I am currently working as an Assistant Psychologist

AP101

This discussion was created from comments split from: Hello my name is Hannah and I'm an educational psychologist.

AP101

Hi Hannah,

I am currently working as an Assistant Psychologist. I am hoping to start my doctorate soon. Just wondering what would happen if a parent threatened an educational psychologist with legal action? What would/should the/they EP do then? How would the EP deal with this situation?

Also what would the EP do if the parents wanted to write a written complaint to the headteacher with regards to the lack of progress their child is making? How would the EP show progress/impact?

Regards,
AP101

EducationalPsychologist

Hello AP101,
Have you had a parent make such threats/complaints? It is hard to answer without knowing specific information. I would suggest contacting you supervisor and the Association of Educational Psychologists for advice.
With regards to parents complaining to a headteacher about lack of pupil progress, that is a school issue. It is not an EPs responsibility to ensure pupil progress. Our role is to help adults better understand a child's strengths and needs, then make recommendations for how they can be supported to make progress. EPs also provide training and focused interventions/research projects in a wide variety of areas.
Good luck with your doctorate.

EducationalPsychologist

Hello AP101,
If you have concerns about the interpersonal skills of your child's teacher, in the first instance you should speak to senior management and follow school complaint procedures as needed. EPs can employ a variety of strategies if working directly with staff, but which strategy would depend on the individual situation and context. Examples include problem-solving groups, personal construct psychology, solution-focused consultation, etc. Again, there are various ways to measure the impact of strategies, such as scaling, observations, questionnaires. It may well be that training is required. The important thing to remember is that relationships need to be understood within the context of their environment and community, and addressed at these levels too, which is why it is important to speak with senior management about your concerns.