aberdeenshire educational psychology service being an assistant educational psychologist
TRANSCRIPT
Aberdeenshire Educational Psychology Service
Being an Assistant Educational Psychologist
Why choose to become an AEP ?
• We have opportunities to experience the full range of activities undertaken by educational psychologists.
• We also have access to the complete Continual Professional Development (CPD) programme
• We receive supervision from a chartered educational psychologist.
Why……
• Develop an awareness and knowledge of the Educational Psychology Service and related agencies in preparation for an application to the MSc in Educational PsychologyWe are given extensive opportunities to shadow EP’s in different contexts, from classroom to multi agency meetings.
What do we do?
• Assist Educational Psychologists in the planning, implementation and evaluation of group interventions in schools and nurseries
• For example we help with friendship groups, circle time, ‘buddy’ systems, transitions, social skills, observations and anger management interventions etc
What do we do cont……
• Support the work of Educational Psychologists in project work, research and supporting professional development
• For example we take part in presenting and evaluating training for school staff, collate information for EP’s.
More jobs we do….
• Carry out service evaluation for the Educational Psychology Service according to need, using a range of research tools
• Including databases, ‘Survey Monkey’ questionnaires, and interviews.
Work we have enjoyed being involved in
• Anna: – Working with an individual pupil using a set of applied CBT resources
focusing on self-esteem and anger management.– Involvement in a number of different transition projects including Bridging
Groups and creating a P7 DVD.• Lindsey:
– Establishing an audit of good practice in Aberdeenshire schools by conducting structured interviews with Senior Management Teaching Staff
– Doing video work in the school setting to highlight areas of good practice within the classroom
• Tasha:– Conducting crucial research into ALEC….fundamental to the authority– Philosophy for children-an innovative and exciting project.
Becoming an AEP…
Becoming an AEP
• Undergraduate Honours Psychology Degree (Class 2:1 or above) or
• An equivalent qualification recognised by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for Graduate Basis for registration
• Experience working with children, young people and/or families
The route to becoming an AEPLindsey
• Volunteered at a Special School from second year at Uni• Worked there full time as a Support For Learning auxiliary for a
year after Uni with pupils with complex Additional Support Needs and behavioural problems
• Worked at a camp in Canada for three months with children with ASN and their families
• Worked supporting young people with autism in a mainstream school
• Jan 09 Began working as an AEP for Aberdeenshire EPS and has been invaluable experience to see what a Ed Psyc does in practice.
Tasha• Always worked with children: in Bermuda, teaching art,
French holiday clubs and generally liked them.• During my Psych undergrad worked in a residential
unit/outreach with young people with challenging behaviour and autism and continued after Uni
• Worked in Nepal with 30 children in an orphanage• Completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Residential
Childcare-making me more passionate about research.• Then worked in a Council Residential Unit with five
teenage girls who were looked after.• Ed Psych combines children, young people, education
and research-hopefully (!) the perfect mixture for me.
Anna• Voluntary work experience:
– During 3rd & 4th year at University I volunteered with a youth group for teenagers with ASD and during holidays I worked with ASN playschemes. I was also involved with befriending schemes too.
– After I graduated I volunteered as a Brownie Pack Leader for a year.
• Paid work experience:– 3 months as a Nursery Assistant in a private nursery– 3 months as an ASN Auxiliary in a mainstream primary school– 1 year as a Classroom Assistant at the Royal Blind School in
Edinburgh– November 2007 I started as an AEP with Aberdeenshire.
• Really beneficial having experience in 3 of the main stages of education in both mainstream and special schools and also having a bit of a balance between voluntary and paid experience.
Get a variety of experienceand start building it up early!!!
Where are AEP Jobs advertised?
• Council’s own websites
• TES Website
• National Newspapers i.e. The Guardian
• BPS Magazine: The Psychologist
Useful Websites
• www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/eps
• www.dundee.ac.uk
• www.strath.ac.uk
• www.bps.org.uk
Thank you