EP Services

School packages - link EP role

We offer a link EP service, where organisations can purchase regular days of time with a consistent EP across an academic year, such as half-termly (6 days), or monthly (11 days).

Please get in contact for our Link EP information sheet and school contract.

Person-centred planning

PATH: Exploring a shared vision of a positive and possible future, and the goals/steps required to get there.
MAP: Similar to a PATH, but exploring the journey to date, and fears for the future.
Circle of adults: Group problem-solving to help provide a deeper understanding of a YP's needs - helpful for SEMH cases.
Solution circles: Similar to CofA (but a shorter process), to help staff become 'unstuck'.
Person-centred review: Exploring what is working and not working - helpful at transition/planning/review points.
Multi-element plan: 'Functional analysis' of behaviour and identification of supporting strategies.

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Supervision

As defined by The Tavistock 'supervision is a work-based learning relationship, characterised by relating and reflecting.' Within this, sessions aim to provide professional, emotional and peer support to professionals within a safe, reflective, containing and therapeutic space to support the development of knowledge, skills, confidence, reflective practice, and wellbeing. GPS can offer the following:

One-to-one supervision for professionals working with children and young people, such as in schools and children's homes.
Group supervision for teams of staff or professionals working with children and young people.

Please get in contact for a more detailed supervision information sheet.

Intervention

This may include individual or group therapeutic work to promote staff or student development and wellbeing. Sessions offered include:

EBSA support (school anxiety) sessions - assessment and intervention work around school-based anxieties to help reintegrate back into school.
Sibling support sessions - providing the time and space to reflect on and process family experiences of being a sibling.
General emotional literacy, regulation and/or anxiety sessions.
CBT-based approaches e.g. working through the starving the anxiety or anger gremlin workbooks.
Positive psychology workshops - to promote staff and student wellbeing.
Exam stress workshops.
Circle of friends - to help a child experiencing friendship difficulties.
VIG (Video Interaction Guidance) - promoting communication & relationships (e.g. parent-child or teacher-student).

I can also offer:

Acceptance & commitment therapy approaches.
Childhood bereavement support.
Therapeutic story-writing work.
Life story work.
Resilience programmes e.g. Smart Moves, and FRIENDS.
Mindfulness-based approaches.
Breath-work groups.
Self-esteem workshops.
Social skills interventions.

Consultation

Telephone, video/virtual, or face-to-face meetings e.g.:

Initial consultations.
Key adult/parent/staff consultations.
Staff surgeries.
SENCo circles.
Person-centred planning meetings for children/young people (see opposite).
PATHs/MAPs for schools/ organisations/ teams (see opposite).

EP assessment

The stages of a full EP assessment over time typically include:

An initial consultation - typically online.
A key adults consultation or mini-PCP meeting.
Setting observation (or home visit if not attending school).
One-to-one work to elicit views.
Direct assessment work.
A full written EP report.
Feedback/target setting meeting and updated report.
Review meeting and updated report.

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Training

This may involve school staff, professional and/or parent/carer training, staff twilights, or workshops in an area related to psychology, (with incorporated implementation planning through an implementation-focused initial consultation with SLT, followed by an implementation review) e.g.:

Trauma and attachment (see below).
Attachment parenting.
Emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA).
Understanding behaviour.
Student, staff or parent wellbeing.
Positive psychology.
Mindfulness.
Therapeutic parenting approaches.
Emotion coaching.
Autism.
Literacy.
Executive functioning.
Working memory.
The psychology of literacy or maths.
Precision Teaching.
Solution-oriented approaches and training in Solution Circles - a staff supervision tool.
ELSA - Emotional Literacy Support Assistant training programme.
MeLSA - Mediated Learning Support Approach programme.
The EP role e.g. for professionals, or college or university psychology students.

EP work

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Services

Information regarding EP services for schools, professionals, parents/carers, and children and young people, as well as FAQs related to referrals and requests.

Trauma-Informed Training

Please get in contact for a more detailed information sheet regarding our trauma-informed training packages for schools. Having completed the NME Trainer programme with the Neurosequential Network in America, our training incorporates core concepts/key principles from Dr Bruce Perry and colleagues’ Neurosequential Model in Education (NME). The NME is a developmentally-sensitive, neurobiologically-respectful, evidence-based, trauma-informed framework for schools, which promotes regulation, relationships, and readiness for learning.

An introduction to stress, trauma and attachment

A full day's introductory training, including:

Brain development, including the impact of stress and trauma on the brain.
Attachment/relationships, including attachment strategies and relational connection.
Understanding behaviour, including behaviour as communication and an expression of unmet needs.
Trauma-informed strategies and interventions, including a consideration of practical applications.

For more in-depth training in this area (e.g. for specialist SEMH schools), please refer to our trauma-informed training in education package for schools opposite.

Trauma-informed training in education

A three day training package, covering the following:

Brain development, including neurosequential brain organisation (how the brain develops, organises and functions).
Developmental trauma, including the impact of early adversity on the brain and development, as well as neuroplasticity.
The impact of stress on the brain, including concepts related to stress biology.
Attachment and relationships, including the power of connection and co-regulation.
Therapeutic strategies and interventions, including regulatory and relational activities.
Implementation and review, including practical applications specific to your school context.

Trauma

Family support

Family Support

Sibling events

Half-day interactive session for siblings of children with additional needs, their parents/carers, and professionals, which includes:

Exploring the experiences of siblings - common benefits and challenges.
Sibling research.
Workshop for siblings exploring individual risk and resilience factors.
Workshop for parents on supporting siblings.

Please get in contact for a more detailed sibling event information sheet.

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Sibling support groups

We can offer workshops for siblings based on the Sibs' charity's FRAME model:

Fun.
Relieve isolation.
Acknowledge feelings.
Model coping strategies.
Enhance knowledge.

Please refer to the Super Siblings local charity for information regarding regular sibling support sessions and events - for siblings of children with additional needs in the West Sussex area.

Sibling therapeutic work

We can offer a series of one-to-one therapeutic sessions, where children/young people have the time and a safe space to explore/reflect on/process their unique family experiences being a sibling to someone with additional needs. This may include an exploration of positives and challenges, a discussion around any relevant psychological theory and research in this area, enhancing knowledge around their sibling's condition, and an exploration of ideas that may help support siblings and promote their wellbeing.

Please get in contact for a more detailed sibling support information sheet.

Parent/carer support

Offering a safe reflective space for family members through:

Parent/carer telephone consultations - stand-alone or a series of sessions.
Parent/carer drop-ins in schools.
A support group for parents/carers of children with additional needs.
Workshops on evidence-based parenting approaches, including attachment and nurtured parenting.

Please get in contact for a more detailed support group information sheet.

FAQs

Do you take on parent-commissioned work? Yes, although our practice prioritises school-commissioned work e.g. as a link EP working directly with schools. This is to ensure equity of access for all children/young people as much as possible, as well as a commitment from school to work collaboratively to make a positive difference for children and young people. Nevertheless, GPS is very passionate about family support, so we continue to be commited to our family support services.

Do you carry out virtual assessments? Our preference is always to carry out face-to-face assessments wherever possible, unless due to exceptional circumstances (dependent on the case).

How much do you charge? Costings depend on the exact service being delivered, what you are hoping for from EP involvement, and the level of involvement - which would be discussed and negotiated together within an initial consutlation.

What does an initial consultation involve? Regarding casework, prior to agreeing to any next steps, an initial consultation is required with the person making the referral (e.g. school staff or family). The aims of this meeting are to; provide information on the EP role; gain a summary overview of the young person’s strengths and needs; explore what would be helpful from EP involvement; outline possible options for EP involvement; negotiate our role; provide information on costings; answer any questions; and map out any next steps.

How long is your waiting list? This dependa on the service being provided. We can typically facilitate an initial consultation within 1 month, consultation-based work within 2 months, and assessment work within 3 months. However, please get in contact for our current capacity/waiting times.

Do you diagnose? E.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism. We typically do not provide formal 'diagnosis' as part of our service. Our role is focused on unpicking individual strengths and needs, exploring possible explanations for the areas of concern, and identifying the individualised support required to meet the child/young person's needs.

Do you assess for EHCPs/EHCP appeals/tribunals? We are a non-statutory service independent from local authorities. This means that we do not take on statutory assessment requests beyond those we undertake through the local authority, including Education Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), appeals or tribunals.

How can I find an EP who specialises as an Expert Witness? Please see the British Psychological Society, Association of Child Psychologists in Private Practice, or the HCPC register. Alternatively, a legal representative may be able to signpost you to an appropriate professional.

Can you assess for exam access arrangements? Schools/SENCos are typically responsible for assessing whether a student meets criteria for exam access arrangements, and making applications to the Joint Council of Qualifications (JCQ). Decisions are based on evidence of need - where schools have to demonstrate that this is the child’s ‘typical way of working’ within the classroom e.g. requiring a reader, extra time, and/or scribe. Please note that a diagnosis is not required and cannot be used as evidence in isolation.

Why will you not use a standardised cognitive assessment for a child with a history of trauma? For children who have experienced a history of developmental trauma, standardised assessment scores can be considered misleading and therefore inappropriate to use. Consequent dysregulation impacts on access to cognitive skills, so low scores can reflect this, but instead be misinterpreted as 'skills deficits' within themselves. If used, these types of assessment need to be interpreted with a high level of caution, through a trauma formulation.

What are dynamic cognitive assessments? If a cognitive assessment is felt appropriate, we typically utilise dynamic cognitive assessment approaches. These not only unpick cognitive strengths and needs, but also identify affective/emotional factors that may influence learning (e.g. anxiety and motivation), as well as exploring supporting strategies that help a young person make progress with their learning. Please see our handout on standardised versus dynamic assessments for further information.

Do you have any EP shadowing opportunities? We are more than happy to chat with aspiring EPs to answer any questions, but we are typically unable to facilitate shadowing opportunities. This is due to confidentiality and GDPR/data protection reasons. Please note that you do not need shadowing experiences to become an EP – you just need to show that you have actively sought out information regarding what the role involves. You can find out more information regarding training programmes for EPs via the Association of Educational Psychologists (www.aep.org.uk), or specific universities.

FAQs