Oxfordshire Educational Psychology Service

Policy on Assessment

September 2014

Rationale

  • To provide a sound reference to all Educational Psychology Service staff
  • To inform new staff
  • To inform schools, parents, children and other professionals
  • For continuous improvement
  • To improve consistency
  • To refer back to when there are issues
  • To be overt and transparent
  • For accountability
  • To protect staff
  • To support the development of reflective practitioners

Background Context

The Quality Standards for Educational Psychology Services (BPS – April 2006) recommends that Guidelines for Professional Practice within a Psychological Service should contain standards in relation to a written statement, a process and a management system.

The BPS code of Ethics and Conduct ( BPS 2009) identifies respect, competence, responsibility and integrity as issues all EPs need to have an understanding of and regard for. It provides parameters within which professional judgements should be made and a minimum standard below which behaviour should not fall.

The Division of Educational and Child Psychology Professional Practice Guidelines (DECP Jan 2002) provides the following guidance:

When working with young people, educational psychologists should base assessments, intervention and advice offered on the fullest and most accurate information that is available. They should consult as widely as possible with other people who know the young person concerned within their limits with regard to confidentiality and consent.

In assessment, educational psychologists should endeavour to use the means of communication which is the most accessible to the young person concerned, given his/her cultural background, preferred language and level of understanding.

Educational psychologists should make assessment as objective as possible. They should also make clear the sources on which the assessment is based and make known the limitations of any assessment, for example:

(a) If assessment is carried out outside the young person’s familiar surroundings in a restricted sample of settings, generalisations should not be made from such observations to current or future learning and behaviour in school or in the home.

(b) Generalisations should also be restricted if assessment is not carried out in the young person’s first language or via a third party such as an interpreter.

Educational psychologists should:

  • Only use those forms of assessment in which they are competent and only when these are judged to be in the young person’s best interests.
  • Present as full and objective an account as possible of information gathered.
  • Others involved (eg parents) should be assisted in putting forward their own views. In any reporting of differences to a third party, the educational psychologist should make every effort to articulate these in an unbiased manner.
  • Distinguish between reporting data or information and affecting possible interpretations.
  • Convey information about the results of tests and assessments in a way which guards against misinterpretation and also assists with interpretation.
  • Encourage the young person to participate in processes and decision-making as far as possible.
  • Consider thoroughly the most easily reversible and least intrusive interventions before embarking on less easily reversible and more intrusive courses of action.
  • Rigorously evaluate their involvement with young people, schools and families in order to review and modify intervention strategies.

The Charter Mark national standards for customer service set out criteria in relation to:

  • Setting standards and performing well
  • Actively engaging with customers, partners and staff
  • Being fair and accessible to everyone and promoting choice
  • Continuously developing and improving
  • Using resources effectively and imaginatively
  • Contributing to improving opportunities and quality of life in the community.

The Review of the Functions and Contribution of Educational Psychologists in England and Wales in light of “Every Child Matters: Change for Children” (University of Manchester 2006) highlights the following implications and recommendations in relation to assessment:

  • The need to orientate work in relation to outcomes for children
  • In all areas of work educational psychologists should actively consider how their work is contributing to meeting the five outcomes and this contribution should be recorded and communicated to other agencies including, if appropriate, parents/carers and the child.
  • When responding to a particular request for educational psychology involvement, educational psychologists should clarify the specific nature of the work required and the psychological contribution they can offer.
  • Educational psychologists should continue to have a key role in the statutory assessment of children with the most complex needs.

Definition

Educational Psychology assessment is an interactive process which looks at the whole child and is carried out in order to effect positive change for children and young people and the systems in which they operate.

Assessment involves: working in partnership with key people; in being clear about the questions which need to be answered; systematically gathering information over time and from a variety of contexts; and interpreting the information and generating a range of hypotheses embedded in psychological theory in order to develop interventions derived from evidence based practice.

Principles of Assessment

All educational psychology assessments

  • Conform to the British Psychological Society Code of Conduct and Ethical Principles and Guidelines.
  • Promote equal opportunities and are sensitive to the gender, ethnic, linguistic and cultural background of the child and family as well as to the emotional and developmental levels of the child.
  • Incorporate the child’s understanding of his or her world, actively involve the parents/carers.
  • Aim to achieve positive outcomes for children, young people and families and do no harm to the child or to the others involved with the child.
  • Are carried out within a consultation (joint problem solving/solution focused) framework.
  • Draw on the views of other professionals within a climate of open communication
  • Are carried out impartially.
  • Consider the whole child, over time and in relation to different contexts.
  • Are intended to generate an understanding of what is happening and what can be done to make a difference to the situation.
  • Are carried out within a multi-agency context, where clarity has been reached about the distinct role of the educational psychologists within this.
  • Begin with the least intrusive form of information gathering.
  • Actively seek to use information from a range of sources.
  • Use assessment approaches and methods which draw on psychological theory and research and which are specifically geared towards answering the questions which are being asked.
  • Are carried out using approaches and methods within the educational psychologist’s professional competence.
  • Are recorded clearly and sensitively and in a way which guards against misinterpretation and which best informs future practice.
  • Are informed by supervision, continued professional development and consultation with other educational psychologists.
  • Are evaluated in order to inform future practice.

Quality Standards

It is expected that before any involvement with an educational psychologist :

  • A Joint Agreement form will have been completed and signed by the parents/carers, school and educational psychologist.
  • There will have been a discussion about the questions to be answered which will help inform the nature of the assessment to be carried out.

An educational psychology assessment may involve:

  • Consultations, observations and/or direct work with the child or young person

It should incorporate:

  • The views of the child, or young person, parent(s), appropriate staff and other professionals involved and should provide an educational psychology synthesis of the information available

And should result in

  • A clear action plan.
  • A record of involvement being distributed within 3 weeks, using the service proformas

In the case of looked after children, Educational Psychologists are expected to seek consent from the Social Worker to contact the most appropriate key adults.

Trainee EPs

The work of Trainee Educational Psychologists will always be supervised by a fully qualified Educational Psychologist and all written records will be countersigned by the supervising Educational Psychologist.

Principles underpinning the Children and Families Act 2014

This extract from the SEN and disabilities Code of Practice 0-25 identifies the local authorities’ responsibilities:

‘Section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014 makes clear that local authorities, in carrying out their functions under the Act in relation to disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs (SEN), must have regard to:

• the views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person, and the child’s parents

• the importance of the child or young person, and the child’s parents, participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions

• the need to support the child or young person, and the child’s parents, in order to facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help them achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood

These principles are designed to support:

  • the participation of children, their parents and young people in decision- making
  • the early identification of children and young people’s needs and early intervention to support them
  • greater choice and control for young people and parents over support
  • collaboration between education, health and social care services to provide support
  • high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN
  • a focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning
  • successful preparation for adulthood, including independent living and employment’

EPs in completing assessments for the local authority while remaining impartial must abide by these principles.

Performance Review

Practice will be monitored and developed through:

  • Peer supervision
  • Regular 1 to 1s with line managers
  • The appraisal process
  • Management of case and school files

References

  • Association of Educational Psychologists; Guidance to Educational Psychologists in Preparing Statutory Advice to Children’s Services Authorities (February 2004 - revised 2009)
  • Charter Mark – Cabinet Office
  • DECP Professional Practice Guidelines January 2002
  • DFES SEN Toolkit, Section 8; Guidelines for Writing Advice
  • Guidelines for the completion of Psychological Advice Oxfordshire County Council September 2014
  • Hampshire CC Guidelines on the Psychological Assessment of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs May 1997
  • Psychological Assessment: A change of emphasis – Frederickson, Webster & Wright – Educational Psychology in Practice – Vol 7, No 1, April 91.
  • Quality Standards for Educational Psychological Services - Division of Education and Child Psychology BPS April 2009
  • Review of the Function and Contribution of EPs in England & Wales in the light of “Every Child Matters: Change for Children” DfES 2006
  • SEN and Disabilities Code of Practice 0-25 years : Statutory Guidance for organisations who work with and support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities Dfe (2014)
  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013): Statutory guidance from the Department for Education which sets out what is expected of organisations and individuals to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

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