requested of parents by the school/setting the service will be withdrawn. The focus of the work may be at any or all of the following levels: individual level; group and class level; strategic systems and organisational level. At the individual level, the EPS practitioner will be able to: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Provide psychological interventions (including therapeutic interventions), assessment and recommendations for individual children. Provide psychological interventions and advice that focus upon narrowing gaps in attainment and improving academic progress at the individual level. Provide psychological interventions with families as part of the individual child interventions. Contribute towards multi-agency meetings about children and young people as appropriate. At the group and class level, the EPS practitioner will be able to deliver services that: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Provide psychological interventions aimed at developing particular skills of small groups of children (e.g. social skills, thinking skills). Provide psychological interventions and advice that focus upon narrowing gaps in attainment and improving academic progress (e.g. study skills, literacy and numeracy attainment, memory skills/understanding). Provide support to small groups of staff in managing a particular issue (e.g. bullying). Provide parent workshops in schools (e.g. around behaviour issues). 4

5 (v) (vi) Provide professional supervision to school staff (e.g. learning mentors, pastoral care staff). Provide Joint Problem Solving Consultation at individual and systems levels. At the strategic, systems and organisational levels, the EPS practitioner will be able to: (i) (ii) (iii) Provide psychological support for schools in developing strategies and systems around whole school matters (e.g. policy development). This may include advice and recommendations with reference to current OFSTED inspection requirements. Provide Continuing Professional Development for staff on school focused topics with a psychological basis. Provide support for and/or deliver project development and research work (e.g. around transitions, evaluating interventions, participation in school development work). This may or may not have a SEN/disability focus. 4. SERVICE PACKAGES The Service is bought in blocks of time. Contracts run from 1 st September 2013 to 31 st August 2014, but service packages are delivered term time only within the academic year. The following packages are currently available: o EPS 1: 3 days per academic year, e.g. 1 day per term o EPS 2: 6 days per academic year, e.g. 1 day per half term o EPS 3: 19 days per academic year, e.g. 1 day per fortnight o EPS 4: 38 days per academic year, e.g. 1 day per week o Pay as Use (PAU): this service is only available by prior agreement o Pay as Use (PAU) INSET training: only available by prior agreement EPS administration, record keeping, research, professional supervision, contact with parents and other professionals, scoring and the writing of reports/consultation records may be conducted off-site as appropriate and will be included as part of the time bought by schools. Multi-agency/professional liaison time will be included. EPS practitioners may include Psychology Assistants and Trainee Educational Psychologists, supervised by a named Educational Psychologist. 5

6 5. QUALITY OF SERVICE The Educational Psychology Service will be responsible for quality standards. The Educational Psychology Service has a duty to ensure that assessment and intervention practice is compliant with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards of proficiency and code of conduct/ethics regulations. This is available online at The service will be monitored and evaluated on an annual basis through consultation between the school/setting and the EPS. This may include information gained through questionnaires and discussion between school and EPS practitioners. 6. SCHOOL / SETTING RESPONSIBILITIES Identify a senior member or members of staff for consultation, liaison and planning of EPS work and activities. Ensure appropriate access to children and young people and staff for interview and observation. Provide appropriate space for the EPS practitioner to work. Co-operate in arranging appointments and promoting attendance, liaising with parents/carers as required. Provide access to relevant records. Gather data to support collaborative assessment as required. The EPS will ensure that all practitioners are appropriately qualified for the work undertaken. However, it is also a school/setting responsibility to establish that providers possess appropriate qualifications and are capable of assessing and responding to any risks identified in the course of their work. 7. SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES Records and documents will be stored in accordance with EPS and Buckinghamshire County Council policies and processes. Agree and jointly plan the most effective and efficient use of the purchased time with an identified senior member of staff. 6

7 Arrive punctually for planned visits, informing the school/setting of any unavoidable delay. Consult staff who work directly with the child or young person. Provide any written record arising from the school visit, normally within two working weeks. Operate in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act Depending upon the level of service agreed, EPS practitioners are available to cover all of the 39 weeks that schools are open. Schools should note that the last week of the autumn term and the first and last weeks of spring and summer terms are working weeks for the EPS. 8. CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS The EPS will endeavour to cover any short-term EPS practitioner absences. Longer term absences may have to be reflected in a concomitant reduction in charges. The EPS will endeavour to make up time lost by adverse weather or circumstances beyond their control but this cannot be guaranteed. Should the school wish to cancel a pre-arranged EPS appointment at short notice (less than 48 hours), then costs cannot be refunded and another appointment cannot be guaranteed. This is also the case if consent has not been arranged by the school as agreed and the EPS has not been informed within 48 hours notice that the planned piece of work cannot go ahead. In the case of training being cancelled by the Service it shall be at the discretion of the Service to either provide an alternative date for the training or to arrange a refund. 9. ORDERING AND FEES EPS Traded Services are ordered through the Buckinghamshire County Council online ordering system (SchoolsWeb). Completed online orders are a commitment to purchase. Terms and conditions can be found at 7

8 If the order is made in error please contact the EPS as soon as possible. Delays in informing the service will result in the school/setting being invoiced for the service. Time which is not used by the school by the end of academic year cannot be carried forward. Invoices are sent from Buckinghamshire County Council on 13 th November 2013 (to cover May to November) and 10 July 2014 (to cover December to April). Apart from PAU contracts which are invoiced monthly. Where schools are operating as part of a consortium, the EPS will invoice the lead school for the whole cost of the package. The lead school will then need to re-charge the appropriate portion of the costs to the other schools in the grouping through their own internal arrangements. Service Package Days p.a. Fee, Bucks Setting Fee, Out of County EPS 1 3 1,397 1,537 EPS 2 6 2,739 3,013 EPS ,508 9,359 EPS ,682 18,350 Pay as Use Pay as Use, INSET Training ,006 Pay as Use, INSET Training DISPUTE RESOLUTION If the school/setting is unhappy with any aspect of the services provided by the EPS, discussions should occur with the EPS practitioner in the first instance. If the discussion does not resolve the matter, then the issue should be referred to the EPS practitioner s line manager who is likely to convene a three-way meeting to try and resolve the concern. This will occur in accordance with Buckinghamshire County Council s policies and procedures. If the three-way meeting does not resolve the matter then the school/setting should contact the Deputy/Principal Educational Psychologist. 8