People Directorate
Educational Psychology Service
Date
Version
2016/17
1 (September 2016)
Milton Keynes Educational Psychology Service
Commissioned Services
Service Description
DEFINITIONS
“EPS practitioners”
Includes Educational Psychologists, Trainee
Educational Psychologists and Psychology
Assistants
“EPS Senior Managers”
The Senior Management Team
Educational Psychology Service
“School/setting”
The school/setting to which this document
applies
“Educational Psychology Service”
This is the Milton Keynes Council Educational
Psychology Service
“School/setting Senior Staff”
This refers to the Head Teacher, Deputy Head
Teacher, Head of Year or Assistant Head or
Special Educational Needs Coordinator in the
school/setting to which these terms and
conditions apply
“The
Educational
Psychologist’s
professional judgement”
The professional judgment of the Educational
Psychologist applied in relation to Health and
Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulations and
EPS core principles, standards of conduct and
ethics
“EPS”
Educational Psychology Service
of
2
the
1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this document is to outline the Milton Keynes Educational Psychology
Service Commissioned Service and set expectations regarding delivery of the
Commissioned Service into schools / settings. This Commissioned Service operates a
“not for profit” business model, with all costs being covered by a day rate fee to
schools, settings, and other organisations.
The document will outline the services available, fees and ordering, and quality
standards. It also details any responsibilities that must be met by the school / setting /
organisation to enable the service to be provided.
2 CONTACT
Milton Keynes Council
Educational Psychology Service
502 Avebury Blvd
Milton Keynes
MK9 3HS
[email protected]
Tel: 01908 367333
3 COMMISIONED SERVICE OVERVIEW
 The Educational Psychology Practitioner will undertake a range of work aimed at
promoting inclusion, psychological wellbeing and raising standards in children and
young people aged 0 to 25 years, across the full range of abilities.
 Commissioned Service work focuses upon areas/issues other than current EPS high
priority groups or statutory work.
 The EPS practitioner’s professional judgement will be used to consider and agree
requests for Commissioned Service involvement from the school / setting according
to the Service’s core principles. All EPS practitioner activities will be planned in
consultation with school/setting senior staff.
 EPS practitioner involvement with individual children and young people requires
informed and signed consent from either those with parental responsibility or from
young people considered to be competent.
 The purchased service is commissioned by a school/setting/organisation not by
individuals (e.g. parents).
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 Schools/settings will not directly charge parents for EPS involvement.
The focus of the work may be at any or all of the following levels: individual level;
group and class level; strategic systems and organisational level.
 At the individual level, the EPS practitioner will be able to:
(i)
Provide psychological interventions (including therapeutic interventions),
assessment and recommendations for individual children.
(ii)
Provide psychological interventions and advice that focus upon narrowing
gaps in attainment and improving academic progress at the individual level.
(iii)
Provide psychological interventions with families as part of the individual
child interventions.
(iv)
Contribute towards multi-agency meetings about children and young people
as appropriate.
 At the group and class level, the EPS practitioner will be able to deliver services
that:
(i)
Provide psychological interventions aimed at developing particular skills of
small groups of children (e.g. social skills, thinking skills).
(ii)
Provide psychological interventions and advice that focus upon narrowing
gaps in attainment and improving academic progress (e.g. study skills,
literacy and numeracy attainment, memory skills/understanding).
(iii)
Provide support to small groups of staff in managing a particular issue (e.g.
bullying).
(iv)
Provide parent workshops in schools (e.g. around behaviour issues).
(v)
Provide professional supervision to school staff (e.g. learning mentors,
pastoral care staff).
(vi)
Provide Joint Problem Solving Consultation at individual and systems levels.
 At the strategic, systems and organisational levels, the EPS practitioner will be
able to:
(i)
Provide psychological support for schools in developing strategies and
systems around whole school matters (e.g. policy development). This may
include advice and recommendations with reference to current OFSTED
inspection requirements.
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(ii)
Provide Continuing Professional Development for staff on school focused
topics with a psychological basis.
(iii)
Provide support for and/or deliver project development and research work
(e.g. around transitions, evaluating interventions, participation in school
development work). This may or may not have a SEN/disability focus.
4 SERVICE PACKAGES
The Service is bought in blocks of time (days; half-days).
 A maximum of 3 days per term
 EPS administration, record keeping, research, professional supervision, contact with
parents and other professionals, scoring and the writing of reports / consultation
records may be conducted ‘off-site’ as appropriate
and will be included as part
of the time bought by schools.
 Multi-agency/professional liaison time will be included.
 EPS practitioners may include Trainee Educational Psychologists, supervised by a
named Educational Psychologist.
Purchased days can be used on any combination of the following service areas:
 Bespoke school/setting requests e.g.
o Child / young person assessment
o EP consultation regarding an individual or group
o Interventions for individuals or small groups
o Support to small groups of staff
o Parent workshops
o Joint problem solving consultation with school staff (e.g. mental health
consultation with school / setting staff)
o Whole school level support, advice and recommendations
o School project development / research work
5 QUALITY OF SERVICE
 The Educational Psychology Service will be responsible for quality standards.
 The Educational Psychology Service has a duty to ensure that assessment and
intervention practice is compliant with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
standards of proficiency and code of conduct/ethics regulations. This is available
online at www.hpc-uk.org.
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 The service will be monitored and evaluated on an annual basis through
consultation between the school/setting and the EPS. This may include information
gained through questionnaires and discussion between school and EPS
practitioners.
6 SCHOOL / SETTING RESPONSIBILITIES
 Identify a senior member or members of staff for consultation, liaison and planning
of EPS work and activities.
 Ensure appropriate access to children and young people and staff for interview and
observation.
 Provide appropriate space for the EPS practitioner to work.
 Co-operate in arranging appointments and promoting attendance, liaising with
parents/carers as required.
 Provide access to relevant records.
 Gather data to support collaborative assessment as required.
 The EPS will ensure that all practitioners are appropriately qualified for the work
undertaken. However, it is also a school/setting responsibility to establish that
providers possess appropriate qualifications and are capable of assessing and
responding to any risks identified in the course of their work.
7 SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES
 Records and documents will be stored in accordance with EPS and Milton Keynes
County Council policies and processes.
 Agree and jointly plan the most effective and efficient use of the purchased time
with an identified senior member of staff.
 Arrive punctually for planned visits, informing the school/setting of any
unavoidable
delay.
 When working with individual children and young people, consult staff who work
directly with the child or young person.
 Provide any written record arising from the school visit, normally within four
working
weeks.
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 Operate in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.
 Depending upon the level of service agreed, EPS practitioners are available to cover
all of the 39 weeks that schools are open. Schools should note that the last week of
the autumn term and the first and last weeks of spring and summer terms are
working weeks for the EPS.
8 CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS
 The EPS will endeavour to cover any short-term EPS practitioner absences. Longer
term absences may have to be reflected in a concomitant reduction in charges.
 The EPS will endeavour to make up time ‘lost’ by adverse weather or circumstances
beyond their control but this cannot be guaranteed.
 Should the school wish to cancel a pre-arranged EPS appointment at short notice
(less than 48 hours), then costs cannot be refunded and another appointment
cannot be guaranteed. This is also the case if consent has not been arranged by the
school as agreed and the EPS has not been informed within 48 hours’ notice that
the planned piece of work cannot go ahead.
 In the case of training being cancelled by the Service it shall be at the discretion of
the Service to either provide an alternative date for the training or to arrange a
refund.
 The school / setting is responsible for providing all requested information in
preparation for the day, as well as the original, signed, consent form. Failure to
provide the requested information may mean the visit has to be postponed /
cancelled. EP time may be charged as a result of changes in pre-agreed objectives.
9 ORDERING AND FEES
EPS Commissioned Services are ordered through the Carol Burnett at MK EPS
Service Package
Days p.a.
Fee, Milton Keynes
Maintained School*
Pay as Use
1
£540
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10 DISPUTE RESOLUTION
 If the school/setting is unhappy with any aspect of the services provided by the EPS,
discussions should occur with the EPS practitioner in the first instance. If the
discussion does not resolve the matter, then the issue should be referred to the EPS
practitioner’s line manager who is likely to convene a three-way meeting to try and
resolve the concern. This will occur in accordance with Milton Keynes Council’s
policies and procedures.
If the three-way meeting does not resolve the matter then the school/setting should
contact the Principal Educational Psychologist.
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