1998 - 99 Reports

The Professional Development Programme (PDP) has evolved from the former PDI following discussions with the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department. The Programme involves groups of psychologists in cross-boundary project work and other professional development activities, around agreed themes, over a period of about one year, and the dissemination of the outcomes of this work to colleagues and others in the field of education. This booklet gives a summary of the activities and findings of the three themes addressed by the 1998-99 programme, namely

• Critical Events for Schools
• ict@psych.serv.scot
• Consultation with Children

This study comprised

• a discussion of the issues involved in educational psychologists working with Critical Incidents in terms of preparation, skill development, and the types of roles which can be of value;
• an investigation of schools' understanding of; reports of incidence; difficulties; effects on the schools; forms of support available and those desired which relate to Critical Incidents. The responses are categorised and conclusions and recommendations proposed;
• the compilation of a comprehensive staff development package for use by educational psychologists with schools in relation to Critical Incidents

This group explored the best use of ICT in developing and delivering psychological services. The areas covered by the group included

• a survey and study of Management Information Systems(MIS) and their application to service management in the hope of developing a generic specification for an MIS;
• a survey of the perspectives of Scottish Principal Psychologists' views on ICT as a tool in service management. Both benefits and problems are reported on;
• the use of the Internet and Electronic Mail provided an opportunity to examine the issues in electronic communication methods. A voluminous list of Websites relevant to EPs was also produced along with psychologists use and knowledge of EPNET;
• experience and use of audio and video conferencing were explored with particular relevance for geographically remote areas. Benefits and disadvantages were discussed.

This topic was subdivided into 3 parts by the group and followed on in part from a previous year's study of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995

• the legislative, political, theoretical and comparative context in which Consulting with Children is taking place. This covers practice issues in councils in Scotland and in other organisations relevant to children and young people;
• creating the context for consultation to take place examines the unique position of educational psychologists in working at three levels of development, namely, authority, school and child to promote such a context;
• booklets to aid children in putting forward their views were piloted and in-service materials were developed for primary schools. Opportunities afforded by recent Scottish Office performance indicators and the Manual of Good Practice are discussed.