Barnet Educational Psychology Service (EPS)

• Have meetings (known as consultations) with school staff and parents/carers to find out more about a child/young person’s strengths and needs. In these meetings, joint decisions about what supports may help a student moving forward are often made

• Work directly with children/young people to gather their views, carry out assessments, or deliver individual/group programmes to support them with a particular need (e.g. social skills, anxiety etc.)

• Provide training to school staff or parents

• Work with senior leaders (e.g. head teachers) in educational settings to change policies and practices. 

When you meet an educational psychologist, they may ask you questions about:

• Your child’s interests (What do they like doing?)
• What is going well for your child (e.g. what are their strengths? What do you do that helps them?)
• What your concerns are? (e.g. what does your child find hard? Do you ever try and support them in a particular way that doesn’t work?)
• Your child’s early history (e.g. when they said their first word?)
• Your family circumstances (e.g. who the child lives with? how they get on with people who live in their home?);
• Your child’s views (e.g. about their strengths and needs? About school?)
• Other professionals who are currently or have previously supported your child?

If you are not able to answer/or do not want to share any information with the educational psychologist, that is ok.

At the end of the meeting, the educational psychologist will plan next steps with you. You may:

• Together create an action plan of supports that your child’s school or you can put in place straight away. This will then be reviewed after a short period of time (e.g. 6-8 weeks) by the school with your feedback; the EP may also attend;
• It may be decided that more information about your child or their environment is needed. As such, the educational psychologist may ask your permission (or consent) to do an observation of your child or carry out an assessment on a 1-1 basis;
• It could also be suggested that the educational psychologist works with your child directly for a number of sessions to deliver a support programme (known as an intervention). 

When you meet the educational psychologist, you are welcome to bring along a friend, relative or professional to support you if you feel that would be helpful.

For parents and carers

If you have concerns about your child’s development or progress, it is best to speak to the Special Educational Need Co-ordinator (SENCo) at your child’s school. Before SENCOs involve an EP, they need consent (or permission) from parents/carers (unless the young person is over the age of 16).  It is also important that the child/young person is, where possible, told about EP involvement and asked for their views.

To learn more, visit the Barnet Local Offer website.

For professionals

When carrying out work around individual children within a setting, the EP service needs appropriate permission (or consent). Consent can be given directly by young people over the age of 16, but should be sought from parents/carers for children under 16. It is important that those giving consent understand the EP role and what EP involvement would mean. Information for parents/carers discussing the EP role can be found here and for children and young people here. After an initial discussion with your link EP, school staff, parents/carers and children/ young people, should complete the following form together to provide information and give consent in order to request EP involvement.

Educational Psychology Request for involvement form