bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Where oh where are the clients? The use of client factors in counselling psychology
Authors: Gordon Ruth
Published: January 2023

Content and Focus

Client factors have been sorely neglected in counselling psychology. This is despite much research demonstrating their importance for therapeutic outcomes. The present paper reviews the use of client factors in counselling psychology. In the last few years an emerging group of authors have begun to put the client back on centre stage. A new philosophy of the client is blossoming: the client as an active self-healer. The role of the therapist is not redundant, however. The latest common factors research shows that it is the interaction of the common factors which accounts for outcomes. The therapist facilitates the conditions which harness these self-healing capacities of the client.

Conclusions

In order to fully harness client abilities, therapists should actively manipulate both internal and external client factors. It is suggested that client feedback provides an empirically supported example of how these abilities can be exploited. More research is required in this domain, particularly examining what clients may themselves to do ensure they get the most out of the therapeutic process.
Theoretical Paper Psychodynamic considerations on clinical work with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Ishaq Masrita
Published: January 2023

Content & Focus:This paper will look at the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder from a psychodynamic perspective. Generally, it is espoused that a traumatic event alone is not sufficient to cause significant psychological disturbance. Instead, the complex interplay between developmental and adult experiences contributes to this. To locate this paper within the counselling psychology ethos of drawing links between theory and practice, a fictional client – John Gubbins – will be used to illustrate this model. Specifically, I will consider Fairbairn’s tripartite structural model of ego and internal transitional techniques to understand the neurotic conflicts of combat PTSD. This will then be applied along with other psychodynamic concepts such as transference and counter transference to explore the therapeutic work and relationship.

Conclusions:Fairbairns’s tripartite structural model of the ego offers a relational view on the neurotic manifestations of combat-related PTSD. John’s case illustrates the frequency of oscillation between the schizoid and depressive positions. The reintegration of split off bad objects and the use of counter transference have been the main feature of my work with John.
Dialogues and Debates Revisioning Counselling Psychology: The need for bigger thinking
Authors: Vermes Caroline
Published: January 2023

Two particularly engaging and thought-provoking articles in the September 2013 edition ofCounselling Psychology Reviewhave inspired me to respond: Terry Hanley’s editorial entitled ‘On becoming an urban spaceman’ and Hamilton Fairfax’s essay, ‘Where will counselling psychology be in the next 30 years?’ I write as a psychological therapy service provider (and trainee counselling psychologist). The themes in these articles are deeply interconnected.
Improving a cardiac psychology service by listening to and involving carers
Authors: Albiston Mairi S. , Osborne Morag , White Naomi , Horne Kirsty E.
Published: January 2023

Carers play a crucial role in helping with both physical and psychological recovery after a cardiac event, but carer beliefs about illness, their own mental health, their abilities and their own behaviours can all influence outcome. This article outlines how a Clinical Psychology service has embedded the needs of both patients and carers within a stepped-care model.
The vital voices that shape our training
Authors: Morrison Sarah
Published: January 2023

Second-year doctoral trainee Sarah Morrison reflects on how much she has learned and gained from service user and carer involvement in teaching.
Hard to reach: Coercive system or defective gene?
Authors: Muirhead Chrys
Published: January 2023

In our second article,Chrys Muirheadprovides a critical survivor perspective on the day.
Are we too nice to be effective therapists?
Authors: Wall Ann-Marie
Published: January 2023

Ann-Marie Wallreports on the Therapist Drift event in Lanarkshire, an innovative piece of joint working by clinical and counselling psychologists.
The CAAPs fit – personal and professional reflections on the primary care psychological therapy workforce in Scotland
Authors: Main Sophie , Hustings Kerry , Robb Alistair , Cross Rachel , Blackburn Emily , Retkiewicz Maxine
Published: January 2023

What is the current situation for clinical associates in applied psychology working in adult mental health … and what does the future hold? This reflective piece from CAAPs in Grampian explores these issues and more.
‘Unlocking confidence and capability to release the leader within’ Part 1: Overview of the programme
Authors: McMullan Alison
Published: January 2023

Following on from Saffron Dickinson’s personal refection on the DCP leadership development programme in our last issue, DCP-Scotland ChairAlison McMullanprovides an overview of the programme’s development and her reflections on the overall experience.
Rethinking the social in biopsychosocial care: Reflections on Continuing Professional Development
Authors: Ferrie Jamie
Published: January 2023

After attending workshops about Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments,Jamie Ferrie*reflects on the impact of the benefits system, and policy on mental health and the provision of psychological intervention.
Perspective on 2020: Equality policies in mental health
Authors: Cameron Lisa
Published: January 2023

In her regular column,Dr Lisa Cameronreflects on 2020 and shares some of her work to address inequalities and increase representation of minority groups in parliament, our services and our communities.
Spotlight
Authors: Parkes Jenny
Published: January 2023

We return in this Spotlight to the theme of assessment. The authors, Shungu Hilda M’gadzah and Claire Lokke, describe a workshop held at the 1997 DECP Annual Course and invite us to engage in debate on the topic.
Spotlight
Authors: Turner Jane
Published: January 2023

Jane Turnerdescribes recent development in one Local Education Authority in the use of short-term, ‘high impact’ projects.
In what ways can Universities make a relevant contribution to the provision on relevant continuing professional development (CPD) activities for EPs?
Authors: Morris Sue , Brightman Carole
Published: January 2023

Within the context of the increased entitlement by practising EPs to dedicated CPD support, and of increased accountability to engage in relevant activity to maintain the levels of scholarship and professional skill necessary for effective service delivery, this paper explores the role which higher education institutions (HEIs) may be able to fulfil in the provision of CPD activities for EPs, and in the accreditation of the related learning outcomes and competences. In the recent past, the principal contribution of the HEIs has been in providing post-qualification research doctoral programmes for experiencing practitioners. The paper questions whether, with current cohorts of trainee EPs completing their initial postgraduate training with a doctoral qualification, and with anticipated radical changes to EPs’role demands within the restructured Children’s Workforce, it is timely for HEIs to review their role and provide a wider range of accredited learning and development opportunities for EPs.

This question is explored via a small-scale postal survey amongst an opportunity sample comprised of three cohorts of experienced EPs who engaged in an accredited short course in ‘Autistic Spectrum Disorders’ for EPs at the University of Birmingham over the period from September, 2002, to July, 2005.

Findings indicate a very mixed response, with overall trends suggesting that features of the accredited programme such as its duration, depth and breadth of coverage, rigour, level of scholarship and quality of presenters had been highly valued, but that the requirement to produce assessed written work was not welcomed by a majority of participants, and that the opportunity to accrue credits which could be used toward a specialist Postgraduate Diploma or other award were neither relevant nor attractive features of the course for a majority.

The paper aims to promote dialogue within the profession about the future role of HEIs as providers of CPD opportunities for EPs.
British Psychological Society Submission to the Education and Skills Select Committee Inquiry into Bullying
Authors: Fingleton Kath , Grandison Karen
Published: January 2023

The response was prepared on behalf of the British Psychological Society by Sandra Dunsmuir, Tiny Arora, David Farrington, Norah Frederickson, Beverley Graham, Jey Monsen, Ian Rivers, Kevin Rowland and Liz Simmonds.

The editors have selected parts of this impressive and important contribution to the Education and Skills Select Committee Inquiry into Bullying for publishing inDebate.The full submission and references (21 pages) can be located on the British Psychological Society’s website (www.bps.org.uk). There are eight pages of references which are very comprehensive and would be an extremely useful database for services, trainee EPs and others interested in this area.
Exploring the educational psychologist’s role in children’s centres: A collaborative action research study
Authors: Farnworth Lucy , Toon Leanne
Published: January 2023

Following a consultation with a children’s centre nursery manager, a collaborative action research model was applied to investigate children’s experiences of wrap-around care and the perceptions of staff working in the setting. Observations and focus groups were undertaken by two EPs. Qualitative analysis of the observations and focus group transcripts revealed common themes. These included the role of the adults in the setting, level of stimulation and amount of relaxation experienced by the children, behaviour, social relationships and transitions. Implications for EP role in children’s centres are also discussed.
An interview with Sonya Bolland: Fostering of children in social care
Authors: Lloyd-Bennett Peter
Published: January 2023

Peter Lloyd Bennett interviewed Sonya Bolland who has had considerable experience as principal social worker in a local authority and more recently Regional Manager in the Adolescent Children’s Trust which was a charity devoted to fostering. Sonya set up the charity in Northamptonshire and from there it spread out through Birmingham, Iiverpool and the Midlands. The aim was to recruit, train and support foster carers in the private sector and set up placements for the most difficult children.
Tell it like it is: Using life story work for some anxieties
Authors: Peake Anne
Published: January 2023

Anne Peake is an Educational Psychologist working for Oxfordshire County Council. Her professional interests are safeguarding children, children in the Looked Apter system/adopted, attachment difficulties and autism. She has produced a booklet on Life Story Book Work, copies of which can be obtained by contacting her directly.
Autism and the brains working: How far have we got?
Authors: Curran Andrew
Published: January 2023

Dr Andrew Curran’s specialist interests within his field of paediatric neurology include autistic spectrum disorders, epilepsy, long-term neurological disability and traumatic brain injury. He is particularly interested in the sociological aspects of learning as it relates to neurobiology, emotional literacy in education and the impact of disability on individuals, carers and society.
Is there a place for dyslexia in educational psychology practice?
Authors: Reason Rea , Stothard Jan
Published: January 2023

This article compares the DECP Report with the influential Rose Report on dyslexia published some 10 years later. We argue that the working definitions adopted by the reports are similar – the only important difference is the notion of a continuum introduced explicitly in the Rose Report. We discuss implications for EP practice particularly in relation to current developments in the field. The continuum implies that the distinction between ‘dyslexia’ and ‘not dyslexia’ is blurred. Becoming more relaxed about the use of the word ‘dyslexia’ can have many positive outcomes but there are also hazards.
Working as a consultant/independent/private educational psychologist: Some views and advice
Authors: Law Jean
Published: January 2023

In edition 146 ofDebate, March 2013, an article by Lindsay Towns looked at the pros and cons of working as a self-employed psychologist from her personal experience. This article aims to provide some further perspectives on the increasing number of educational psychologists (EPs) who now work outside of Local Authority Services. Three EPs discuss their journey, the work they do and offer some advice to others. They illustrate some clear guidelines for professional practice that are expanded on.
Hear today but maybe not tomorrow – the implications of Glue Ear – research findings
Authors: Capewell Carmel
Published: January 2023

Although Glue Ear has been known about for many years, and at one time was life threatening, today many educational professionals see it as a minor issue with no long-term problems. While this may be the case for the majority of children, those who have the condition in the longer term may be impacted in psycho-social development, cognitive processing and academic performance. This article identifies aspects from the primarily quantitative research which suggest that the greatest impact is likely to be on those young people and their parents with the severe form of the condition. Some of the potential implications for EP practice are identified.
An Educational Psychologist in Uganda
Authors: Viner Emma
Published: January 2023

This article captures the adventure of an Educational Psychologist (EP) volunteering abroad. Is it possible for us to apply our training to Mental Health in Africa? What lessons can we learn from such a different community? Is this an adventure you should consider? Emma Viner reflects on her experience.
Memory Magic: Is it just a bunch of hocus pocus?
Authors: Tayler Benjamin
Published: January 2023

This article considers the literature and challenges of working memory deficit. Specifically it critiques the published resource intervention Memory Magic.
A realistic evaluation of the use of group consultation to deliver educational psychology services
Authors: Chadwick Jemila
Published: January 2023

This article reports a qualitative evaluation of a service delivery pilot I completed as a Trainee Educational Psychologist (TEP) within an Educational Psychology Service (EPS) in the north of England. The research aim was to explore whether the pilot was working effectively. A realistic evaluation framework was adopted and teachers and Educational Psychologists (EPs) were interviewed. Findings identified both positive and negative outcomes of the use of group consultation as a mode of service delivery. Implications for practice are discussed. This article may provide insight to those who are thinking of setting up, or researching, a similar model of service delivery within their own EPS.
Research and its influence on learning
Authors: Edwards Anne
Published: January 2023

Educational psychology appears to present itself to school-based practitioners as a solution to problems of practice. Yet the extent to which psychology actually informs the practical repertoires of teachers in schools is limited. Two implications of a model of psychology as a solution to problems in educational settings are discussed. Firstly, the need for attention to the situated nature of teacher knowledge and teachers’ need for support as they learn to work with fresh understandings are explored. Secondly, the extent to which the discipline of educational psychology is able to develop through close links with educational practice is considered. Using a sociocultural framework the paper explores alternative routes for the development of educational psychology as a research-based profession and for the development of the discipline of educational psychology.
Confidentiality and clients’ files: a survey of reported recording of sensitive information in educational psychology practice
Authors: Pomerantz Michael
Published: January 2023

Interest is growing in producing guidelines about confidentiality of and access to clients’ files. One hundred and twenty-two educational psychologists (EPs) employed in local education authority (LEA) services in England and Wales completed and returned a questionnaire designed to estimate judgements about recording sensitive material in the course of conducting a psychological assessment. The study was undertaken to provide more data about what is currently being recorded by the individual EP. The findings suggest considerable variance in attitudes. Some respondents claim to record only occasionally or never record the same types of data or information that other professional colleagues would normally choose to record in a client’s file. Shortcomings about guidelines and knowledge of clients’ and parents’ rights are acknowledged with implications for services and training.
Early intervention in the prevention of reading difficulties
Authors: Leslie Moira , McMillan Gregor
Published: January 2023

Since 1993 psychologists, lecturers, teachers and advisory staff in Edinburgh have been involved in researching, developing and implementing early intervention projects aimed at improving reading standards, particularly in areas of deprivation. This work has been widely publicised in Scotland and many other local authorities have initiated similar schemes. This paper will outline the basic rationale for the early intervention projects, report briefly on the ongoing evaluations and compare the effects of different funding and implementation strategies.
Can endemic reading failure in socially disadvantaged children be successfully tackled?
Authors: MacKay Tommy
Published: January 2023

Within a context of research on consumer perceptions and the development of school contracts, a school in an area of social disadvantage was invited to identify its priorities for psychological service delivery. The area selected was reading failure and the focus of the study was a large group of pupils with very low reading test scores in P4 and P5. Two experimental groups and a control group matched for age, cognitive ability and reading level were formed. One experimental group was the subject of a 10-week intervention based on changing attitudes and values regarding education and the relevance of reading, while the other, in addition, followed a paired reading programme at home. Both experimental groups achieved significant gains in reading scores compared with controls, together with reported improvements in other areas such as behaviour in school. Measures of attitude change of experimentals versus controls were also significant. The implications of these results are discussed.
The identification of specific reading difficulties: A survey of practice and policy in Scottish local authority psychological services
Authors: Fisher Douglas , Fox Diana , Wood Keith
Published: January 2023

Traditional discrepancy definitions of specific learning difficulties have come under severe criticism over the last 20 years leaving local authorities and their professional advisers in an invidious and uncertain position as to how these should be assessed. The results of a survey of practice in 27 local authority psychological services in Scotland indicates that there would appear to be no coherent policy on assessment of specific learning difficulties across, and seemingly within, Scottish local authorities.
Achievement in reading in North West Glasgow primary schools
Authors: Jefferies Edward
Published: January 2023

This research was carried out to provide some of the preliminary information for planning a strategy to address the problem of low achievement in reading in the city of Glasgow. It reports on reading scores in a representative sample of schools in the north west of the city. This gives baseline information on levels of achievement and their relation to family income. Lessons for the nature and timing of intervention are drawn.
Feminism in psychology and professional contexts: professionalism and educational psychology practice
Authors: Figg Joan , Richards Andrew
Published: January 2023

This paper explores how two practitioner educational psychologists have responded to Bipasha Ahmed’s paper on ‘Feminism in Psychology and Professional Contexts’. The paper draws on a number of issues raised by Ahmed and their relevance for the profession of educational psychology. The areas considered are the generation of knowledge and the tensions between the academic and applied psychologist. The relationship between reflexivity and reflective practice are examined. The citing of research within positivist or constructivist paradigms is discussed before the meaning of the issues of difference are explored. Implications for practice are made throughout the paper.
Researching girls: a post-structuralist approach
Authors: Mauthner Melanie , Hey Valerie
Published: January 2023

This article focuses on recent empirical research on girls carried out from a feminist post-structuralist position. The authors consider the theoretical advantages of using this framework for understanding girls’ friendships and relationships between sisters, neglected spheres of female experience. They draw on Walkerdine’s research in schools and her focus on power relations between young children and teachers. The central part of their paper centres on a discussion and application of three key analytic concepts: power relations, language, and subjectivity, which are used to theorise the lives of young women in research. Hey took up these concepts in order to analyse multiple differences in girls’ friendship cultures and Mauthner used them to create four discourses for exploring sister ties. In the last section of the article, the authors take it in turns to describe examples of their data. They conclude with some reflections on the benefits of a feminist post-structural approach for educational practitioners’ own interpretation of the specific cultures in which they are located.
Different visual skills are important in learning to read English and Chinese
Authors: Ho Connie Suk-Han , Bryant Peter
Published: January 2023

Two longitudinal studies with 100 Chinese children attending kindergarten in Hong Kong and 52 English nursery children in Britain were conducted to investigate the visual precursors of learning to read Chinese and English. Pre-reading performance in shape constancy was found to be a significant predictor of later Chinese word reading with Chinese children (Study 1) whereas pre-reading performance in spatial relationships, position in space, and figure-ground were significant predictors of later English word reading with English children (Study 2), even after controlling for the effects of extraneous factors, such as age and IQ. Thus, different visual skills were important in learning to read Chinese and English. These findings are explained in terms of the different graphic features of the two orthographies and some educational implications are discussed.
Changing the profile of an educational psychology service
Authors: Sharp Sonia , Frederickson Norah , Laws Karen
Published: January 2023

Educational psychology services are entering a period of unprecedented change. To the general impact of national initiatives aimed at increasing the accountability and responsiveness of local government services will be added the specific impact of the report of the DfEE working party on the role and training of educational psychologists. This paper outlines the performance review process developed by one service as a vehicle both for implementing agreed changes to the profile of service activities and for raising the profile of the service with key user groups through involving them in the process. Three components of the process are described: output performance measures, outcome performance measures and a computer-administered and scored 360-degree feedback process which can be used to collect and collate information about an educational psychologist’s work from a wide range of informants – the educational psychologists themselves, their managers, peers and administrative staff, and the schools, parents, students and other professionals with whom they work.
Moving towards inclusion: Implications for professional psychological services
Authors: Wedell K.
Published: January 2023

It is current government policy to promote inclusive education, but effective inclusion will involve greater changes than are currently recognised. Many of the education and other initiatives introduced by the Government can support inclusion, but others actually jeopardise it. Educational psychologists (EPs) can play a crucial role in furthering inclusion through their influence on systems, their support of primary care agents, and in their individual work with children and young people and their families. However, the multifarious demands on EP services raise questions about how these are best constituted to achieve effectiveness. In this paper I will look at some of the current moves towards inclusive education for children and young people with special educational needs, and then explore some implications for professional psychological practice.
Psychology in education – adding more value
Authors: Kerfoot Susan R. , Imich André J.
Published: January 2023

This paper explores a number of issues facing applied educational psychologists working within an education framework that has undergone significant change over the past decade. The primary focus of education today, that of improving standards for all, offers opportunities for the profession to make a powerful contribution through the application of psychological principles that, whilst benefiting those students with special educational needs, are also relevant for all learners. In so doing, the paper emphasises the need for EPs to be clearer in their focus, and explores some implications for the future training needs of the profession.
A Code-A-Text analysis of educational psychologists’ reports submitted to statutory assessments procedures
Authors: Buck David
Published: January 2023

There is a wealth of discussion (e.g. Gilham, 1978; Frederickson, Webster & Wright, 1991; Lokke, Gersch, M’gadzah & Frederickson, 1997) on the nature of psychological assessments within the educational psychology profession. However, little attention has been directed on how these are actually used for the allocation of special needs provision. Such research could inform the development of assessment methods by investigating which information or data is most helpful in decision-making. This study complements earlier research by the author, which has investigated the effect of standardised test scores on decision-making and the constructs of the decision-makers themselves (Buck, 1998, 1999; Buck & Youngman, 1996).

This study investigates the relationship between the text content within educational psychologists’ (EPs) reports and the actual provision specified on the Statements of Special Educational Needs (SENs) issued by local education authorities (LEAs) during statutory assessment procedures in the UK. The EP reports were analysed using the text analysis software ‘Code-A-Text’.

The results show how certain assessment information within the reports associates more closely with some categorisations of SEN than others. Doubts are raised over the consistency of evidence used in order to classify a large group of children as presenting ‘moderate learning difficulties’ and hence the validity of this category.

It is hoped this research will contribute to the long debate on the nature of educational psychologists’ assessments and their report writing by investigating their practical effects on decision-making. The companion article in this volume reports a similar investigation of the other reports submitted in statutory assessment procedures.
Growing up with a gay parent:Views of 101 gay fathers on their sons’ and daughters’ experiences
Authors: Barrett Helen , Tasker Fiona
Published: January 2023

Within the context of a review of the literature on gay male parents and their children, preliminary findings are reported from a postal survey of gay parents recruited through advertisements for volunteers. One hundred and one gay and bisexual parents located in the United Kingdom and Eire provided information about their routes to parenting, partners’ involvement with parenting, successes in meeting common parenting challenges and their eldest sons’ and daughters’ responses to growing up with a gay parent. Results appear to confirm previous findings concerning the diversity of parenting circumstances of gay and bisexual men. Men with cohabiting male partners reported themselves as successfully meeting a variety of parenting challenges. While older children were more likely to know of their father’s sexual identity, few gender differences were reported in response to this knowledge. Issues for further exploration are identified.
Multidisciplinary use of ‘structured teaching’ to promote consistency of approach for children with autistic spectrum disorder
Authors: Howley Marie , Preece David , Arnold Terence
Published: January 2023

Consistency of approach across environments is an integral part of service delivery for children with autistic spectrum disorders in Northamptonshire. These services use the ‘structured teaching’ approach developed by Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children). A collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to using structured teaching has been established involving practitioners from education, social services, health and voluntary agencies, enabling cohesive provision of services to be developed. This paper describes how different agencies worked together to meet the needs identified by two families. A narrative case study approach illustrates how collaborative practice was used to develop appropriate and consistent provision across settings. There are clearly limitations to this case study approach. However, it is anticipated that the conclusions might relate to other situations and a number of tenets for effective multi-disciplinary working are therefore proposed.
Multidisciplinary social communication intervention for children with autism and pervasive developmental disorder: The Child’s Talk project
Authors: Aldred Catherine , Pollard Clare , Phillips Rob , Adams Catherine
Published: January 2023

This paper describes an early intervention approach designed for use by multidisciplinary professionals with children who have the severe social communication deficits of early autism and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). This is part of a control randomised trial involving a cohort of 40 children. The paper focuses on describing the intervention stage, interdisciplinary working and interim findings as it is too early to present the data analysis. The therapy defines the dyadic communication between parent and child, analysing the specific pattern, and profile of the child’s communication and social interaction as well as the communication strategies and adaptations of the parent. The intervention aims to enable parents and carers to finely tune their interaction using video feedback. Parents can reflect on their own interaction, identify which strategies engage the child in interaction and identify additional strategies which are adaptive to their child’s level of communication. This approach can work in conjunction with other autism-specific approaches.
Structuring uncertainty: Developing an ethical framework for professional practice in educational psychology
Authors: Webster Alec , Bond Tim
Published: January 2023

As the context for practice in educational psychology in the future seems destined to be no less complex or tension-ridden than it is currently, practitioners have a compelling need to develop ethical frameworks to guide and inform their work. A professional ethic is one way of reducing uncertainty, given that the problems most professionals face in their work are messy and ill formed, with few protocols. Ethical frameworks can be likened to scaffolding on building sites: they offer protection from mishap and thus allow individuals to do their jobs safely with a minimum of constraint. The core values for a professional ethic are considered, drawing on codes of practice issued by professional bodies; the therapeutic orientation implicit in being a psychologist; education law, duties of care and court judgments; ethical values and principles as points of reference for ethical dialogue; and organisational policy in host institutions. Whenever educational psychologists (EPs) are confronted with situations where ethical dilemmas arise, systematic procedures enable options to be considered in reaching an ethical decision. We present the case, given the foregrounding of EPs in relation to national agendas such as school improvement and inclusion, for greater ethical awareness in individuals and services. A professional ethic for EPs is also a social and iterative process, concerned with the development and maintenance of a professional culture based on best practice.
Ethical mindfulness and professional development in local education authority psychology services
Authors: Franey John
Published: January 2023

This article takes as its focus the place of ethics within the profession of educational psychology. It argues that ethics within educational psychology is very much an embryonic field of inquiry, even though in their distinctive ways, ethics and educational psychology have much in common as critiques of human behaviour. Generic “at risk” situations which may lead to ethical complications are identified – unforeseen dilemmas, inadequate anticipation, unavoidable dilemmas, unclear dilemmas, inadequate sources of guidance and loyalty clashes. Drawing upon the literature and professional experiences it is then suggested that there are common ethically troubling issues and situations which educational psychologists have to confront – confidentiality, questionable interventions, competence, testing and assessment, resource allocation, collusive practice, conduct of colleagues and provision. Ways and means to promote greater ethical mindfulness among individual educational psychologists (EPs) and within local education authority (LEA) psychology services are suggested. These include planned continuing professional development (CPD) which takes as its foci the importance of ethical insight, ethical principles and ethical decision-making. It is also proposed that psychology services consider a range of organisational arrangements to heighten ethical mindfulness – the formal adoption of professional codes of conduct, ethics education during induction, the establishment of an ethics committee, a charter of users’ rights, the use of an ethical ombudsman and mentors, and the establishment of ethical case conferences along with the elevation of professional supervision to increase the opportunities for conscious consideration of ethical issues.
Ethical issues for educational psychologists engaged in research
Authors: Fox Mark , Rendall Sue
Published: January 2023

The development of continuing professional development (CPD) doctorates means that more educational psychologists (EPs) are becoming involved in research. Though the British Psychological Society (BPS) provides ethical guidelines for undertaking research which fit closely with what most National Health Service (NHS) ethics committees require, within education there are no comparable checks. This paper suggests that EPs are in a position to socially construct ethical principles. These need to mirror the ethical concerns of professional practice, paying particular attention to the beginnings and endings of the interrelationships that characterise psychologists’ professional and research work. In addition these socially constructed ethical principles can provide an ethical basis for research that can challenge the status quo. In this way research can be used as a way of empowering disadvantaged communities within education rather than continuing to be part of the process that marginalises them.
The need for a professional ethic: International perspectives
Authors: Francis Ronald D.
Published: January 2023

This article examines the reason for the recent interest in ethics, and considers its deontological and consequentialist bases. It is noted that ethics may be taught directly, or incidentally as part of other instruction. Experience has shown that teaching it directly has considerable merit in that this makes ethical issues explicit rather than implying that they are a less important part of professional practice. In such a way the “knowing” of ethics becomes insightful understanding rather than a superficial piece of information. It is clear that ethics should not be considered a quasi-legal entity. Ethics is about human values; about best aspirational standards; about creative and remedial issues; and about operating with goodwill (whereas the law is seen as setting minimum standards, using the adversarial approach, and inviting sanctions for breaches). In convincing professionals about the merits of ethics there are three basic types of argument: the rational explanation of its merits; empirical data showing the benefits; and the use of appropriate case studies. Most civilised countries have a code of professional ethics (or code of conduct). It is also clear that although the length of such codes varies there is substantial agreement about what a code should contain. To illustrate these principles various practical illustrations are given, and helpful principles suggested. Finally it is noted that discussions of ethics are particularly significant as they provide a forum in which issues of value may be discussed in a constructive and non-confrontational context.
Competence, fitness to practise and continuing professional development: The ethical basis of educational psychologists’ practice
Authors: Lunt Ingrid
Published: January 2023

In this article questions are raised about what constitutes fitness to practise for educational psychologists, starting with a discussion of “valid practice” and the current concern in many professions with “revalidation”. Most professions imply that “competence”, derived from a licence to practise or its equivalent, and adherence to an ethical code, constitute the basis of their current “fitness to practise”, and hence the justification for public trust or confidence. However, if we are thinking in terms of protection for the public or public confidence, this notion of “competence” must be considered a weak concept, since, once demonstrated through initial qualification and additional professional requirements for “membership” (the “licence”), it is rarely if ever subsequently checked. The article considers questions of qualification (licence to practise), ethical codes and continuing professional development (CPD) for educational psychologists, welcomes the move by the British Psychological Society (BPS) toward mandatory CPD as a means for revalidation of competence, and suggests that a core aspect of ethical practice implies a commitment to the maintenance of current fitness to practise.
Alternative practice: Alternative perspectives
Authors: Sutton Andrew
Published: January 2023

The common professional/academic consensus around inclusion stems from a particular employment group dependent largely upon the patronage of the state. An autoethnographic account of an alternative career path reports the development of one alternative practice with less direct allegiance to existing state structures and, consequently, an alternative perspective on issues of inclusion and other currently hegemonic notions not generally regarded as problematic. Over the last 15 years, Conductive Education has become an international movement, driven by goals and values that are not those of the common consensus. There is contradiction between its aspirations for official acceptance and the vulnerability of its alternative essence and values to official absorption. Informed families’ dissatisfaction with existing services for children growing up with disabilities, including simplistic inclusion, and their choice of alternative practices, are emerging as a serious research topic. This testimonio aims to create space for unheard voices to be heard.
The evidence of psychology in action
Authors: Mageean Bernard
Published: January 2023

The intention of this speculative statement is to review and revise a position outlined some years ago in various forms. According to this view, instructive action (or teaching) is not a matter accidental to the scientific practice of psychology, but rather the essential concern, being the currency of the single message exchange system that constitutes human action. It is possible then to look at some of the relevant evidence that psychological science provides, and to suggest that possibilities for effective use in instructional practice may follow from seeing psychologists’ actions as instructive activity, not merely for their peers, who are the audience for their words, but in connection with their essential role in this larger context of the single message exchange system and thence to the subsystems of the larger context in which social schemes guide action. It is thought that the debate produced by the call for evidence-based practice in education may be helped by consideration of this view that would place instructive activity at the centre of things. Some problems are identified for psychologists and teachers and some general suggestions are made about seeking a dynamic balance of forces and connection of levels in an interactive scheme where the activities of each party might produce evidence bearing upon the plans for action of the other.
Children, psychologists and knowledge: A discourse-analytic narrative
Authors: Billington Tom
Published: January 2023

During the last three hundred years, as new forms of knowledge-making have been forged under the changed conditions of the Western economies, new human activities (professions) have often vied with one another to provide both the justification and the means for an expansion of ‘governmentality’ into the lives of children. One such new discipline of knowledge has been psychology. It is argued here that the forms of knowledge-making devised by psychologists (and indeed also by other professionals) have been subject to particular, and sometimes alienating, social power relations that may well have obscured other, different kinds of thinking about the experiences of children. The principles of a particular model of discourse analysis are applied here in order to consider not only the importance of language within current practices but also beyond that the issues of meaning, knowledge and power.
A contextual and methodological perspective on the evidence-based intervention movement within school psychology in the United States
Authors: Stoiber Karen Callan , Waas Gregory A.
Published: January 2023

In this article, we consider contextual and methodological issues for moving the profession of educational and school psychology toward embracing evidence-based interventions. We specifically examine how the context of schools relates to issues in advancing research that enable educational and school psychologists to enhance critical outcomes for children and families in the areas of prevention and intervention. Following a contextual perspective on the application of evidence-based approaches, we discuss a conceptual schema for evaluating current research. We also illustrate how this framework can be used for guiding future prevention and intervention research. In addition, we examine the need for embracing evidence-based practices as a means to improve school psychology service delivery in the US. The article concludes by summarising important issues for developing a meaningful evidence-based framework that both reflects sound methodology and the context of school-based prevention and intervention research.
Social cognitive development of children with learning difficulties
Authors: Nabuzoka Dabie , Empson Janet M.
Published: January 2023

This paper discusses social cognitive functioning of children with learning difficulties (LD) as a focus for intervention in schools. Research linking such functioning with social emotional adjustment is discussed. This suggests that social cognitive skills of children with LD significantly account for the quality of their social relationships. However, studies also suggest that social adjustment is often a result of complex interactions between the child’s functional level and the social ecology of the school. Findings from studies of normally developing children in their natural environments are discussed in relation to their implications for interventions involving children with LD. Intervention strategies that go beyond mere social skills training for children with LD are suggested. It is argued that while such children may benefit from training in social cognitive skills, problems in social relations cannot be explained solely by deficits in social cognitive functioning. Rather, the way social cognitive factors may be implicated in the social emotional adjustment of such children should be seen as sometimes secondary, and not primary, to the presenting difficulties.
The role of analogy use in improving early spelling performance
Authors: Kirkbride Sybella , Wright Barlow C.
Published: January 2023

This paper reports on an investigation into the effectiveness of teaching year 1 and 2 children to use analogy in spelling. It also looks at which word units (onset+peak, peak, rime or coda) most contribute to correct analogy use. The study employed a mixed design, with 36 children divided into an experimental and a control group. Three spelling tests (at times 1, 2 and 3) were administered to both groups approximately five weeks apart with a five-week intervention programme between the first and second tests, during which the experimental group only received coaching in analogy use in spelling. Comparison of the means for correct spellings at times 1 and 2 showed a significant improvement in the experimental group’s correct spelling performance compared with controls, and this advantage was maintained, though less marked, at time 3. Spellings were scored three times: on the basis of correct spelling, phonological plausibility (PP) and evidence of analogy use. This allowed examination of the relationship between correct spelling, PP and analogy use. Separate regression analyses for the two groups showed analogy use to be more predictive of correct spelling than PP for the intervention group, whereas the reverse was the case for controls. This suggests that it was the coaching in analogy use in spelling, rather than intervention per se, which made the difference to the intervention group’s correct spelling performance. Finally, a comparison of the overall means for correct analogy use showed no significant difference between the units onset+peak, rime or coda, but the rime made a greater contribution to correct spelling than the peak.
Distinctly different? Descriptions of the sexually abused and ‘non abused’ child
Authors: O’Dell Lindsay
Published: January 2023

It is argued that the mainstream understandings of the child given within (and outwith) developmental psychological theorisation have profound implications for both the sexually abused and the ‘non-abused’ child. In particular, the view of sexually abused children as distinctly different from other children is a common assumption within such understandings. The issue of difference is explored in this paper using a simple Q study which required participants to describe either a sexually abused child or a child more generally. The Q study is reported and the different descriptions of childhood from the analysis are discussed.