2003 - 04 Reports

The Professional Development Programme (PDP) is managed by the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP) in collaboration with local councils and funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). This is the ninth 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 2003-2004 programme, namely:

• The Role of Psychological Services in supporting National Priority 3
• Multiagency Working in the context of For Scotland’s Children
• The Role of Psychological Services in implementing Better Behaviour / Better Learning

The report on Better Behaviour / Better Learning (SEED, 2001) is a significant report for Scottish Education, drawing on several concurrent developments such as effective joint working between agencies; better integrated children’s services; clear protocols for the processes of assessment, planning and intervention. Reflecting national priorities and a changing legislative and philosophical context, the key topic to be explored by the PDP group referred specifically to recommendation 5 of the Better Behaviour - Better Learning Report of the Discipline Task Group (December 2000)(BB/BL).

The starting point for this study was ‘For Scotland’s Children’ (FSC), (2001) a report commissioned by the Scottish Executive in its drive to improve services for children, especially those who are most disadvantaged. The premise of the Report is that outcomes for children will be better if all agencies concerned work together to integrate services. FSC calls on ‘universal’ services, such as health and education directed at all of the population, along with targeted services, such as social work and voluntary agencies serving selected groups, to jointly address the extent of children’s needs detailed within the Report (FSC, 2001).

The remit for this strand of the 2003-04 cycle of the PDP was [elaborating] the role of Psychological Services in supporting National Priority 3: To promote equality and help every pupil benefit from education, with particular regard paid to pupils with disabilities and special educational needs, and Gaelic and other lesser languages.