Summary of the follow-through
evaluation of the educational
psychology service
A report by HM Inspectorate of Education
Western Isles Council
9 March 2010
Contents
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
Western Isles Educational Psychology Service (EPS) in February 2009.
Following the inspection, the service prepared an action plan indicating how it
would address the main points for action identified in the original HMIE
inspection.
HM Inspectors (HMI) revisited the service in November 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 director of the new Education and Children’s
Services (ECS) has been appointed. A structure for ECS has very recently
been agreed by elected members. The EPS is now managed by the head of
children’s service and is aligned with inclusion staff, principal teachers of
learning support (PTLS) and social work services for children. The principal
educational psychologist (PEP), educational psychologists (EPs) and senior
managers within ECS have a clear agenda for developing the EPS within the
new structure. Over the last year, the EPS has been successfully delivering
services to the five new learning communities across the authority.
The service continues to build on its strengths. EPs are highly motivated to
provide, along with a range of partners, effective services to meet the needs
of children, young people and families within the Western Isles. The service
has further developed high quality consultation and assessment services for
parents and young people. For example, effective support is provided to
vulnerable young people to help sustain positive destinations post-school.
EPs now bring valued experience and expertise to consultation and individual
casework that is recognised by a wide range of stakeholders within the
learning communities. The service has further developed valued partnership
working with a range of stakeholders including health colleagues in the Social
Communication Team to improve outcomes for children and families. This
includes the delivery of joint training to further improve assessment and
planning processes. The service is strengthening engagement with partners
in voluntary organisations, the independent sector and community learning
and development to address literacy issues in both young people post 16 and
adults. The aim is to increase parental confidence in supporting their
children’s learning. Direct work with children and families continues to be a
strength. Partners in education and beyond report EPs to bring significant
skill and expertise to multiagency working. The EPS helps to build capacity in
others and impacts on the delivery of services to children and young people.
The service has worked along with senior managers and partners to initiate a
more structured process of assessment and planning where off island
placements may be required.
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3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
The initial inspection report published in May 2007 identified four main points
for action. HMIE confirm that the service has made encouraging progress
across the main points for action resulting in a number of improvements for
children, young people and families.
Systematically involve all stakeholders in service development and
improvement activities, particularly with regard to the development of a
research programme.
The service has engaged with stakeholders including the heads of learning
communities, schools and other agencies to increase understanding of EPS
roles and service developments. The EPS has now produced a document on
Who we are and what we do which has been circulated to all headteachers
with comments invited. HMI met with focus groups across three learning
communities. Almost all participants were very happy with the quality of the
service delivered. Partners commented on the range of skills within the team,
the responsiveness of the service and the thoughtful and respectful way in
which EPs engage with all stakeholders. The service has taken steps to
increase its role in relation to research. The EPS has engaged with
stakeholders around post-school psychological services (PSPS)
developments to research models for future delivery of services post 16. A
paper with recommendations is in draft form and will be used to inform further
developments. Research is being undertaken along with Cagliari University to
explore language acquisition and bilingualism with Gaelic as a minority
language. Some school staff and other stakeholders are more aware of the
range of services available from the EPS and are able to talk positively about
EPs role in raising their own skill level and confidence in delivering services
for children and young people. While schools and partners are still less clear
around training and research, senior managers report that EPs are central to
developing much of the material delivered by others to schools. This includes
promoting positive behaviour, dyspraxia, dyslexia and social communication.
EPs help ensure that authority led staff development is targeted at the
identified needs of children and young people.
EPs have received training in solution focused approaches to therapy and
management. Plans are in place for the EPS to work along with managers in
ECS to explore ways in which solution focused approaches can support more
effective service delivery.
The EPS recognises the benefit of working closely within the learning
communities to further engage stakeholders in service developments. With
the more established learning communities this has already proved to be very
effective. The service remains at an early stage in relation to engaging with
children, young people and parents in capturing the impact of service
engagement. The service now needs to explore meaningful ways of involving
children and young people in the development of services to meet their needs.
2
Review and improve policy and planning arrangements to improve the
quality and consistency of services delivered across the authority.
The EPS has developed a clear and shared identity, philosophy and purpose
within the team. EPs are committed to having fortnightly team meetings to
improve the quality and consistency of services across the authority. Minutes
from these meetings over the last year demonstrate careful consideration of
practice issues to best meet the needs of all stakeholders. Team meetings
have promoted effective use of peer review and support to allow EPs to
consider and evaluate aspects of service delivery on an ongoing basis.
Minutes show reflection on policy development to ensure shared
understanding around key processes. This has increased consistency of
practice. The range of services being delivered across the authority has
started to increase with examples of effective direct training and research
initiatives being undertaken.
The EPS is involved in ongoing dialogue with senior managers in ECS in
relation to service developments and will contribute to the new children’s
services management team. Staff plan to progress policy and planning along
with ECS and learning community developments.
The service needs to consider ways in which the policy and practice
arrangements can continue to be monitored and reviewed, particularly as
individual learning communities develop further and partnership working
increases.
Ensure that targets for improvement show clearly the intended impact
and outcomes for stakeholders, particularly children and young people.
The service has drawn together a clear improvement plan based on the
original inspection and has delivered on a range of targets within this plan.
The plan identifies intended impact and outcomes and is monitored to identify
when these have been achieved. The service and senior managers are
aware of the positive impact of EPs on children, young people and families. A
wide range of stakeholders within learning communities can report on
improved outcomes following EPS involvement. EPs do not yet
systematically capture this information to inform future developments. The
service has yet to establish an improvement plan, linked to wider authority
objectives and priorities, that identifies intended impact on children and young
people. Both the EPS and senior managers within ECS should consider how
the service can plan for improvement and evaluate progress to ensure
continuous improvement.
3
Develop a more rigorous approach to self-evaluation involving all
stakeholders in service development and improvement.
The service has engaged with a range of stakeholders through learning
communities to discuss service development and begin to evaluate the
services delivered. The EPS has reflected on the plan that emerged from the
original inspection to begin to evaluate progress against stated objectives and
identify areas for further improvement.
The EPS acknowledges that progress in relation to formal and systematic
mechanisms for self-evaluation against improvement planning remain at the
early stages of development. Since the original inspection the service has
prioritised establishing a shared understanding and vision for the service and
communicating this consistently to stakeholders. Senior managers report that
the EPS will now be included in the ECS planning system linked to the
improvement planning and monitoring group.
4. Conclusions
The EPS is highly motivated to meet the needs of children and young people
and has taken clear steps to build on its strengths and begin to implement the
recommendations of the original report of February 2009. The improvements
in service focus and development have resulted in greater access to EP
services for an increased number of stakeholders across the Western Isles.
HMIE will carry out a further visit in a year’s time to review the ways in which
the EPS has continued to engage with stakeholders to deliver improved
outcomes for children and young people in line with ECS priorities and
objectives.
Roslyn Redpath
HM Inspector
9 March 2010
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Crown Copyright 2010
HM Inspectorate of Education