Summary of the follow-through
evaluation of the educational
psychology service
A report by HM Inspectorate of Education
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
5 July 2011
Page
1.
The inspection
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2.
Continuous improvement
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3.
Progress towards meeting the main points for action
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4.
Conclusion
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1. The inspection
HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published an initial report on the inspection of
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Educational Psychology Service (EPS) in February 2009.
An interim report on the service’s progress was published by HMIE in March 2010.
HM Inspectors revisited the service in May 2011 to assess the extent to which the
EPS was continuing to improve the quality of its work, and to report on further
progress made in responding to the main points for action.
2. Continuous improvement
Progress with planning for improvement has been limited since the HMIE
follow-through report published in March 2010. Further restructuring of Education
and Children’s Services within the Council has led to several changes in
arrangements for the line management of the EPS. The Head of Service (Education
and Resources) has been providing valuable leadership and direction since
resuming line management responsibility for the service in March 2011.
The Principal Educational Psychologist’s post has been vacant since autumn 2010,
resulting in serious understaffing of the service during session 2010-2011. There is
currently 0.6 full time equivalent Educational Psychologist in post for the entire
council area. Access to educational psychology skills across the Council area is
uneven. Children and families living outwith Lewis and Harris, as well as schools in
the southern isles, have fewer opportunities for contact with the EPS.
Despite the limitations of the current staffing situation, educational psychology skills
are being used to drive forward quality improvement within learning communities
through regular audit and case studies. The EPS is now using its knowledge and
expertise in relation to child development and attachment to provide valuable support
to the Council’s Fostering and Adoption Service. Educational psychology skills have
been used effectively to support Education and Children’s Services to work in
partnership with others to secure funding for projects to address employability and
enterprise. The EPS has continued to develop and procure training packages and
resources to promote the successful inclusion of children and young people with
additional support needs. These materials have improved staff knowledge,
understanding and skills, resulting in improved learning and teaching within learning
communities. The educational psychologist is a reflective practitioner who strives to
improve the quality of partnership working and the impact of psychological
intervention. However, as a result of current staffing shortages, access to
educational psychology assessment and intervention is limited. Some families in
Lewis and Harris are disappointed with the limited service they are receiving and for
children and families in the southern isles, contact with the educational psychologist
is available only via video conferencing.
The Director of Education and Children’s Services values the work of the EPS.
Plans are in place to improve the current staffing situation in order to improve the
range and impact of educational psychology across the Council area.
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3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in February 2009 identified four main points for
action. The interim follow-through report published in March 2010 reported
encouraging progress across the main points for action resulting in a number of
improvements for children, young people and families. HMIE confirm that due to the
current challenging circumstances of the EPS, only limited progress has been made
since the publication of the interim follow-through report.
Systematically involve all stakeholders in service development and
improvement activities, particularly with regard to the development of a
research programme.
The EPS continues to engage actively with learning communities, schools, Extended
Learning Support and health colleagues. This is helping to increase stakeholder
awareness and understanding of its roles and functions. Helpful summarising of
published literature by the EPS is supporting Education and Children’s Services to
target resources appropriately to promote inclusion. Regular audits led by
educational psychology are driving an action research approach within learning
communities. This is helping to identify the most effective interventions for children
and young people at risk of missing out. Schools and other partners remain unclear
about the research role of the EPS and there is currently limited scope to develop a
coherent research programme. Some feedback from stakeholders is being sought
by the service, however as yet there is no systematic plan for their involvement in
service development and improvement activities.
Review and improve policy and planning arrangements to improve the quality
and consistency of services delivered across the authority.
The EPS has made a strong contribution to authority guidance to promote
educational inclusion. Examples include a policy on Home Education, an English as
an additional language handbook and Additional Support Needs Guidance. Effective
partnership working with Adult Services has resulted in appropriate guidance on the
management of transitions. The EPS is now leading on embedding this guidance
within learning communities. The service has yet to put in place a suitable
framework for the monitoring and review of its policy and planning arrangements.
Ensure that targets for improvement show clearly the intended impact and
outcomes for stakeholders, particularly children and young people.
The EPS has contributed well to improving outcomes for individuals and groups of
young people through evidence-based interventions and its involvement in
multi-agency work. Its impact on Extended Learning Support has helped secure
positive destinations for young people in the More Choices, More Chances group.
The service has an action plan drawn up to address the main points for action in the
initial HMIE report and the follow-through report. This has not been incorporated into
the Children’s Services business plan and is therefore not linked to the Council’s
Single Outcome Agreement. As a result, the service finds it particularly challenging
to demonstrate its impact on stakeholders. Educational psychology improvement
planning is not yet aligned with the planning cycle of the Council. There is currently
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no arrangement in place for formally reviewing the EPS action plan to evaluate
progress made.
Develop a more rigorous approach to self-evaluation involving all stakeholders
in service development and improvement.
The EPS contributes well to learning community and Children’s Services partnership
self-evaluation. Arrangements for EPS single service self-evaluation have not
progressed since HMIE reported in March 2010 that formal and systematic
mechanisms for self-evaluation against improvement planning were at an early stage
of development. The service is aware of the need to put in place robust systems for
single service self-evaluation, quality assurance of its work and professional support
and challenge. It should integrate its planning and reporting arrangements and
self-evaluation measures and should develop a quality management policy to guide
its work in this area.
4. Conclusion
The EPS is currently severely understaffed. Limited progress has been made within
the past year on addressing the main points for action agreed in the HMIE report
published in February 2009. The decision to transfer the line management of the
service to the Head of Service (Education and Resources) has resulted in a very
recent improvement in its leadership and direction. Robust arrangements for
self-evaluation and service improvement planning are not yet in place and equality of
access to educational psychology skills across the Council area needs to be
addressed. There is a need for the Education Authority to provide focused support
and challenge to the service to allow it to demonstrate that it is delivering best value.
The HMIE link inspector and District Inspector will 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
leadership and management of the EPS 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
5 July 2011
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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 www.hmie.gov.uk.
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 HMIEenquiries@hmie.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.hmie.gov.uk or
alternatively you can contact our Complaints Manager, at the address above or by
telephoning 01506 600259.
Crown Copyright 2011
HM Inspectorate of Education
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