Summary of the follow-through
evaluation of the educational
psychology service
A report by HM Inspectors
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
4 July 2012
Page
1.
The inspection
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2.
Continuous improvement
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3.
Progress towards meeting the main points for action
2
4.
Conclusion
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1. The inspection
HM Inspectors of Education published a report on the inspection of Comhairle nan
Eilean Siar Educational Psychology Service (EPS) in February 2009. Interim reports
on the service’s progress were published by HM Inspectors of Education in
March 2010 and July 2011.
HM Inspectors revisited the service in May 2012 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
Improvements in the leadership and management of the EPS reported in July 2011
have been sustained. The Head of Service (Children’s Services and Resources)
and the Principal Educational Psychologist (PEP) have worked effectively together to
put in place the building blocks to improve further the quality of the EPS.
Staffing of the service has improved slightly, although this is not yet at the level
required to deliver a high quality service across the Council area. Since September
2011, the PEPs post has been filled on a full-time basis. In addition, valuable pieces
of work have been carried out for the service by consultant educational psychologists
on short-term contracts. Access to educational psychology for children and families
living outwith Lewis and Harris is improving. Arrangements for a permanent main
grade educational psychologist to join the service are at an advanced stage.
The recently appointed PEP has quickly established herself as a highly credible
leader of the service. She skilfully balances the demands of leading the service with
the need to continue to deliver a very high standard of educational psychology. She
is prompt in her responses to parents’ concerns and she gives valued support and
advice to parents, schools, learning communities and the Education Authority (EA).
Very strong multi-agency partnerships between the EPS and other agencies are
effective in achieving positive outcomes for children and families.
The impact of educational psychology on the work of the EA is steadily growing as a
result of the involvement of the PEP on important working groups. For example,
groups have taken a strategic lead on the development of new approaches to
assessment and research.
The training function of the EPS has become stronger. The impact of this
improvement has been particularly positive for families affected by Autism Spectrum
Disorders and attachment difficulties.
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Features of good practice:
The service has developed very strong partnership working resulting in
improvements in the lives of children in need of support. These improvements
include higher numbers of children with complex needs being supported to stay in
their own communities and very helpful communication passports for children and
adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in February 2009 identified four main points for
action. Interim follow-through reports published in March 2010 and July 2011
reported mixed progress with the main points for action. HM Inspectors confirm that
despite the current challenging circumstances of the EPS, encouraging progress has
been made since the publication of the interim follow-through report in July 2011.
Systematically involve all stakeholders in service development and
improvement activities, particularly with regard to the development of a
research programme.
The EPS continues to strengthen its links with learning communities, schools,
Extended Learning Support and Health colleagues. This is helping to build the
foundations which will enable stakeholders to become more involved in important
service developments including training and research. Some stakeholders have
provided helpful feedback about the impact of EPS involvement in multi-agency
meetings. The service has reflected carefully on this feedback and has made
appropriate improvements as a result. Well-considered work to develop an agreed
approach to research has been carried out by the service and this should now be
shared with key partners. The service should give a high priority to the development
of a systematic plan to involve stakeholders in improvement planning activities.
Review and improve policy and planning arrangements to improve the quality
and consistency of services delivered across the authority.
Notable early improvements have been made to planning and reporting
arrangements for the EPS. The service is now linked into the EA Interplan system
and this is helping it to track, monitor and report on the actions it has undertaken to
address agreed targets. In time this will provide data to allow the EPS to evaluate
and measure its performance in achieving positive trends and standards of
performance over time. The service should ensure that Improvement Plans are
utilised to inform regular standards and quality reports which are accessible to the
full range of stakeholders. The service has continued to work with local partners to
add to its portfolio of policies. It should continue to strengthen its approach to the
monitoring and reviewing of its policy and planning arrangements.
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Ensure that targets for improvement show clearly the intended impact and
outcomes for stakeholders, particularly children and young people.
The EPS continues to deliver evidence-based interventions and promote high quality
partnership working. These approaches are successful in delivering improved
outcomes for individuals and groups of young people who have identified needs.
However, revisiting improvement targets to ensure that they are focused on impact
and outcomes will assist the service in demonstrating the contribution it is making to
the Council’s Single Outcome Agreement. A recent audit of Educational
Psychologists’ skills is helping to better inform improvement targets in relation to the
skill development of individual practitioners. It will be helpful for the service to
consider streamlining its approach to improvement planning.
Develop a more rigorous approach to self-evaluation involving all stakeholders
in service development and improvement.
The PEP is developing a more systematic approach to gathering stakeholder
evaluations of the service. Commendably, data sources which are currently
available within the EA are being utilised to help inform future EPS improvements.
Appropriate use is being made of the E1 database to allow the service to better
target its work and evaluate its impact. A well-planned work tracker is being
developed by the EPS to identify the aspects of its work which are having most
impact. The service should continue to seek methods of strengthening its
self-evaluation which can be integrated into its day to day work and that lead to
further improvement.
4. Conclusion
Improvements in the leadership and management of the EPS reported in July 2011
have been sustained. The recently appointed PEP has quickly established herself
as a highly credible leader of the service. Although staffing levels are not yet fully
resolved, important improvements are allowing families living outwith Lewis and
Harris to access an Educational Psychologist at critical times.
Promising progress has been made within the past year on addressing the main
points for action agreed in the report published by HM Inspectors in February 2009.
The EA should ensure that it continues to provide regular and focused support and
challenge to the service. This will allow the service to demonstrate that it is
delivering best value and that it is continuing to improve.
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Education Scotland’s link EPS and District Inspectors will continue to work with the
EA to support improvement. We will carry out a further visit in a year’s time to report
on progress with the main points for action and the extent to which improvements in
the quality of the service have been sustained. The findings from this follow-through
visit will be shared with the Local Area Network as part of the Shared Risk
Assessment process.
Clare Lamont
HM Inspector
Education Scotland
4 July 2012
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If you would like to find out more about our inspections or get an electronic copy of
this report, please go to
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/inspectionandreview/reports/othersectors/educ
ationalpsychologyservices/EileanSiarWesternIslesCouncil.asp
Please contact us if you want to know how to get the report in a different format, for
example, in a translation, or if you wish to comment about any aspect of our
inspections. You can contact us at enquiries@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk or
write to us at BMCT, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale
Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
Text phone users can contact us on 01506 600 236. This is a service for deaf users.
Please do not use this number for voice calls as the line will not connect you to a
member of staff.
You can find our complaints procedure on our website
www.educationscotland.gov.uk or alternatively you can contact our Complaints
Manager, at the address above or by telephoning 01506 600259.
Crown Copyright 2012
Education Scotland
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