1999 - 00 Reports

The Professional Development Programme (PDP) is managed by the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP) in collaboration with local authorities and funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department. This is the fifth cycle of the programme, which involves groups of psychologists in cross-boundary project work and other professional development activities, around agreed themes, over a period of about one year. The outcomes of this work are disseminated 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 1999-2000 programme, namely:

• Managing Difficult Behaviour
• Raising Achievement
• Increasing Inclusion and Best Value

Accountability has become a significant issue for Psychological Services in the recent past as local government has increasingly been subject to the need to justify itself. This has come about as a result of political decisions. Changing the political backdrop has not removed the focus on accountability but has substituted the means by which judgements can be made. Providing effective services and value for money are not new aspirations for psychologists working in a local government setting. However, the increasing trends of self-evaluation and the pursuit of evidence to substantiate conclusions have become the focus of administrators and managers in education and related services. Best Value, a concept from the commercial world, is now the order of the day across all 32 councils. As a result, all practising educational psychologists are likely to have heard of the concept and to be considering, to some extent, its relevance to the delivery of their services. There are likely to be a diverse range of opinions about the subject, ranging from cynicism to qualified acceptance.

Difficult or challenging behaviour cannot be dealt with in isolation. Educational initiatives on social inclusion, alternatives to exclusion, raising attainment and new community schools are all highly relevant.

Eight psychologists came together to look at this topic. Their approach was highly practical, looking to develop INSET materials for use with teachers and parents concerning how to handle difficult behaviour.

The first group produced a four-unit course on Training in Anger Management. Materials are provided here in text form, but a CD-ROM (including PowerPoint material and text for coloured print handouts) is available via the authors and coordinators.

The second group produced training materials on Solution Focused Approaches to Difficult Behaviour. Their materials fall into two parts: Keys to Solutions, an elaborate PowerPoint presentation with notes and activity sheets to introduce the principles of a Solution Focused Approach, and Additional Materials, developing further the application of the approach to the field of emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Two highly practical responses to an area that causes us all anxiety and concern.

The initial remit for this strand of the 1999-2000 PDP, challenged the group to “look at roles and perspectives for Psychological Services in fostering inclusive education and in helping schools to raise achievement”. The group was aware of the danger that these two policy imperatives may be viewed, in the light of target setting, as mutually inhibiting. The real challenge to emerge for the group, was to identify practical means by which Psychological Services can not only contribute towards the resolution of this apparent dichotomy, but can also seek to move teachers and others towards recognising that raising achievement and increasing inclusion can be mutually enhancing. Indeed, that they are essential, practical manifestations, within a single process, of a progressive education system evolving to meet the needs of the citizens of a modernising democracy.