Summary of the follow-through
evaluation of the educational
psychology service
A report by HM Inspectorate of Education
The Moray Council
29 June 2010
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 Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published a report on the inspection of
The Moray Council in January 2008, which included an evaluation of Moray
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 revisited the service in April 2010 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 acting Head of Support Services and an acting
principal educational psychologist (PEP) have been appointed. The new PEP is well
respected by the EPS team and across the authority. The depute principal
educational psychologist (DPEP) and senior educational psychologists provide good
support to staff. There have been significant changes in EPS staff at all levels since
the original inspection. The service now has two assistant psychologists in post to
support research and take forward the post school psychological service (PSPS)
agenda.
The PEP and DPEP have created an effective agenda for change in collaboration
with service staff, and supported by senior education officers. EPS staff, led by the
EPS management team, have become more involved in evaluating their work and
implementing improvements. They are now more involved in working groups and
service tasks. EPS service managers have encouraged distributive leadership
across the team.
The service has continued to build on its knowledge and expertise of
Solution - Oriented Schools to improve practice in multi-agency planning meetings,
the Local Integrated Assessment and Planning Processes. Educational
psychologists (EPs) have strengthened their partnership working to improve
outcomes for children and young people. They have worked in collaboration with
secondary school staff to develop a ‘preparation’ booklet, which supports the
involvement of young people in their review and transition planning meetings. The
service has built on their well-developed pre-school practice through closer
partnership working with the Early Years Service. This has involved joint working on
casework as well as at strategic development levels. The service has also played a
leading role in the review and re-introduction of the Staged Intervention System
across the authority. PSPS developments have effectively improved processes and
outcomes for vulnerable young people up to the age of eighteen. The service is
aware of the need to extend their focus to respond to the needs of young people up
to the age of twenty-four. The EPS has taken on a lead strategic role in relation to
the development of positive mental health across the authority, but recognise that
further work is required to ensure that a council-wide approach is developed to meet
the requirements of Curriculum for Excellence.
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The EPS, well supported by the administrative team, has developed an effective
electronic database to hold information on referrals. This has allowed the service to
be clearer about the status of casework. The service has also established a shared
network, which contains reference materials, reports, and correspondence. The
EPS is now more outward focused. It works collaboratively with colleagues from
neighbouring authorities and seeks best practice from across Scotland to improve
service delivery to children and young people.
3. Progress towards meeting the main points for action
The initial inspection report identified three 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.
Ensure that targets for improvement show clearly the intended impact and
outcomes for stakeholders, particularly children and young people.
The education authority provides good support and advice to the EPS in helping
them to progress service developments. EPS activities are more appropriately
linked to education service priorities. There is now a clearer commission from the
authority regarding the function and focus of the EPS. Staff are more aware of the
need to deliver evidence-based practice and to demonstrate impact through their
interventions.
The impact of the PSPS has been significant in helping the authority better meet the
needs of young people requiring more choices, more chances. For example, they
have developed transition planning guidelines, and research on curricular options
and related accreditation available within the secondary school sector.
As a result of the changes of leadership and personnel, the pace of progress in
meeting targets within the improvement plan has been slower than anticipated. EPS
improvement planning needs to be more effectively linked to service and
authority-wide planning. The plan should be supported by clear work streams and
be rigorously monitored and reviewed by service managers. It should clearly identify
the intended impact and outcomes for children and young people. To meet better
the needs of children and young people, the service should review its staff allocation
to ensure equality and fairness across the authority particularly at times of staff
shortage.
Systematically involve all stakeholders in service development and
improvement activities, particularly with regard to the development of a
research programme.
The EPS has established a timeline for consultation with stakeholders. To date,
school staff and parents have contributed to service evaluations. These evaluations
have informed future service delivery. For example, the EPS has produced clearer
information about the service for parents and have reviewed their School Service
Level Agreements. The EPS recognise that they need to extend the range of
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stakeholders involved in the consultation process and develop a more systematic
approach to stakeholder engagement.
Overall, stakeholder views of the service are positive. Nearly all parents who
completed the questionnaire report that individual EPs seek their views and listen
carefully to what they want for their child. Almost all primary schools completing
questionnaires agree that links with the service are effective, and EPs are skilled at
dealing sensitively with pupils, parents and staff. Most secondary schools feel that
there is effective communication with the service and that confidentiality is
respected. Education authority staff agree that the EPS has a broad range of skills,
which can be used to support their work. Partner agencies completing the
questionnaires feel that EPs work effectively with a range of agencies to support
educational establishments.
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. EPS staff recognise the need to develop more effective joint
working practices, particularly with schools and education authority staff to improve
outcomes for all children and young people.
The service has built on the skills and knowledge of colleagues on the Doctorate
Programme to further develop research skills within the team. They have created
two EPs assistants posts to build research capacity across the service. The service
has been commissioned to undertake a range of research including work on the
senior phase of the curriculum, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the needs of young
people who are looked after by the authority. The EPS has presented a helpful
range of training events to partners on the nature of research to commission a wider
range of appropriate research activities. The service is now well placed to develop a
strategy and related action plan to support the continued development of research
within the service and across the authority, particularly in relation to schools. This
work should be undertaken in full consultation with stakeholders.
Review policy and planning arrangements to improve the quality and
consistency of services delivered across the authority.
An effective culture of self-evaluation is developing across the service. Staff are
beginning to share practice and are engaging in valuable professional dialogue. For
example, the staff are using the ‘service development time’ to take forward a number
of initiatives including the work of the service on school refusal. The EPS has
worked together well to develop a shared identity, philosophy and purpose, which
can support the wider changes within Educational Services. Peer support
mechanisms are beginning to improve self-evaluation processes by allowing
increased opportunities to reflect on practice issues and service developments. The
service now needs to consider ways to improve consistency and clarify expectations
across the authority. The development of a number of practice guidelines would be
beneficial in reducing variability across the team. It is important that any practice
standards are carefully monitored by the PEP and DPEP, as well as through peer
support and supervision mechanisms. The focus of the Standards and Quality report
requires to be reviewed to more closely link with service and authority priorities.
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4. Conclusion
Senior education officers, the PEP and staff group have worked effectively to
improve aspects of the service to meet better the needs of children and young
people across the authority. Families are now more involved in the review and
development of the service. There is a strengthening PSPS, and research is now
more embedded across the EPS. However, more requires to be done in relation to
service improvement planning, consistency of practice and stakeholder engagement.
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 and strengthened their approach to planning and
self-evaluation in line with authority priorities and objectives.
Anna Boni
HM Inspector
29 June 2010
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HM Inspectorate of Education