bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The life of a Counselling Psychologist working in … supporting NHS staff to care for patients
Authors: Gale Nicola K
Published: January 2023

Part of a special edition on the everyday working lives of counselling psychologists.
Reflections of a Counselling Psychologist in private practice
Authors: Staples Joan L
Published: January 2023

Part of a special edition on the everyday working lives of counselling psychologists.
Counselling Psychology: The trade for the Porftolio Professional
Authors: Frankland Alan
Published: January 2023

Part of a special edition on the everyday working lives of counselling psychologists.
A week in the life of a Trainee Counselling Psychologist
Authors: Poole Katherine
Published: January 2023

Part of a special edition on the everyday working lives of counselling psychologists.
Making multiple masculinities in men’s magazines: Constructions and portrayals of 21st century man and attendant implications for counselling psychology
Authors: Penny John
Published: January 2023

In November, 2006, the National Union of Students proposed that the men’s lifestyle magazines Nuts and Zoo be taken off university shop shelves and sold under the counter (MediaGuardian.co.uk, 13 November, 2006). This paper reviews the body of research since 2000 into the constructions of masculinity portrayed in such lifestyle magazines and suggests that to understand the messages of the magazines is to gain insight into the masculinities being constructed and their appeal for the white, male readers at whom the magazines are aimed. In turn, this reveals possible implications for counselling psychology if men are constructing masculinity in ways that may impact on mental health or on willingness to address emotional issues.
Socratic questioning in psychotherapy: A history of crossed purposes
Authors: Carey Timothy A. , Mullan Richard J.
Published: January 2023

Ambiguity characterises many aspects of the Socratic method as it is described in the psychotherapy literature. This is particularly so when the purpose for employing the technique is considered. The chronological inclusion of the Socratic method into psychotherapy is traced in an attempt to understand what the original purpose for adopting this procedure might have been. Authors who write about Socratic questioning in psychotherapy, however, provide few clues as to their interest in the technique. We conclude by suggesting that defining questioning techniques by the purposes they are used for might provide opportunities to clarify important aspects of psychotherapy.
Practitioners’ perspectives of multicultural sensitivity
Authors: Vallianatou Christina , Leavey Gerard , Brown Jennifer
Published: January 2023

In this exploratory qualitative study we explored issues related to cultural sensitivity among 10 British therapists working in multicultural settings. Our analysis, which combined content and statistical procedures, suggests that knowledge of the client’s core ethnic identity and the degree of adherence to religious or traditional values are the most prominent issues that practitioners take into consideration. Understanding the client’s kinship and migration history were also highlighted as important for a positive therapeutic outcome. Furthermore, therapists strongly indicated knowledge and thus cultural sensitivity is predominantly gained through direct contact with clients rather than gained through additional training and external advice. We used Multidimensional Scalogram Analysis (MSA), to obtain two dominant perspectives that we suggest guides multicultural counselling. One approach takes into account specific cultural information. A second acknowledges the significance of cultural and racial issues but gives preference to individual experiences of racism. Therapists’ socio-demographic variables or preferred theoretical perspective didn’t appear to affect the different models outlined. Implications of our findings are discussed.
The future of Counselling Psychology: A view from outside
Authors: Kinderman Peter
Published: January 2023

Counselling Psychologists, individually and collectively, contribute hugely to the delivery of psychological therapies in the NHS and more widely. The significant and welcome emphasis on psychosocial and ‘well-being’ approaches from Government and the wider civic society implies that this contribution by Counselling Psychologists will continue and grow. But this apparently positive picture also contains very significant threats for the ‘profession’ of Counselling Psychology. Counselling Psychology is – in reality and in the policy-making, regulatory and commissioning spheres – a branch of psychology, and indeed a component of psychosocial services. In that context, the major issue for Counselling Psychology to address is the manner in which the competencies of Counselling Psychologists are generic and shared (shared with other caring professions, shared with psychosocial professionals, shared with psychological therapists and shared with other branches of professional psychology) versus specific to the ‘profession’. It may be a matter of some concern to Counselling Psychologists that the ‘Venn diagram’ of overlapping competencies leaves little apparent unique territory for Counselling Psychology. In particular, the overlap between Clinical and Counselling Psychology is preternaturally close. The future, then, for Counselling Psychologists may, therefore, best be secured through reversing the historic split between the branches – even if that means permitting Clinical Psychology to assimilate Counselling Psychology.
Trust in online therapeutic relationships: The therapist’s experience
Authors: Fletcher-Tomenius Leon Joseph , Vossler Andreas
Published: January 2023

Trust is one of the most important constructs in psychology to explain interpersonal functioning and outcomes of interactions. As with traditional face-to-face counselling, it can be assumed that trust plays an important role in developing a working alliance in online counselling and therapy. However, due to the fact that this is a relatively new field, most previous studies have only focussed on the analysis of factors influencing the therapeutic relationship in a face-to-face context. This qualitative study, therefore, investigates how online counsellors define and experience trust in online therapeutic environments and what effect the presence or absence of trust has on the therapeutic relationship online.

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), semi-structured interviews were conducted with six online counsellors who were accredited with the BACP and had at least three years’ post-qualification experience. Three main themes arose through the process of analysis: (1) The role of anonymity in trust online; (2) the impact of the medium of communication; and (3) similar issues to forming trust in face-toface contexts. The findings have practical implications for the provision of counselling and therapy online.
Collaborative goal-setting: Counsellors and clients negotiating a counselling focus
Authors: Strong Tom
Published: January 2023

The starting point for many counselling approaches is a goal both clients and counsellors agree upon. This is particularly the case in the social constructionist approaches (solution-focused, narrative, and collaborative language systems) to counselling where particular emphasis is given to language use and conversational practice. In this study, 12 clients were seen by counsellors trained in these counselling approaches for single session lifestyle (i.e. non-clinical) consultations. The consultations were videotaped and passages where goal-articulation occurred were analysed using conversation analysis. As well, both clients and counsellors were independently asked to review such passages in which they had participated, to retrospectively comment on their experiences in these passages. The results speak to often taken-for-granted conversational practices and conversational resources used that can help in optimising the goalarticulation process in ways that satisfy both counsellors and clients
Trainee Counselling Psychologist Annual Prize 2009 – Third place winnerA critical review of the controversy surrounding eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing
Authors: Nowill Joanna
Published: January 2023

The treatment eye movement, desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) continues to court controversy despite its adoption by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2005) as a preferred treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. This article critically reviews the two issues at the heart of the controversy. First, is EMDR effective for unique reasons or is it a disguised treatment such as exposure therapy? Second, is evidence-based practice an appropriate framework within which to assess psychological therapies or are its criteria too narrow and inflexible? The article proposes practice-based evidence as a potential way forward in EMDR research and describes an appropriate model within an EMDR treatment framework.
Assessed Unit 5: An academic paper which addresses issues relating to the impact of organisational, structural or situational contexts on counselling psychology practice
Authors: Crowley Sinead
Published: January 2023

The paper may draw on your experience of working in more than one organisation but should examine one specific issue in some depth.

This academic paper was written in 2007 as part of the submission requirements for the Qualification in Counselling Psychology. In the paper, I discuss my working context within the health service and reflect on the impact of change at the macro and micro levels of service provision. In particular I focused on my role in primary care.
A critical review of the scientist-practitioner model for counselling psychology
Authors: Blair Lewis
Published: January 2023

Context and focus

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the relevance and implications of the scientist-practitioner model for counselling psychology. It reviews the history and development of the model and outlines its main features. Support for the model and criticisms of it are considered in order to demonstrate that the model represents a creative tension. This creative tension exists because of a need for counselling psychology to regularly review and question its philosophies, origins, priorities and its practice.

Conclusions

This paper takes the view that the scientist-practitioner model remains the most helpful model for counselling psychology, but that components such as scientific practice, research methods, and integration need to be flexible concepts, open to improvement as a result of discussion, reflection, and experience.
Integration in counselling psychology: To what purpose?
Authors: Cutts Laura
Published: January 2023

Objectives and Conclusions

This paper outlines a critical evaluation of the way in which integration in counselling psychology is presented, and within this two core arguments are laid out. Firstly, the evidence suggesting a move away from the traditional single theoretical approaches is examined, concluding that integration can be a useful means to an end for counselling psychologists. Secondly, it is argued that authors need to be clear about the methods of integration employed, in order to be explicit about the goal of their integration. This is demonstrated by outlining the way in which the end goal can either be integration culminating in new unified models of therapy, or may purely be improvement in outcomes with no reference to a new theoretical base. Furthermore, the methods of integration themselves imply an end goal of integration. That is to say, theoretical integration and assimilative integration suggest that the end goal of integration is the creation of a unified theory; whereas eclecticism, the common factors approach and a pluralistic approach all steer away from the end goal of integration being a unified model. Egan’s Skilled Helper Model (2010) is then critically assessed as an example of the clarity which is needed in the area of integration, concluding that there are implicit theoretical assumptions within the model which are not made clear by the author. From this, it is concluded that being explicit about the goal of one’s integration is important in order for the critical nature of counselling psychology to flourish.
Risorgimento: A history of Counselling Psychology in Britain
Authors: Woolfe Ray
Published: January 2023

Content and Focus

This paper examines the historical context which gave birth to the Division of Counselling Psychology. It argues that this was a period of economic, social and political crisis and that there are similarities with the contemporary situation in the UK. It seeks to explore and explain the apparent contradiction of the fact that these conditions should be associated with an organisation whose values stem from a belief in personal fulfilment and growth. The contradiction is explained by reference to the suggestion that crisis at a social level and trauma at a personal level are the conditions in which the potential for change is strongest.

The factors allowing the new body to flourish are listed through an analogy drawn with the Italian Risorgimento (revival) which culminated in an independent Italy in 1861. The need for a mythical flag behind which to unite is examined through the concept of a narrative arc

Conclusions

The narratives of the scientist-practitioner and the reflective practitioner are crucial to understanding the development of the discipline. The former allowed counselling psychology to locate itself within the broad mainstream of psychology while the latter offered a distinctive identity which articulated the special quality of counselling psychology. The paper concludes by listing the challenges faced as the discipline moves forward into the future and reiterates the historical truth articulated by Karl Marx that humans make history (have the power of agency) but do not operate in circumstances of their own choosing.
Profound and multiple learning difficulties, issues of inclusion and the role of the Educational Psychologist
Authors: Wills Nicola
Published: January 2023

The history of educational provision for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) has reflected both legislation and Government agenda, but more so, the continuing debate on inclusion. In the early 1990s the inner London borough within which I work took steps to fully include all children into mainstream schools. Over 15 years later, as the last special school for children with PMLD is facing closure, the debate continues to rage.

In this paper it will be illustrated that the Educational Psychologist has available the necessary tools to tackle the discrepancy between the ideology of inclusion and limitations in the education system today. However, a continuing argument against inclusion of children with PMLD is it that society itself is not fully inclusive. We are left with a moral and ethical dilemma – do we wait for society to become more inclusive before we include these children or do we include them as part of affecting this change?
Walking the Walk: The Future is Here
Authors: Rowland Kevin , Sullivan Barry
Published: January 2023

In this article we have tried to capture the excitement and success of the first Trainee Educational Psychologists’ National Conference in 2008. Kevin has reflected on his experiences of the conference as both a contributor and presenter, and compared the current course to the ‘old’ EPiT (Educational Psychologists in Training) conferences as a trainee and Course Tutor. Barry, who organised the course and led the day, presents a summary of the overall success of the day and draws on the findings of the conference evaluation.
A response to Traxson (2010): A case study
Authors: Swinson Jeremy
Published: January 2023

This paper is a response to an earlier paper in Debate (Edition 136, September 2010, pp. 12-17) concerning the medicalisation of children’s behaviour. It is written to further the discussion and give a practical example of the issues facing families and Educational Psychologists (EPs) using a case study to illustrate the issues.
Research Autism Conference 2011: A brief report
Authors: Cornish Ursula
Published: January 2023

This article covers some outcomes of the recent Research Autism Conference examining the implications of computer and internet technology. Presentations of projects looked at recent technology as a way of giving access to information, databases and social contacts as well as amusement for people with autism.
Autism, Anxiety and Mental Health
Authors: Isaacs Paul
Published: January 2023

Paul Isaacs is an adult diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (HFA). He had Classic/Kanner’s Autism as a infant and didn’t gain functional speech until he was 7- or 8-years-old.

Paul works as a member of Autism Oxford’s Training Team and also as an Autism Training Consultant for MacIntyre Our. His autobiography, Living Through The Haze, has just been published, and his second book is well on its way!
Connectedness to school: A vital link for young people with autism?
Authors: Meehan Louise
Published: January 2023

Dr Louise Meehan works as an Educational Psychologist for Leeds City Council. She reports on the results ofa study which investigated the mental health of young people with an autistic spectrum condition in three mainstream secondary schools.
Features of an autism-friendly school
Authors: Pearce Anne
Published: January 2023

Anne Pearce is the Headteacher of Woodeaton Manor School which is a special school for children in Key Stages 2/3/4/5, with severe emotional and social difficulties, including attachment difficulties and autism. The school has been judged as ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED.
What a difference a word makes… eight or nine little letters
Authors: Parker Richard
Published: January 2023

This article considers use of language within the consultation process used by educational psychologists. Specifically it examines the difference between ‘any’ and ‘some’. Sounds very simple but as the author explains, it makes a difference.
A rose by any other name: Does it matter how we describe children’s individual differences?
Authors: Gillum James , Chilton Ed
Published: January 2023

In this article James Gillum and Ed Chilton explore teacher perceptions of labels applied to children’s special educational needs. From Social Psychology the authors identify the concept of ‘social categories’ and apply this to research on the differences between labels.
Involving the child and young person in assessment (Learning Through Doing)
Authors: Birnbaum Ruth
Published: January 2023

‘Learning from writing to students’ (Debate 122) was the article title that inspired Ruth Birnbaum to engage in an exchange of ideas. Her initial correspondence with the author has since led her to set up a project based on pre-involvement. In an era when the voice of the child is now enshrined in the new Code of Practice (2014), Ruth queries whether educational psychologists need to engage with the child or young person sooner rather than later.
Dyslexia and creativity in Maltese male adolescents
Authors: Martinelli Victor , Schembri Josef
Published: January 2023

Dyslexia in Malta constitutes a significant share of the work load of most educational psychologists. This difficulty is often compounded by the use of English and Maltese that are taught side by side. Against a backdrop of learners battling against their difficulties with variable rates of success, optimistic voices make a case for such learners’ other skills to be recognised. There is some anecdotal evidence which suggests that dyslexia may be associated with enhanced creativity but in reality there are few empirical studies which support this notion and results are sometime inconsistent, in part due to the difficulty in recruiting the right participants in large enough numbers. Vic Martinelli and Josef Schembri try their hand at throwing some more light on the issue through a study which if no different from others before it, claims to be tightly controlled and is embedded in a bilingual context.
Autism and technology: A father’s journey
Authors: Greene Jennifer
Published: January 2023

In the past decade the technology market has been flooded with a plethora of applications or apps aimed at the Educational and SEN markets. These can be categorised into two main groups; augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies, and teaching tools and support strategy applications. Although there are hundreds of apps which purport usefulness in aiding learning, communication, social skills, etc., as an EP I feel ill-equipped in making use of this vast arena of potential tools. There is currently a limited evidence base due to the relative infancy of this area and the speed at which it is developing. I met Rob Laffan, a parent and app developer, at a conference in September 2016 and was struck by his journey into using technology as an AAC to support his daughter, who has a diagnosis of autism and is non-verbal. The interview below gives a brief summary of his experiences, and following this I reflect on the use of technology in education. Rob lives in Ireland with his wife and daughter, Sadie, who is six years old.
Pragmatic vs. Pragmatist: Have we misunderstood what it means to adopt a Pragmatist stance to Educational Psychology practice?
Authors: Briggs Claire
Published: January 2023

The idea of being ‘pragmatic’ is regularly spoken of in educational psychology practice. The everyday use of the term ‘pragmatic’ has been associated with Pragmatism as a world view. Pragmatism seems to have become associated with practicalism. It has been criticised as being separate from scientific thinking and truth and therefore as being uncritical and un-psychological. Pragmatists reject the distinction made in the traditional epistemological tradition between objective and subjective knowledge; mind and body; research and practice. Knowledge is not seen as truth existing in the mind; rather, knowledge is one with practical action. This article explores the ways in which Pragmatism has been compared to traditional epistemologies and how these comparisons may have contributed to misunderstandings of Pragmatism. It then considers the implications of an action-oriented approach to making decisions in practice and discusses how adopting a Pragmatist stance could affect our understanding of the nature and purpose of Educational Psychology in practice.
From staff meeting to national policy: Two serendipitous journeys
Authors: Arnold Christopher
Published: January 2023

Aims:The Local Authority Inclusion Service wanted to raise the profile of numeracy for children with additional needs in school and in an additional project wanted to reduce the number of young people entering the NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) category.

Method:The EPs worked in a multi-professional environment for both projects and helped develop an easy-to-use assessment tool for analysing the early numeracy skills in primary aged pupils. This was used by a range of education personnel. The second project involved an EP working with Personal Advisors from the Connexions service to analyse risk factors relating to young people who might enter the NEET category. This led to a screening tool and protocols for early intervention.

Findings:In both cases the methods were adopted by national and transnational agencies. The results are presented in this paper.

Limitations:Local circumstances were very important in these developments and it might be difficult to generalise the methods to other areas. This article is discursive in nature and aims to outline both the serendipitous processes and some of the potential pitfalls for other practitioners who may be involved in similar projects.

Conclusions:EPs can contribute substantial knowledge and skills when applying psychological methods to new areas affecting children’s lives.
School after suicide: Child and young person’s experience in education after losing a parent to suicide
Authors: Baxter Paula
Published: January 2023

Children and young people (CYP) bereaved by suicide are part of a vulnerable group who can feel marginalised, are at risk of complicated grief and indeed suicide itself. This research aims to increase awareness by exploring the experiences of CYP people who have lost a parent to suicide. It is hoped that the findings may help contribute to the development of postvention training. Three participants were enrolled with the support of a well-known UK charity. A narrative approach to hear/give power to the voice was employed and thematic analysis was then used. Themes were then used to generate the web of complexities which highlights the self in the middle and illustrates how complexities of suicide isolate the bereaved individual from the outside world with a feeling of being trapped. This can risk exacerbating the effects of the bereavement and reduce prospects of recovery. There is a need for professionals, specifically education professionals to have an awareness of the complexities associated with suicide bereavement and it is hoped that the web will help with this so that individual support can be targeted.
Flipped learning in secondary school mathematics-is it worth the flip?
Authors: Edwards Hannah , Wright Sarah
Published: January 2023

There is a growing argument that the traditional method of teaching maths is ineffective at developing fluent and adaptive mathematical skills (Boaler et al., 2015; Weiss & Pasley, 2004), resulting in disengaged and dissatisfied students (Boaler et al., 2015; Brown et al., 2008; Clark, 2015; Nardi & Steward, 2003). Flipped learning provides an alternative pedagogy, whereby digital instructional content is digested by students before lessons, freeing-up in-class time for more engagement with teachers and peers on real-life maths problems, promoting higher-level thinking skills (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). In this critique, theories underpinning flipped learning are described and a systematic search of the evidence-base exploring the effectiveness of flipped learning as a maths pedagogy for students aged 11–16 years is conducted and reviewed. Implications for using flipped learning in educational practice are discussed, including implications following the Covid-19 pandemic. With education experiencing unprecedented challenges since 2020 due to national lockdowns, increased student and teacher self-isolation, and reduced time in the classroom, the potential of flipped learning is considered as an alternative or additional supplement to traditional maths teaching.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: over here and over there
Authors: Reid Robert , Maag John W.
Published: January 2023

In the United States, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been the subject of unprecedented attention. As a result, ADHD has undergone an explosive growth in terms of the number of professional publications appearing in journals, presentations at national conferences, and media exposure devoted to this topic. However, ADHD continues to generate a great deal of controversy regarding its etiology, diagnostic criteria, and approaches to treatment. In addition, there appears to be pronounced disparities between American and European perspectives on ADHD. In this article we describe the American view of ADHD, discuss factors that have produced an ‘ADHD epidemic’, and contrast American and British perspectives. We then argue that, for non-medical practitioners, functional analysis, which focuses on intervention rather than diagnosis, is the most effective approach.
Understanding and managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: the perspective from educational psychology
Authors: Connor M.J. , Epting C. , Freeland R. , Halliwell S. , Cameron R.J.
Published: January 2023

Over the past decade, the level of interest in UK children with Attention Deficit Disorder has increased exponentially. This has not only been reflected in the number of articles on the topic which have appeared in professional journals for psychologists, but also in medical and psychological research where a number of issues relating to the identification and management of ADHD have been clarified. Like many problem areas for children and young people, there has been disagreement about the nature of ADHD and controversy about the help which should be provided for these children. In response to the concerns of parents, as well as supporting professionals in the Education Service, a small working group of educational psychologists was set up to review the literature, identify resulting implications and produce guidelines for good practice for Surrey education staff. The resulting ‘Guidelines’ which closely resemble the recommendations of the recently-published report from The British Psychological Society Council have now become County policy.
Getting it all together: developing a forum for a multi-agency approach to assessing and treating ADHD
Authors: Keen D.V. , Olurin-Lynch J. , Venables K.
Published: January 2023

This paper describes the process of combining the perspectives of practitioners from the fields of child medicine, child psychiatry and educational psychology, to develop a multi-agency forum addressing the needs of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Doncaster, in common with elsewhere in the UK, has experienced a considerable increase in referrals for ADHD. Each professional group had begun separately to consider the implications of this trend for its own and other services. This paper describes the attempt of some of these professionals to draw together separate practice into a more unified whole within an ADHD Forum. We do this by discussing some of the difficulties we came across, outlining the current shape that the multiagency initiative has taken and speculating as to the Forum’s future development. We address the many issues that arise from working together, having discovered more questions than answers in the initial months. We are clear that there is a considerable amount of learning to do; simply writing this paper has led to the answering of some important questions, questions that have arisen because the different professions operate separately most of the time.
Inspection of children’s residential care
Authors: Morgan Roger
Published: January 2023

Children’s homes and boarding schools are mainly inspected under the provision of the Children Act, 1989. Monitoring may also include notifications of significant events, management visits and information from complaints and child protection investigations. Inspection comprises gathering, corroborating and evaluating information against declared welfare standards, leading to inspection reports, recommendations and, occasionally, enforcement action. Welfare provision is also significantly influenced by availability of known standards, establishments’ own review in preparation for inspections, cross-fertilization of inspectors’ ideas, and provision of advice by inspection units. Inspection uses a range of inspection methods, which may include the use of questionnaires for comparison with normative data, and assessments by lay persons. Inspections generally progress from general evaluation to consideration of particular emerging issues, balancing factual information and professional judgement, until the level of corroboration balances the amount of new issues in the information being gained. Key issues from inspections include: staff recruitment checks, bullying and its countermeasures, child protection, discipline, who children take personal problems to, and in special settings, restraint and therapeutic provision.

Personal social services inspection is currently under national review. An inspection should be regarded as a spot-check, which contributes significantly to child welfare and protection, but cannot in itself ensure sound practice.
To be or not to be residential
Authors: Peake Anne , Walker Chris
Published: January 2023

There can often be tensions at the interface between Social Services Departments and Education Departments in Local Authorities. One point at which tensions are frequently most focused, is when decisions have to be made to place a young person in a residential setting, away from home. What is needed is close interagency cooperation to offer parents and children the best placement possible for clear reasons at what is a most difficult time for families.

This paper looks at why tensions between the two departments arise about residential placements. The history of the use of residential provision by Social Services and Education may go some way to accounting for differences in perspectives. The current pressures on Local Authorities to improve standards, devolve control and reduce spending create pressures on agencies. The authors argue that while the basis on which each department makes decisions are not clear and changing, then there will be interagency tensions where there should be cooperation. Clarifying the criteria which are used to make decisions to place young people away from home may be one way forward. Some criteria are proposed for consideration
Shall we ask the children?
Authors: Campbell Lesley
Published: January 2023

Short-term services for disabled children have expanded rapidly over the last 20 years. These services have come to be seen as a right of parents. Children are not always consulted about arrangements which typically involve repeated separations and have a tendency to confirm the disabled child as a burden on their family.

There is a role for psychologists in devising systems and materials that would help children, parents and service providers prepare for and evaluate the impact of short-term care.
Exploring the links between communication skills and social competence
Authors: Farmer Marion
Published: January 2023

This paper focuses on the development of communicative competence and its importance in facil-Hating the child’s social interaction and social acceptance. The relationship between social competence and communicative competence in normally developing children and in children with specific language impairment (SLI) is discussed and some results of a five-year longitudinal study of the social, educational and communicative development of eight children with SLI are reviewed. Significant variability between the children in this group in their levels of social competence appears to be related to their linguistic competence. However, social acceptance is also found to vary according to situation.
The place of ‘race’ and ethnicity in the lives of children and young people
Authors: Phoenix Ann
Published: January 2023

Many studies show that black and other minority children tend not to fare as well as children from the white majority in terms of educational qualifications and experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination. Gender and social class intersect with ‘race’ and ethnicity to affect life chances. While issues of ‘race’ and ethnicity are all too often ignored in psychological work and practice, there are some practitioners who (like Tim Jewell) are concerned to make the services they provide anti-oppressive and who want to avoid the reproduction of practices which are implicitly racially and ethnically discriminatory. Understandings of the impact of ‘race’ and ethnicity on children’s lives and on professional practice are essential if successful strategies for the promotion of equality are to be devised within educational and child psychology.

This paper discusses ‘race’ and ethnicity as they impact on the lives of children and young people and examines their implications for professional practice. The main argument of the paper is that, even in early childhood, ‘race’ and ethnicity are features of everyday life. As a result, they are also part of professional-client transactions (even if implicitly so). There are, however, no single, correct and easy ways in which discrimination, ‘race’ and ethnicity in practice can be dealt with. However, practitioners who struggle with the complexities of anti-oppressive practices are also those who are likely to subject their work and ideas to scrutiny and self-examination and, hence, are likely to employ good practices. Approaches which attempt to be ‘blind’ to ‘race’ and ethnicity are argued to be inappropriate.
School-based mental health programs in the United States: present status and a blueprint for the future
Authors: Pfeiffer Steven I. , Reddy Linda A.
Published: January 2023

This article provides a brief overview of the sociocultural and political factors in the U. S. that have influenced recent interest in school-based health and mental health programs. Four well-known programs are described as illustrative examples of the type of “first generation” mental health programs likely to be found in American schools today. A new framework is provided, the Tripartite Model of School-Based Mental Health Interventions, to stimulate future thinking on school-based programs and to help guide a second-generation of programs. These second-generation mental health programs will aspire to be maximally helpful, cost-effective, and widely used; utilize the full resources of the community and meet local needs; and offer an array of empirically validated prevention, treatment, maintenance, and health promotion services to children, youth, their families, and the school. Implications for emerging roles for school psychologists and priorities for training are addressed.
School psychology and mental health interventions in the United Kingdom: educating education in mental health
Authors: Indoe Derek
Published: January 2023

The roots of educational psychology can be traced back to mental health. Some recent national and government publications have focused attention upon mental health services for children and adolescents. This paper assesses the evidence for educational psychologists’ involvement in mental health services and evaluates the extent of the knowledge base shown in the professional literature. The paper concludes that the profession cannot claim competencies that it does not possess without further training and education if it wishes to be recognized as a provider of mental health services.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in schools: a perspective on perspectives
Authors: Reid Robert , Reason Rea , Maag John , Prosser Breton , Xu Chunzhen
Published: January 2023

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most contentious issues in education today. Currently, the behaviours that constitute ADHD are portrayed as resulting from an underlying medical/psychiatric disorder. We argue that this perspective on ADHD has little direct utility for educators and may actually be counterproductive in terms of assessment and intervention. For educators, the most appropriate perspective on ADHD is a functional one which views ADHD-like behaviours as a function of environment and student skills. This approach can be empirically validated and can serve to empower educators in working with children described as having ADHD.
The identification of specific reading difficulties through assessment of listening comprehension skills
Authors: Fisher Douglas , Fox Diana , Wood Keith
Published: January 2023

Recent research has hypothesised that a discrepancy measure between listening comprehension and reading ability would be of summative, diagnostic and formative utility and would be a useful complement to existing assessment strategies. This small-scale action research project set out to identify an appropriate listening comprehension assessment tool suitable for use with primary school-aged children and validate it on a Scottish population. Initial results indicate that an effective assessment instrument of utility to both teachers and psychologists has been developed.
Feminist psychology: what’s in it for educational psychologists?
Authors: Kitzinger Celia
Published: January 2023

This paper outlines the development of feminist psychology and introduces some of its key principles. Based on interviews with 15 British educational psychologists, four issues are highlighted as being of particular relevance to feminists in education: (i) the problems of gender, sexuality and power in schools; (ii) issues related to testing, labelling and diagnosis; (iii) the dangers of an individualistic focus; and (iv) sexist discrimination in the profession.
Challenging inequality in educational psychology practice: perceptions of educational psychologists in training and current practice in London educational psychology services
Authors: Bolton Theresa , M’gadzah Shungu H.
Published: January 2023

This study is an examination of the perceptions of educational psychologists in training (EPiT) and their confidence to be able to challenge inequality, and the extent to which their training year is viewed as having increased their knowledge and understanding of working with ethnic minority clients. Their responses are set within the context of the current practice of London Borough Educational Psychology Services (EPSs). Questionnaires were distributed to EPiTs attending the 1998 National EPiT conference. An EPS questionnaire, based on previous survey responses from an uncompleted research study in 1997 (The European Year Against Anti-Racism), was compiled and posted to all London EPSs. There appears to be a positive shift in EPS practice with respect to service policies on equal opportunities, the instigation and/or contribution to training on anti-racism and ethnic minorities, and high rates of reported involvement with local ethnic minority community groups and equal opportunities working parties,whilst ongoing training in anti-racism within EPSs has declined over the last decade. Confidence amongst current EPiTs in challenging inequality was found to be low, and related to their perceptions of the knowledge and understanding of different cultures, and the appropriateness of their course’s focus on working with ethnic minority clients. Equal opportunity issues identified as requiring increased focus on training courses include: gender, challenging racism, and cultural knowledge of ethnic minorities. Within EPSs and the profession as a whole, the main issues were found to be models of assessment, awareness raising and accessibility to service provision.
The clock and the compass: sifting the important from the urgent
Authors: Harrison Joyce
Published: January 2023

This paper takes a look at the research and theories that have driven organisational change within local authorities and educational psychology services. It considers the impact on our lives in terms of personal and professional development, time management and organisational learning. It moves on to explore a model of individual and organisational synergy based on universal principles which might better guide learning and decision making. The notion of a learning community is developed where both the individual’s needs for security and significance join with the community’s spirit of solidarity to spark vision for continual learning within the community and wider society.
An analysis of the organisational constraints on educational psychologists working at whole school level: The opportunity of inclusion
Authors: Stratford Robert
Published: January 2023

Educational psychologists have long promulgated the advantages of working at the level of the whole school. Their evangelising has been complemented by the classic research from Rutter to Reynolds demonstrating that schools have an effect on pupils beyond social and community influences, and that schools can be helped to become more effective, to improve, to succeed against the odds. Most recently ‘primary prevention’ has been proposed as the priority concern of school psychologists, rather than screening or treatment alone.

These findings imply it would be negligent of EPs NOT to work – for the benefit of pupils – at the whole school level but examination of service level statements and typical performance indicators for EPs give a different picture. EPs do not spend much time working with schools as organisations, and are apparently constrained to concentrate mainly on individual approaches, with only occasional forays into group work or INSET. Why is this?

Taking as a premise that national moves towards inclusion and inclusive practices present a very realistic opportunity for work with whole schools, a survey among 75 self-selected EPs was carried out to identify what strengths (current skills) services already have for working at this level, but also their weaknesses (training needs). Most crucially the respondent EPs were also asked to list threats (constraints on practice), the presence of which might explain why whole-school work was not common among EP services. The concluding section of this paper summarises these constraints and suggests ways for psychological service organisations to overcome them.
The early reading research: Applying psychology to classroom practice
Authors: Solity Jonathan
Published: January 2023

This article argues that children identified as having special educational needs in mainstream school fail to meet set targets because special education is neither ‘special’ nor 'educational'. Special education has failed to establish, through classroom-based research, the most effective ways of teaching children perceived to have learning difficulties. Instead, it focuses on resources, provision and administrative procedures and does not require any evidence that these factors enable children to bridge the gap in attainments which exists with their peers. In part, all those working in the education system collude with this scenario through assuming that children’s failure to progress results from a difficulty in learning rather than from what or how they have been taught. This article argues that the process of psychological assessment should start from the premise that all children can learn and reach age and skill appropriate targets in literacy and numeracy. The issues discussed are related to teaching literacy, given the number of children perceived to have special educational needs arising from their lack of progress in learning to read. A framework for teaching lower achieving pupils is introduced which is based on the Early Reading Research (ERR), a collaborative project between the University of Warwick and Essex LEA. The ERR is summarised and its implications for raising attainments discussed.
Educational psychology and special educational needs: How they relate and where is the relationship going?
Authors: Norwich Brahm
Published: January 2023

This paper raises questions about the relationship between educational psychology and special educational needs. In addressing these questions it is argued that we need to take a broader view of educational psychology as a field of psychology which includes, but goes beyond, the field of professional educational psychology. Similarly, we need to consider special educational needs not as a separate sector but as an aspect of education which includes those with difficulties and disabilities. The paper argues that there is a common cause between all psychologists involved in education, including professional educational psychologists, wherever they are based. There is also the need for educational psychologists in this wider sense to have distinctive contributions compared to other allied professionals. The paper also presents an analysis of the relationship between social and psychological models of special education and disability and uses this to demonstrate the inter-connections between education and psychology. While it is argued that the specific organisation of support services in education needs to be changed, this does not affect the continuing relationship between professional educational psychology and special education which derives from these basic links.
Towards a realistic solution?
Authors: Aubrey Carol
Published: January 2023

This paper traces the development of Dutch realistic primary mathematics education. This provides a context to examine the role of psychological theory in curriculum design and development. A small intervention which used some realistic ideas as a source and as a starting point with four- to five-year-olds is described and analysed. Some preliminary conclusions are drawn.