Inspection of the education functions of local authorities Summary of evaluation of the educational psychology service Aberdeen City Council 28 June 2007 Definition of terms used in this report HM Inspectors use published criteria when making evaluations. They are published as quality indicators which relate evaluations to six levels. HMIE began using a six point scale to make evaluations in August 2005. The table below shows how the six point scale relates to the four point scale that we used previously. Old level Very good Good New level Excellent Very good Good Fair Unsatisfactory Adequate Weak Unsatisfactory Description Outstanding, sector leading Major strengths Important strengths with some areas for improvement Strengths just outweigh weaknesses Important weaknesses Major weaknesses This report also uses the following words to describe numbers and proportions: almost all most majority less than half few over 90% 75-90% 50-74% 15-49% up to 15% Contents Page 1. The aims, nature and scope of the inspection 1 2. What key outcomes has the service achieved? 1 3. How well does the service meet the needs of its stakeholders? 2 4. How good is the service’s delivery of key processes? 2 5. How good is the service’s management? 2 6. How good is leadership? 3 Appendix 1 5 1. The aims, nature and scope of the inspection The education functions of each local authority in Scotland were inspected between 2000 and 2005. A second cycle of inspections began in 2006 which incorporates an evaluation of educational psychology services. Section 9 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 charges HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), on behalf of the Scottish Ministers, to provide an external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local authority in its quality assurance of educational provision within the Council and of its support to schools in improving quality. The inspection of Aberdeen City Council included the evaluation of the quality of educational psychology provision on behalf of stakeholders. The evaluation of educational psychology services is conducted within a framework of quality indicators which embody the Government’s policy on Best Value. The inspection team also included an Associate Assessor who was a principal educational psychologist serving in another Scottish local authority. This web-based report should be read alongside the report on the inspection of the education functions of Aberdeen City Council which sets out the wider context in which educational psychology services are delivered. The Educational Psychology Service The Aberdeen City Council Educational Psychology Service is based in the Summerhill Centre in Aberdeen. At the time of the inspection, the complement of educational psychologists was 11.4 full-time equivalents (FTE). Promoted staff consisted of a principal educational psychologist, two senior educational psychologists and an acting senior educational psychologist. Three of the educational psychologists were probationers. There also were two research assistants and four administrative support staff including an administrative officer. At the time of the inspection, there were 2.6 FTE permanent vacancies and 1.5 FTE unfilled temporary vacancies in the service. 2. What key outcomes has the service achieved? Long-term staffing difficulties had limited the service’s contributions to wider developments within the Council. The authority was addressing this and in the process of restructuring the service and recruiting new staff. The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) had made a limited impact in improving outcomes within the authority. However, it had made some valuable contributions, including support to families of children encountering difficulties at the early years stage and to the implementation of The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (ASL). The authority was taking appropriate steps to develop the service’s capacity to improve and make a more positive impact on behalf of its stakeholders. The role of the EPS was being extended and developed. Senior managers should ensure that the service avoids becoming fragmented in making these changes. 1 Staff within the service were aware of their general statutory duties and about how these could be carried out. The service had effectively contributed, along with other professionals, in developing and supporting the authority’s policy on additional support needs. 3. How well does the service meet the needs of its stakeholders? The EPS had developed some good working relationships with children and young people, families, teachers and social workers. Partnerships with schools and with agencies which were external to the Council required further development to maximise impact. The service should continue to liaise with schools and agencies about its roles, remits and functions. Staff in the EPS were in the process of building and establishing more effective teamwork. They had made good use of training and development activities to improve their practices. However, the service did not have formal professional development and review arrangements in place for senior and main grade educational psychologists. 4. How good is the service’s delivery of key processes? The EPS was delivering a broad range of services with regard to consultation and advice, assessment and intervention. It had not yet established itself sufficiently well as a major contributor to professional development and training. The EPS should build on effective examples of training, for example, person-centred planning and resolving disagreements to develop a more comprehensive portfolio of training. It also needed to have a more central role in contributing to research and strategic development within the authority. The service had developed good practice in person-centred planning. This was helping to enhance the participation of pupils with additional support needs in assessment, planning and review. However, it did not monitor the levels of stakeholders’ satisfaction with service delivery closely enough. It needed to consult more widely with stakeholders and to seek their views on what worked effectively and what needed to be improved. 5. How good is the service’s management? The principal educational psychologist had promoted the contributions of the service and had established strong working relationships with his line manager. Together, they had worked in a determined manner to improve staffing levels in order to extend the range of provision being delivered across the authority. Arrangements for managing change and taking forward the work of the EPS were not sufficiently well established. The service had still to build a strong culture of sustaining high quality delivery of provision to stakeholders, including schools. 2 6. How good is leadership? Leadership within the EPS had been limited but was beginning to improve. The principal had joined the authority at a time of considerable change; he had shown leadership in developing the vision, values and aims for the service. The principal had the capacity to provide leadership for the EPS, although the service as a whole needed to develop its strategic role in planning for improvements and to extend its procedures for monitoring performance and outcomes. The authority, in conjunction with the service, was in the process of determining how best the EPS could further develop its respective roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. Key strengths The service had: • developed a broad range of services regarding consultation and advice, assessment and intervention; • established some good working relationships with children and young people, families, teachers and social workers; • contributed, along with other professionals, in developing and supporting the authority’s policy on additional support needs; and • started to develop its capacity to ensure that it could make a more positive impact on behalf of stakeholders. Main points for action The service should: • develop its partnerships with schools and with agencies which are external to the Council; • extend its role in contributing to professional development and training and to research and strategic development within the authority; • consult more widely with stakeholders as part of its quality assurance arrangements including seeking their views on what works effectively and what needs to be improved; and • extend its procedures for planning for improvement and monitoring performance and outcomes. 3 What happens next? The service and the authority has been asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of the report. HM Inspectors will engage with the service and authority and will make a return visit within two years to evaluate progress. Annette Bruton HM Chief Inspector Directorate 5 June 2007 4 Appendix 1 Quality Indicator Improvements in performance Fulfilment of statutory duties Impact on children and young people Impact on parents, carers and families Impact on education establishments Impact on the education function of the authority Impact on staff Consultation and advice Assessment Intervention Provision of professional development and training for other groups including parents, teachers and health professionals Research and strategic development Inclusion, equality and fairness Policy development and review Participation of stakeholders Operational planning Partnership working Leadership and direction Leadership of change and improvement Evaluation Adequate Good Good Good Adequate Adequate Adequate Good Good Good Adequate Adequate Good Adequate Weak Weak Good Adequate Adequate 5 How can you contact us? If you wish to comment about the inspection of educational psychology service Should you wish to comment on any aspect of the inspection of educational psychology, you should write in the first instance to Annette Bruton HMCI, at HM Inspectorate of Education, Directorate 5, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA. Our complaints procedure If you have a concern about this report, you should contact our Complaints Manager by telephoning 01506 600258/9 or write to Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management Unit, Second Floor, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA. You can also email HMIEComplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk. A copy of the HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure leaflet is available from this office by telephoning the above telephone number or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330 (fax 0800 377 7331) or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk. Crown Copyright 2007 HM Inspectorate of Education This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated. 6 The work of HM Inspectorate of Education HM Inspectors undertake first-hand, independent evaluations of the quality of education. We publish our evaluation in clear and concise reports. Our inspections and reviews report on the establishment’s pursuit of continuous improvement through the process of self-evaluation. We ensure that inspection and review activities include the full range of pupils, students and participants in an educational establishment, giving due regard, without unfair discrimination, to disability awareness, equality and inclusion, child protection and racial equality. Each year we also investigate and publish reports on key aspects of education. Our collation, analysis and publication of the evidence and conclusions from all evaluations identify and promote best practice in continuous improvement. We draw on the results of our evaluations, and our overall knowledge of the system, to provide independent professional advice to the Scottish Ministers, relevant departments of the Scottish Executive and others. Further information on the work of HM Inspectorate of Education and its role in Scottish education is available on our website. 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