Our educational and child psychology service aims to optimise learning, development and emotional well-being of children and young people in the borough.
What is an educational psychologist?
An educational psychologist is a psychology graduate who has undertaken additional professional training to qualify as an educational psychologist.
They:
- have previous experience of working with children, for example as teachers
- are trained to understand how children and young people learn and develop
- have knowledge of a range of psychological approaches and research methodology
- work to prevent or overcome barriers to learning and healthy social and emotional development for children and young people
- abide by the Health Professions Council standards for practitioner psychologists
What do they do?
- Use their knowledge of effective psychological approaches to help with specific issues
- Work with children and young people aged between birth and 19 years and the adults who provide education and care for them
- Require informed consent from the parents or carers of any child or young person who we are asked to discuss or be involved with
- Carry out work in mainstream schools, children’s centres, specialist educational provision, community centres or with families at home
- Provide consultation, assessment and advice on interventions for individuals or groups of children and young people
- Consult with parents, carers, staff in schools and a range of other support agencies to build our understanding of a situation or need and formulate our advice
- Provide feedback in an appropriate format on our work
- Run short interventions or projects
- Provide detailed psychological advice when an assessment of special educational needs is being considered by Dudley Council
- Deliver training and provide other professional support for those involved in educating and caring for children and young people
- Are often called upon by Dudley Council to advise or join working/consultation groups on issues concerned with organisation and policy planning
- Draw on our research background to plan and carry out research activities