A developing educational psychology service work-allocation model

Marsh, Alan; Higgins, Andrea

doi:10.1080/02667363.2018.1424621

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…However, in order to retain staff and support motivation, it is suggested that Educational Psychology Services (EPSs) often try to provide EPs with a varied "diet" of work including preventative work, inclusion in local initiatives, individual assessment and consultation, and group work, alongside statutory assessment. In order for this to be achieved, often a short-term solution is needed to meet the demand of statutory assessments in an equitable way (Marsh and Higgins, 2018). It is suggested that EPSs are faced with a dilemma of relying on EPs within the service to focus on statutory assessments, at the expense of other work, or employing costly locums or agency staff to complete the statutory assessments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Educational Psychologists in Fuelling the Narrative of the “Velcro TA”

Vivash

Morgan

2019

Front. Educ.

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The notion of "Statementing" borne out of the recommendations of the Warnock Report (Warnock, 1978) set in motion unprecedented reforms in the use and allocation of resources, including the use of Teaching Assistants (TAs), in supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). There has been a move however to question the efficacy of TAs, which has led to a number of studies into their effectiveness. Concern remains around the idea of what has colloquially become known as the "Velcro TA," and how support can provide scaffolded and independent learning. Central to the assessment process of Statements of Special Educational Needs, and current Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP), educational psychologists (EPs) have a prominent role to play in providing advice around provision and the effective use of resources. Consideration therefore needs to be made as to how EPs may contribute to the construct of the "Velcro TA." This paper explores the role of EPs in contributing to this through a consideration of how EPs discuss support through written psychological advice for Statements of SEN/EHCPs and by exploring the perspectives of school staff of how support is delivered in practice. The historical Psychological Advice of 10 pupils were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Of these 10 pupils, interviews with members of current school staff for five of the pupils were transcribed and the data analyzed using Thematic Analysis. These interviews included five SENCOs, five Teachers, and five TAs. The results from the Thematic Analysis of the psychological advice identified that EP advice does not seem to have contributed to a notion of a Velcro TA and the theme of Independence was prominent throughout. However, analysis from both the psychological advice and the school staff interviews identified an overarching theme of Ambiguity which underpinned many of the themes, including themes of Classroom Practice, and Role of Others. The analysis from the psychological advice identified that there was often a sense of "what to do" but not necessarily "how to do it" and it appears that this Ambiguity is reflected into school staff practice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Educational Psychologists in Fuelling the Narrative of the “Velcro TA”

Vivash

Morgan

2019

Front. Educ.

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“…This historical picture (20 + years) broadly aligns with current research (DfE, 2013), with simmilar issues reported. Marsh and Higgins (2018) provide the most recent commentary on service allocation models recommending that 70% of EP time be allocated to 'direct support' such as casework and consultations, 17.5% of time as a exible allocation such as for responding to critical incidences, and 12.5% dedicated to CPD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and validation of the Educational Psychology Workplace Motivation (EPWM) scale; A measure to evaluate educational psychologists’ working-life contexts, patterns, and motivation for change.

Sewell,

Coley,

Gossman

et al. 2024

Preprint

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This research builds on recent interest in Educational Psychologists’ (EPs) working-life contexts, patterns, and motivations. It seeks to deepen the knowledge made through Department for Education research (DfE, 2023) by presenting the development and validation of the Educational Psychology Workplace Motivation (EPWM) scale. The paper reports the application of the theory of motivational interviewing to the construction of the EPWM scale. The measure development process, including content validity and construct validity, is described, highlighting the rigorous validation procedures adopted. Suggestions for further strengthening the measure's rigor, such as establishing criterion validity through comparison with other measures, are discussed. Additionally, the analysis of data collected from 201 practicing EPs provides further insights into work-life contexts and patterns. The findings suggest that EPs often work beyond their contracted hours, have high caseloads, and produce a significant number of reports each academic year. The data also reveal a tendency for more time to be spent on school visits compared to home visits, shedding light on the locations of EPs' direct contact work. By making the EPWM scale available as an open-access resource, the study encourages further development and adaptation by the EP research community. In relation to recent renewed interest in EP working life experiences and motivations (DfE, 2023), the validation of the measure serves as a complementary step towards understanding EPs' work-life experiences and aims to stimulate further research in this area.

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“…EP working-life experiences Sewell et al (UNDER REVIEW) summarised a foundation of existing research exploring EPs' perceptions of their working-life experiences. Most existing studies have examined workload allocation at the service level (DfE, 2023;Imich, 1999;Islam, 2013;Marsh & Higgins, 2018) This literature has shown that most EP work-based time is, or should be, dedicated to 'direct support', including school visits and prepping for school visits (Imich, 1999;Marsh & Higgins, 2018). Within some studies, EPs' perceptions of their workload and work tasks have been explored.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caring for the carers: The influence of stress, burnout, and experiences of compassion on educational psychologists’ work-based motivations.

Sewell,

Coley,

Gossman

et al. 2024

Preprint

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This study investigated the constructs of Compassion Satisfaction, Compassion Fatigue, Work-based Stress, and Burnout among EPs, aiming to understand their impact on the motivations (thoughts and actions) toward changes in working practices and contexts. The paper also introduces Compassion Fatigue/Satisfaction to the field of educational psychology, which has been extensively studied in other helping professions but still needs to be explored in the EP field. The multi-dimensional nature of the role of compassion in caring professional practice is explored. A cross-sectional descriptive design study asked 201 EP participants to complete a range of measures relating to the focus variables, capturing working-life contexts, patterns, and work-based motivations. The findings revealed that EPs experience higher levels of Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout, while Compassion Fatigue remains relatively low. Work-based stress was primarily attributed to a lack of control and autonomy rather than workload pressures. Burnout emerged as a significant predictor of motivations to seek a different job/career, explore alternative options, or make changes within the EP role. These findings contribute to understanding EPs' working-life experiences and offer insights into the factors influencing their motivations and well-being, paralleling similar findings in the teaching profession. The results highlight the importance of addressing work-related stress and burnout to support EPs and enhance professional practices and how compassion satisfaction may be harnessed as a mediating variable.

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A developing educational psychology service work-allocation model

Cited by 6 publications

References 11 publications

The Role of Educational Psychologists in Fuelling the Narrative of the “Velcro TA”

The Role of Educational Psychologists in Fuelling the Narrative of the “Velcro TA”

Development and validation of the Educational Psychology Workplace Motivation (EPWM) scale; A measure to evaluate educational psychologists’ working-life contexts, patterns, and motivation for change.

Caring for the carers: The influence of stress, burnout, and experiences of compassion on educational psychologists’ work-based motivations.

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