Children and Young People
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What to expect from Tameside Educational Psychology Service
Below is a helpful video which explains how we may work with children and young people:
With thanks to East Renfrewshire Educational Psychology Service who created this video and gave us permission to use it.
What an Educational Psychologist is
Educational Psychologists (EPs) are adults who work with children and young people up to the age of 25 years old. We work with children or young people to help identify their strengths and needs and look at ways to best help them to make progress.We will listen to your ideas and will try to help people think of ways to make school or college better for you. We also work with a range of other professionals (e.g. childminders, teachers, Speech and Language Therapists or doctors).
Some of the things that an EP might help you with include:
- Learning and developing new skills (Cognition and Learning).
- Talking, listening and communicating with others (Communication and Interaction).
- Making friends, managing your emotions or behaviours (Social, Emotional or Mental Health).
- Seeing, hearing, getting around or processing sensory information (Sensory and/or Physical).
What happens if you are Referred to an Educational Psychologist
Firstly, your parent or carer will be asked to sign a form, giving permission for you to work with us. You may also be asked to sign this, depending on your age.When an EP comes to meet you, we will introduce ourselves and will tell you what we might do together. This might include:
- A chat about what is important to you and your likes and dislikes (either by yourself, or as part of a group). We can meet before, during or after school or sometimes at your home.
- Watch some of your lessons to see what your strengths are, and see what things you might find more difficult.
- Complete some work with you to see what your strengths are, and what things you might find more difficult.
- Do some games or drawing.
- Look at your school work.
- Talk to teachers and parents/carers.
- We might also talk to other people that have been supporting you.
If you don’t want to meet an EP or do any work, you don’t have to. We will only meet and do as much as you want to. After we have met, we will ask you what you thought of working with us.
What Happens After You Have Met With an Educational Psychologist
Using what you have told us, we will work with you and the important people in your life to try to think of ways to make school or college better for you. Sometimes we will meet you once, or we might meet with you several times. We might write a letter to you after we have worked together and we also may send a summary of our work to other adults in your school, or to your parents/carers.You have a right to say what you think and to be listened to at meetings when decisions are being made. Your views and questions are very important and it will be easier for us to help you and the people who work with you if we know what you are thinking.
You also have the right to tell us if there is something you do not wish to be shared. The only time we are not able to keep something confidential, is if it is something very serious that adults need to know about to keep you or someone else safe.