Induction and Supervision for Newly Qualified Educational Psychologists

Abstract

It is increasingly recognised that professional development is a long-term if not a life-time activity and does not end with initial 'qualification'. Most professions now acknowledge the need (requirement or even entitlement) for continuing professional development (CPD) following initial qualification; some professions are even able to require newly qualified entrants to accumulate a specified number of CPD 'units'over their first few years, other professions require a 'probationary year', and other professions have well-developed induction and supervision procedures. The profession of educational psychologists is in the process of looking at initiatives in these three areas. Within the BPS there is a standing committee on continuing professional development, looking at procedures for developing this area across the different branches in applied psychology. Secondly, there have been discussions within the BPS concerning the structuring of the post-qualification year (pre-Chartered status) and possible requirements for the year. Thirdly the DECP of the BPS has had an active subcommittee over the past few years looking at the whole area of supervision (both of trainees and qualified EPs) within educational psychology. These areas are discussed further below.

Educational psychologists’ experience of taking part in group supervision: A phenomenological study

“…The explicit lack of a discussion of the authors' epistemological and theoretical stance, which informed their choice of methodology, which in turn did not allow for an adequate lack of exploration of some potentially important findings, were a serious limitation of these three articles. Lunt and Sayeed (1995) followed up a previous piece of research Sayeed and Lunt (1992) which used postal questionnaires and a series of structured interviews with newly qualified EPs and Principal Eductional Psychologists to investigate the experience of induction. The authors justified the selection of newly qualified EPs by proposing that the first year of practice as a newly qualified EP was a year where practitioners were still learning the practicalities of the job and trying to assimilate the theoretical elements into everyday practice.…”

Supervision for school psychologists in training: Developing a framework from empirical findings

“…Annan and Ryba (2013) advocated the fundamental importance of supervision to sound professional practice in school psychology, while Smith Harvey and Pearrow (2010) suggested that it is imperative for professional growth and skill development. Sayeed and Lunt (1992) and Smith Harvey and Stuzziero (2008) suggested that for school psychologists, supervision should be a long term, if not life-long activity. Despite this, internationally there have been consistent reports of school psychologists receiving insufficient or inadequate supervision (Chafouleas, Clonan, & Vanauken, 2002;Crespi & Dube, 2006;Lam & Yuen, 2004;Thielking, Moore, & Jimerson, 2006).…”

“…Within the literature, the supervision of school psychologists falls into three main areas (Dunsmuir & Leadbetter, 2010): The supervision of practising school psychologists (e.g. Annan & Ryba, 2013; Chafouleas et al., 2002; Lam & Yuen, 2004; Smith Harvey & Pearrow, 2010; Thielking et al., 2006); the supervision of school psychologists in training (Atkinson & Woods, 2007; Carrington, 2004; Haboush, 2003; Hill et al., 2015; Sayeed & Lunt, 1992; Woods et al., 2015); and the supervision of professionals from other disciplines by school psychologists (Callicott & Leadbetter, 2013; Maxwell, 2013; Osborne & Burton, 2014). The empirical element of this article focuses on the second of these, given that the need for supervision is considered to be particularly important during professional training and critical to ensuring both the effectiveness of practice placements and the experience of the trainee (Woods et al., 2015).…”