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
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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.
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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. You will also find easy access to our inspection and
review reports and wide range of other publications.
http://www.hmie.gov.uk