Dumfries and Galloway Council EPS
6 October 2009
Contents
Page
1.
The inspection
1
2.
Continuous improvement
1
3.
Progress towards meeting the main points for action
2
4.
Conclusion
4
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1. The inspection
HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published a report on the inspection of
Dumfries and Galloway Council in May 2007 which included an evaluation of
Dumfries and Galloway educational psychology services (EPS). Following the
inspection the service prepared an action plan indicating how they would address the
main points for action identified in the original HMIE inspection.
HM Inspectors (HMI) revisited the service in May 2009 to assess the extent to which
the EPS was continuing to improve the quality of its work, and to evaluate progress
made in responding to the main points for action.
2. Continuous improvement
Since the original inspection a new Director, School Services has been appointed.
Plans for management re-structuring for School Services are now agreed and in
place. Central education services staff, including EPS, are now being organised in
four multi-functional area teams, responsible for school support, quality assurance
and support for pupils with additional support needs. The EPS will work alongside
these teams having a ‘separate but aligned’ status. There have also been several
changes in EPS staff. Currently, there are 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) permanent
vacancies in the service.
The Operations Manager (EPS) and area principal educational psychologists
(APEPs) have created a clear agenda for change in collaboration with service staff
and supported by senior education managers. The overall ethos of the service is
improved. This has led to better team working. Educational psychologists (EPs)
across the service take pride in their work and their achievements. EPS staff, led by
the senior management team, are more involved in evaluating their work and
implementing improvements. Staff are encouraged through the annual performance
review, and regular support and supervision sessions, to reflect on practice and
identify areas for development. Collectively, the service has identified key areas of
focus for staff development including service delivery. EPS service managers have
encouraged distributive leadership across the EPS.
The service continues to build on its strengths. It has become more consistent and
systematic in its delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy approaches and work to
support loss and bereavement. The service has a well established role in supporting
the needs of children and young people with autism spectrum disorders, and those
who are looked after and accommodated by the authority. It has continued to have a
high profile role in taking forward the equalities agenda through their research and
knowledge of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues. Partner
agencies value the contribution made by the EPS to working groups and to meeting
the needs of individual children and young people with complex needs. Post-school
psychological services is at an early stage of development within the service.
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Features of good practice:
Involving young people in service improvement
The service has worked with the Youth Work Issues Team to involve young people
directly in inspecting and improving the educational psychology services (EPS). The
initiative is called Inspector8. Around 50 young people from a range of agencies and
organisations across the Council have been recruited and trained as 'Inspectors' to
evaluate the work of services including Libraries, Leisure and Sport Facilities, Youth
Provision as well as EPS. Working in partnership with EPS, an inspection process
has been created and training provided to equip the young inspectors to undertake
this role. The Inspector8 Team have begun inspecting the EPS and feedback from
the inspectors and the young people interviewed by them has been very positive.
Equalities
Dumfries and Galloway EPS have championed the equalities agenda through their
sector leading work on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender issues. They have
a strong council-wide and national presence in training and awareness raising.
More detailed information is available at www.hmie.gov.uk
3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in May 2007 identified three main points for
action. HMIE confirm that the service has made positive progress across the main
points for action resulting in improvements for children, young people and families.
Develop a comprehensive management information system (MIS) to better
monitor the impact its action has on improving outcomes for children and
young people.
The service has developed an electronic database to provide more accurate
information about case work. A number of EPs use this information to identify
referral trends. EPS administrative staff play an important role in maintaining the
database to support more consistent practice across the service. The service has
audited the number of meetings they attend. The EPS has developed a rationale for
service attendance at meetings which is consistent with service and authority aims.
The approach now needs to be extended to include the impact the service makes on
the meeting, whether that be of a strategic working group or a multiagency
discussion about a child or young person. A helpful case work evaluation form is
being developed to review practice. At present it is not sufficiently outcome focused.
The MIS has been improved and developed since the original inspection. However,
further work is required to ensure that the information systems track the impact and
outcomes of the services work on behalf of children, young people and families in
Dumfries and Galloway. EPS recognise the need to monitor closely continued
progress in this area.
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Involve all key stakeholders in service development and improvement
particularly children and young people, centrally-deployed staff and staff in
educational provisions.
The EPS has proactively met with a number of stakeholders, including parents and
school staff, to consult and update them on service developments. Termly work
review arrangements have been put in place across the service to support
consistency and stakeholder satisfaction with service delivery. New service
guidelines have been produced for schools. The EPS has consulted on the
documentation through their headteacher and Parents’ Group. The service intends
to review further and extend the guidelines to inform all stakeholders about their role
and the range of services provided to support children and families. EPS practice
outlined in the service guidelines in relation to consultation requires further review.
The EPS has also undertaken joint training with Child and Adolescent Mental Heath
Services. While external agencies and centrally-deployed staff are positive about
advice and information, they continue to raise important concerns about roles, remits
and communication processes currently in place. EPS staff recognise the need to
develop more effective joint working practices in collaboration with stakeholders to
improve outcomes for all children and young people. The service has developed a
range of questionnaires for children, young people, parents and school staff, and is
looking at electronic survey approaches to respond to the challenges of rurality. The
EPS is developing innovative practice in close collaboration with youth issues unit to
involve young people directly in improving services.
The EPS has made a good start to establishing closer working partnerships with a
number of key stakeholders in the improvement and evaluation of the service.
However, there is a need to extend further the range of stakeholders involved in
service development and ensure that the new developments will be embedded in all
aspects of practice. This will remain a continued priority area.
Ensure targets for improvement highlight impact and outcomes for service
users, particularly children and young people, and are more closely linked to
education authority priorities.
The education authority, and the Director, Schools Services, in particular, provide
support and advice to the Operations Manager (EPS) in moving forward service
developments. The EPS has effectively increased its profile across the authority
through its contributions to the Homelink research, dyslexia, Behaviour Matters, and
to the Lower Annandale Demonstration Site, a project which offers a strong strategic
commitment across agencies to deliver services more effectively to children and
families.
The Operations Manager (EPS) and APEPs have provided strong leadership in
addressing the action points arising from the inspection in May 2007. The
Operations Manager (EPS) is an effective member of the senior management team
and makes important contributions to education service developments including the
development of the new multi-functional area teams.
EPS activities are now more appropriately linked to education service priorities. The
EPS has service representatives on a number of strategic working groups including
the Pupil Support Group, autism, More Choices More Chances, and the Authority
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Review Groups, where provision and placements for children and young people are
discussed. A number of EPs are involved in delivering a range of training activities
across the authority including on pre-school behaviour, problematic sexual
behaviour, equality issues and in relation to We can and must do better. The EPS
and the education service should build on these developments and identify further
strategic contributions which the service can make to the authority priorities. This
includes the wider development of change management and Curriculum for
Excellence, aspects relating to pedagogy, learning theory and child development.
4. Conclusion
The EPS has worked hard to build on its strengths and implement the
recommendations of the original report of May 2007. The service and its staff are
now demonstrating a clear capacity for continuous improvement. The improvements
in service focus and development ensure that the needs of children and young
people in Dumfries and Galloway are being met more effectively. As a result of the
overall good progress achieved by the service towards meeting the main points for
action, HM Inspectors will make no further visits in connection with the report of
May 2007. HMIE will continue to discuss with the service the development of their
practice guidelines, particularly in relation to consultation.
Anna Boni
HM Inspector
6 October 2009
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How can you contact us?
HMIE has responsibilities to evaluate the quality of pre-school education, all schools,
teacher education, community learning and development, colleges and local
authorities. We also publish reports of interest to the public and professionals about
services for children and evaluate child protection services. From this extensive
evidence we are able to give the professional advice needed to support the
development of educational policy.
For more information about the work of HMIE, including examples of good practice
and links to Journey to Excellence, please visit our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
To find out more about inspections go to www.hmie.gov.uk. Please contact the
Business Management and Communications Team if you require any of our
information available in translated or other appropriate versions.
If you wish to comment about any of our inspections, contact us
at HMIEenquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or alternatively you should write in the first
instance to BMCT, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale
Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure is available from our website www.hmie.gov.uk or
alternatively you can write to our Complaints Manager, at the address above or by
telephoning 01506 600259.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints
procedure, you can raise a 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 email ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the
Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website www.spso.org.uk.
Want to join us?
In addition to HMI, inspection teams often include people who are not HMI but are
involved directly in education. They are called Associate Assessors. Most
inspection teams also include a member of the public called a Lay Member. More
information about how you can become an Associate Assessor or Lay Member is
available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Crown Copyright 2009
HM Inspectorate of Education