Educational Psychology

Who are we?

We are a team of Educational Psychologists working for the Local Authority.  We offer a comprehensive psychology service for children, young people and their families.  We work with educational settings, health and social care partners and other organisations as part of Gloucestershire's graduated SEND pathway. Click here to visit our website

As educational psychologists, we use our knowledge of psychology, child development and social interaction to promote young people's development, learning and well-being (0 - 25 years).  We are a highly qualified team linked closely with local university training providers offering research work and training in a variety of evidence-based approaches.

The service has four locally based area teams (Gloucester, Cheltenham, Forest of Dean, Stroud) which work closely with the Advisory Teaching Service.  There are 24 (FTE) Educational Psychologists employed by the Local Authority to deliver both statutory and non-statutory work.   The service provides training placements for up to 8 doctoral trainees (Year 2 and 3).

All staff working for Gloucestershire Educational Psychology Service who have contact with children have had the appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS formerly CRB) Check. All Educational Psychologists are members of the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

What do we do?

We work in a variety of ways including:

• consulting with children and young people
• consulting with families, teachers and other professionals
• providing advice and strategies to help facilitate positive change
• contributing to SEND support plans and reviews
• assessment of children and young people's learning, social and emotional needs
• working therapeutically with children, young people and families
• providing accredited therapeutic supervision in CBT
• providing training in evidence based approaches (including accredited Therapeutic Story Writing, CBT, Solution Focussed Approaches, Nurture Groups).
• providing psychological advice as part of Education, Health and Care Needs assessments
  contributing to schools' inclusive practise including policy reviews and broader development work
• providing supervision for doctoral trainees, educational staff and other professionals
• high quality evaluation, research and project work

Using the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the role of extracurricular activities in young people's wellbeing

Are you a young person (Year 7-11) who participated in an extracurricular activity before the pandemic?
Are you the parent or carer, or the organiser or leader of an extracurricular activity for young people (Year 7-11)?

Requesting Educational Psychologist Involvement

Gloucestershire Educational Psychology Service operates as a partially traded service.  All statutory work for the Local Authority is part of the core service delivery offer which also includes support for Critical incidents, a consultation service for pre-school children and children in care.  All other work is purchased through an annual subscription.  Annual Subscriptions for Educational Psychology Service involvement can be purchased through http://www.businesssupportservices.org/ or by contacting Sharon Vidal sharon.vidal@gloucestershire.gov.uk

All educational settings have a named educational psychologist who can be contacted through their local office. If you would like EP involvement, please download, complete and return our form. 

Information for Parents and Carers - Parent's Leaflet

Our Parents leaflet has more information about the service we offer. The local offer is also a useful source of information.

Educational Psychology Service Training

Details about all of the training courses the Educational Psychology Service run as well as the interventions that our educational psychologists can deliver directly with children and young people.

Traumatic Events

Guidance for school staff and parents on how to support a child or young person who has experienced a traumatic event. 

Video Interaction Guidance (VIG)  poster 

• Do you know families that want or need help with their relationships?
• Do you have staff that want to develop their communication skills, in an empowering and supportive way?
• Do you want an evidence-based, strengths-focused intervention?

Then VIG could be for you!

What is VIG?

VIG is a really positive approach that uses video to help people understand and improve communication, building happy, healthy and trusting relationships. It can help people recognise their strengths, and discover new skills, by helping them do more of the things they are doing well – just focusing and building on the positives.

VIG leaflet for parents and carers

Principles of Attunement

Want to know more? Talk with your school’s GCC Educational Psychologist

or email vig@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Nurture Practitioners Group

Hello All, 

We hope that you have had a good start to the Autumn term. We are looking forward to launching the nurture-based practitioner groups this year. We are continuing to hold them centrally as they were generally better attended, however please note that there are 2 different venues.

For the CPD slots we have tried to incorporate your requests for topics covered, including promotion of good mental health. We hope you like the look of the programme offered. As always, we will be sending out reminder emails closer to the time but if you already know that you want to attend please reply to nurture@gloucestershire.gov.uk. The details are as follows:

We have not added a slot for the Nurture UK training assignment surgery but this is still available should any newly trained practitioners wish to discuss this 

Session 1

 Date: Tuesday 12^th November 2019

Time: 2- 5pm

Location: 4 - 6 Commercial Road, Gloucester, GL1 2EA 

1. Welcome
2. CPD workshop – ‘Promoting Mental Health and Resilience’ delivered by Dr Matt Baker
3. Sharing of resources/approaches you have found helpful (please bring/think of something working well)  
4. Solution Focussed problem solving group activity

Session 2 

Date: Monday 24^th February 2020

Time: 2- 5pm (to meet in Shire Hall foyer at 1:50)

Location: Bearlands Café, Shire Hall, Gloucester, GL1 2TG

1. Welcome
2. CPD workshop – ‘Developing Growth Mindsets’ delivered by Dr Paul Greenhouse
3. Sharing of resources/approaches you have found helpful (please bring/think of something working well)  
4. Solution Focussed problem solving group activity 

Session 3

 Date: Tuesday 16^th June 2020

Time: 2- 5pm (to meet in Shire Hall foyer at 1:50)

Location: Bearlands Café, Shire Hall, Gloucester, GL1 2TG 

1. Welcome
2. CPD workshop – ‘An Introduction to Therapeutic Parenting’ delivered by Dr Kate Billington  
3. Sharing of resources/approaches you have found helpful (please bring/think of something working well)  
4. Solution Focussed problem solving group activity

Unfortunately there is no on-site parking at either venue. The nearest public car parks are:

Blackfriars Car Park (GL1 2HJ), Gloucester Docks (GL1 2EH), Longsmith Street (GL1 2HH), Gloucester Quays (GL1 5SF), Westgate Street (GL1 2TU)

 We look forward to seeing you.

 Many thanks

 The Nurture Team

 Dr Deborah Churchill

Educational Psychologist

 Educational Psychology Service

Gloucester Team

3rd Floor, Block 4 (The Bridge),

Shire Hall

Gloucester

GL1 2TG

01452 328004 (Office)

01452 328116 (Direct Line)