OSPA Assessment Day - UCL · There will now be ten minutes for reflection and feedback from the...

UCL – Manchester – Southampton Universities Educational Psychology 2015 1

OSPA Assessment Day

Guidance and Information for Role Players

STATION 1 – Initial Information Gathering


An OSPA Guide for Role Players

What is an OSPA?

An OSPA is an Objective Structured Professional Assessment. The purpose of an OSPA is to

provide trainee educational psychologists with the opportunity to demonstrate the

attainment of the knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes necessary for competent

professional practice. The assessments take place in a series of rooms (stations) where the

trainees respond to different tasks.

An OSPA is...

Objective: at each station the trainee is presented with a different professional task

presented as a scenario. All trainees are presented with the same scenarios and interact

with an actor who has been provided with clear guidance on how to react and respond.

Structured: the assessment scheme for each station is structured. Specific competence

modalities that are to be included are communication skills, perspective taking, information

gathering and synthesis, management and professional integrity.

Professional Assessment: Each activity is a test of performance of professional skills.

Trainees have to demonstrate competence in dealing with the scenarios that they are

presented with.


Why use OSPAs for assessment? Using OSPAs as a method of assessment allows careful specification of content and observation

of a range of professionally authentic scenarios.

How does it work? As a role player you will be a particular character who will be at the same station all day and will

have multiple interactions with different trainees, trying to keep the character as consistent as

possible and respond appropriately to the questions presented. Each trainee visits the same

series of stations during an OSPA. There are four stations each lasting 10 minutes. There is a

gap of 5 minutes between each scenario.

Why is it Objective? It is objective because each student is assessed using standardised marking principles and a

specific mark scheme that can be applied by an assessor, irrespective of where the assessment

takes place. One of the strengths of OSPAs is that they assess, in an objective way, what a

trainee can do as well as what they know.

How is the Role Player involved in an OSPA? Each role player is provided with a scenario that will outline the history of the character as well

as the reason they have an appointment with the educational psychologist. It is important that

the character and the information given in response to the trainees’ questions is portrayed in

the same way by everyone who plays the same role in an OSPA. To facilitate this each role

player will be given a background to the character, the history of the presenting problem,

information to be given to the trainee at the start of the consultation and information to be

given if asked by the trainee. The role and scenario will be sent in advance of the OSPA day to

enable role players to have the opportunity to look at the script and deal with any issues that

may not be clear. As a role player you will NOT be expected to give feedback to the trainee

after the scenario.

Confidentiality The scripts that you receive for an OSPA are part of the assessment and should be kept

completely confidential. It is important that you do not discuss the scenario on the day with

other people.

How long is an OSPA day? The OSPA assessment will take place over a full day. We would like you to arrive at 9.00am and

you will be able to leave at 5.00pm. The assessments will be grouped into three sessions, with

breaks in between.


OSPA Dos and Don’ts

Do learn the role thoroughly in order that you can be a credible character for the trainee

keep the scenario confidential

arrive on time

be suitably dressed for the character/situation

switch off your mobile telephone

remember that the trainees may be nervous

come fresh to each candidate

be consistent/standardised

stick to the script/ follow instructions on the script

be aware of time constraints

stay in character/role

listen for cues and prompts

use appropriate body language

be clear in what you say or do

get to the point quickly

respond with yes/no or minimum amount of information if asked a closed question

keep to known facts –if it isn’t in the script the answer to a question should be ‘No’ or ‘I don’t know’

listen to the trainee to ensure that you answer the correct question

answer the question that is asked and no more

Don’t add details that will change the emphasis of the script

discuss the role with others or let others see the details of the scenario

react subjectively to the candidate

over act

talk too much or take over the conversation

use misleading body language

linger on irrelevant questions

give too much information too soon

go off at a tangent

feel it is your responsibility to assist a trainee if they miss something in their questioning


Timing of an OSPA

00.00 minutes

You will hear the instruction ‘start station – switch on video recorder’

Trainee enters the room in role.

Switch on the video camera.

The assessment begins.

08.00 minutes

You will hear the words ‘two minutes remaining’.

If the candidate appears to have finished early remind them how long is left and enquire if

there is anything else they would like to ask, or whether they have finished. If they have

finished, please remain silent and allow the candidate that time for reflection.

10.00 minutes

You will hear the words ‘end station’.

Switch off the video recorder.

There will now be ten minutes for reflection and feedback from the assessors.

You should ask trainees to reflect on their performance in the scenario and then you should provide two strengths and one improvement framed in terms of the five skill domains on the marksheet.

20.00 minutes

You will hear the words ‘end of feedback time’.

The trainee must leave the room.

Trainees will then be given 5 minutes to move to the next station and familiarise

themselves with the scenario background information. Following the instruction ‘start

station’, the process begins again.

NOTE: the actor remains in the room with the assessor throughout the process.


NOT TO BE SEEN BY CANDIDATES

INFORMATION FOR THE ROLE PLAYER Scenario N° 1

STATION 1 – INITIAL INFORMATION GATHERING

Your role: Mrs Albreto, Paulo’s mother

Location: At home

Your son Paulo is a seventeen year old with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and severe

developmental delay. Your main priority is to access a college placement for Paulo. You

think that his needs are self-evident and do not see any need for further assessment. You

have been talking to your GP about Paulo for a number of months and the referral seems to

have taken ages. You are struggling to cope with him all day at home as it restricts his and

your life. You have not been able to make much social contact or pick up any work as Paulo

has been at home. You are frustrated and want a college place for September. You seek to

get this commitment from the trainee educational psychologist. Once you feel your voice

has been heard, however, you provide appropriate and detailed background information in

relation to prompts.

Information to be volunteered at the start of the consultation

Paulo has two siblings. His older sister is twenty-one, works part-time and attends a F.E. College. His younger brother is eight and attends a primary school five miles away. All of the family came to the UK in 2014.

You are quite matter of fact and accept the range of difficulties that looking after Paulo entails.

You would like to know what his potential is and would like him to have a more stimulating life.

The doctor suggested he might be entitled to a place at college

Paulo is out.

You don’t have any hoists for Paulo and are waiting for the council to adapt the flat to make it easier e.g. a proper ramp, above the bed hoist. Your previous house had some adaptations.

Information to be given if asked:

Paulo has been under a neurology clinic at University Hospital.


You were a taxi driver in Portugal but came to the UK when you were made redundant.

Paulo is out with a worker from Scope who sees him once a week. This is the only thing he does outside the home and you are desperate to increase what he does.

You take Paulo every morning and evening across town on the bus to drop his younger brother off at school and pick him up because unless your daughter is there you can’t leave him.

Below is an extract from a report written by an educational psychologist. You may find

this useful to help you prepare and familiarise yourself with Paulo and your family

situation:

Current Setting

His mother cares for him in their home. Currently it is not adapted for a wheelchair user,

though this is due to happen. His older sister supports his mother with his care.

General History (including involvement of other agencies and health needs)

Paulo’s mother explained that Paulo went to a childminder in Portugal until he was six while

his mother worked. He could socialise alongside able-bodied children; he could clap his

hands and with help, could paint. Mother thought he may have started making vocalisations

that sounded like ‘mum’ and ‘dad’.

Paulo then started attending a special school. He was collected at 8am, transported to

school and returned to the family at 7pm. His mother said he accessed speech and language

therapy, but never learned to talk. He also accessed occupational therapy. He did weekly

horse-riding and went swimming. There were sensory activities such as manipulating clay,

playing with dried beans, water and sound and light toys. Mother could not participate

much in Paulo’s education because she always had to work to support her family. In

Portugal, Mother’s sister used to help her out. Paulo’s father left the family when Paulo was

13 and has not had subsequent contact with the family. Paulo’s mother came to the UK to

look for work when she was made redundant in Portugal.

The family are isolated socially, with no friends or family nearby. Paulo’s mother said she

has one friend a few miles away who she sometimes speaks to on the phone, but does not

see.


Sensory and/or physical needs

Paulo was born with cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs. He also has epilepsy, which

started at the age of two, which is successfully controlled with carbamazepine. Paulo is

totally dependent on his family for all aspects of his care, feeding and toileting. He wears

nappies and his mother has to check if he needs to be changed. He cannot walk or talk. He

sleeps through the night thanks to the medication he takes. Paulo’s mother said that the

most difficult thing about caring for Paulo is bathing, changing him and preparing him for

going out. Paulo cannot walk; there is almost constant body movement because of spasms.

Paulo’s mother said they are awaiting a chair for Paulo; his current wheelchair is not right

for him, so most of the time when he is at home, he sits on the bed which is more

comfortable. Paulo can sit up, for example, when he wakes up, but there is constant body

movement and he cannot stop himself from falling over and off the bed. He therefore

requires close monitoring.

Paulo’s mother said he has never had a standing frame. She said that at his special school,

they had a way of using a belt to get him to do a stand up activity. He used to cry and school

did not know whether this was because of the pain or because he disliked the activity.

Social Emotional and Mental Health

Paulo’s mother described Paulo as a happy young man. He loves to see his older sister and

when she is there, Paulo jumps, smiles and vocalises with pleasure. Paulo seems to enjoy

the company of people and likes to watch TV.

Paulo can become agitated if he thinks someone has tried to change his TV channel. He can

also be agitated by noisy, busy places, or of noisy children are in the room. He may then bite

his hand. He has bitten his fingers until they bleed; the skin on his hands has now hardened.

While I was at the home, I observed behaviours such as waving his hands in front of his face,

clapping and sucking his finger and biting his hands.

Communication & Interaction

Paulo’s home language is Portuguese, but he also understands English. He cannot speak, but

makes a range of vocalisations. He will smile at people to try and get their attention. Paulo

makes his needs known by grabbing at things, for example, if his family hold up two objects,

he will try and grab the thing he wants. When he is hungry, he will try and grab food and


drink. He enjoys bathing and caring routines and if he is agitated, she calms him by stroking

and hugging him.

When Paulo is happy, he smiles; he screams when unhappy. When he saw a boy on the bus

who resembled his brother, he smiled and seemed to be trying to get his attention. Paulo

enjoys being in the company of other people.

Cognition and Learning

Paulo’s mother keeps regular daily routines for Paulo. He likes to watch music videos and

dancing. He seems to have favourite artists, for example, Beyoncé and Rihanna and he

recognises their songs. He can discriminate between TV programmes. He has become

agitated when the adverts have come on the TV as he thinks that someone has turned his

programme off. Paulo used to like looking at photos of his family in a digital frame. It was

difficult to know if he actually recognised the pictures.

Paulo used to like playing with noisy toys, for example, shakers. If he was given a toy that

did not make a noise, he was not interested and would throw it. He will repeatedly cast toys

if an adult retrieves them for him. If his little sister brings him a toy piano, he will press the

keys then throw it.

Paulo enjoys being taken for a walk and likes to look at people and smile.

Other areas of development

Paulo is spoon fed by his mother. He eats food that she has softened with soup or chopped

finely. He can grasp food, but tends to hold on to it or throw it and cannot get it to his

mouth. This is something Mother would like him to be taught.

Views of the Parent

Paulo’s mother would like Paulo to attend an education setting where he can access speech

and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. In Portugal, he used to go

swimming and it would be good for him to do this again. She thinks that with stimulation,

Paulo could do more, but he has been in school since last Summer and all this time, his

academic learning has stopped.

Paulo’s mother would like Paulo to be encouraged to feed himself. She would like him to


have access to IT, for example, a touch-screen may help him. It would be nice for Paulo to

have contact with other people. Mother is concerned that she might have to fight for a

college place because he is of post-school age.

At the end of the consultation you will be asked to consider the question: ‘I would

be happy to come back and consult with this trainee again'. You should use a scale

of 1-5 (1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = just agree, 4 = neutral, 5 = disagree).


BACKGROUND INFORMATION Scenario N° 1

The following information has been given to the trainees prior to the

assessment.

STATION 1 – INITIAL INFORMATION GATHERING

Client details: Mrs Albreto, Paulo’s mother

Your role: Local Authority EP

Presenting issue: Initial consultation following request from SEN department for EP

involvement

Please read the scenario printed below. Upon the instruction ‘start station’ enter the room. You have 10 minutes for your consultation. After 8 minutes you will hear the words ‘2 minutes remaining’. You may make notes if you wish.

Where relevant, assume that all consents have been secured.

Main teaching point

Initial information gathering with a parent of a young person with complex needs.

Referral text:

The following referral has been made by via the special educational needs department

following a parental request.

Paulo Albreto is a seventeen year old with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and severe

developmental delay. He came to the UK with his family from Portugal in November 2014.

Between the ages of six and fifteen, Paulo attended a special school in Porto and left in July

2014. He has not been in any education placement since his arrival and there has been no

assessment of his special educational needs. Paulo’s father is Portuguese and his mother is

English. His parents separated when he was 13 and his mother has chosen to relocate to the

UK. You are due to meet Paulo on Thursday 2nd July at a community centre which he

attends with his Scope worker.

Today your task is to have an initial consultation with Mrs Albreto at home to inform your

next meeting from the point of view of the client. Find out as much detail as you can about

the current situation.


This station does not require you to plan future interventions.

Please assume all appropriate consents have been established for your involvement.

Mrs Albreto is desperate to talk about options for Paulo.

Aims of the station

The aim is to collect background information and gain a clear overview of the problem/ situation from the perspective of the client(s). This can include their views of the perspective of others.

This station does not require you to plan future actions. If the client is not the young person, consider how you can access the young person’s

views. Try to focus on the current situation rather than spending time taking detailed

background information that is not directly relevant.




STATION 2 – ASSESSMENT AND EXPLANATION

Your role: Henna, 18 year old student at Elm Valley college. You have adequate

conversational English, but struggle to understand complex

terminology and jargon.

Presenting Issue: Anxiety

History of presenting problem You are an 18 year old refugee from Afghanistan who is experiencing anxiety in relation to assessed work on your ESOL course, and social situations outside your immediate family. Information to be volunteered at the start of the consultation Presentation – quiet, reserved, hesitant (limited eye contact). No shaking hands. Not overtly anxious.

You are a student on an English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) course

You don’t understand the anxiety factsheet and can’t recall what it said

You worry a lot and “get scared”, especially of exams

Everyone thinks you’re really quiet, but you think that you’re OK.

Information to be given if asked

You are worried that you will not be able to cope with the ESOL exams because you have had so little time in school. Thoughts linked with your anxiety are ‘people will think I’m stupid’; ‘I don’t know anything’ etc.

Your GP told you that you were anxious, but you didn’t understand what they said about it, nor the factsheet. You feel scared that there is something seriously wrong with you.

You have three older brothers and one younger sister. Your mother speaks no English and your father is unemployed.

At times of stress, you can’t sleep because of bad dreams and this affects your performance in exams and timed assessments at college.

Things were very difficult before you came to England because of the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan. You were not able to go to school because you are a girl and under the Taliban, education is denied to females. You spent most of



your time at home and in addition to domestic chores, watched a lot of TV.

You have not attended school in the UK either. Going to college to complete the ESOL course is your first contact with formal education.

Tutors say you’re really quiet. They don’t understand – the Taliban say girls can’t talk to strangers so you have grown up just mixing with your immediate family. You are anxious in social situations outside the family.







assessment.

Client details: Henna, 18 year old student at Elm Valley college

Your role: EP working in FE College

Presenting issue: Anxiety



Referral text:

You have been contacted by email by Ms. Brown, a tutor at Elm Valley FE college where you regularly work. She is concerned about 18 year old Henna, a student who came to the UK from Afghanistan two years ago, who displays signs of anxiety. She received no formal education in her home country and started at college just over a year ago with an aim of learning English (she is undertaking an ESOL course and has adequate conversational English). Henna has told her tutor that she has recently been to see her GP and been given a fact sheet about anxiety. Ms. Brown is concerned because Henna still appears to be very anxious particularly about exams and in social situations. She is concerned about her wellbeing and learning. Ms. Brown has talked with Henna and arranged a time for you to come into the FE College for a discussion with Henna about her anxieties. She believes that Henna would benefit from more information and explanation. Remember - you do not need to plan actions or go beyond the scenario brief; assessment and explanation.


Aims of the Station

The aim is to explain psychological and technical information to Henna in a way that is accessible.

You will need to gain Henna's perspective of the key aspects of the problem situation before embarking on an explanation

You will need to clearly and slowly explain key concepts, information and terms,

avoiding jargon and checking Henna's understanding throughout.

Know the limitations of your own knowledge and experience. It’s okay to say you

don’t know but explain what you will do to find out and feedback




STATION 3 – ACTION PLANNING

Your role: Andy Smith, 54 year old Head of Learning Support at Redbank

College. You are happily married with two grown up children. You

have been in the role for 8-9 years.

Presenting issue: Request for consultation

You are meeting to discuss how best to respond to issues arising from a recent incident

involving one of your students (see information for trainees below).

Information to be volunteered at the start of the consultation

You have a strong ethos of collaboration and problem-solving and you want to speak to the EP in order to bounce around ideas and to try and co-construct solutions.

Redbank College is situated in a fairly affluent area within large city. It is a small college with a good reputation and was praised in a recent Ofsted inspection for its strengths in managing and supporting behaviour. There are few problems with behaviour or mental health and these are typically dealt with by the Pastoral Support, rather than the Learning Support. You are receptive to new ideas, but if you are honest, you are very experienced and good at your job. However, you are very busy and it is sometimes difficult to find time to deal with issues like this on an individual basis.

Information to be given if asked or provide if the topics are covered in discussions:

If asked what you would like from the meeting say: 1. An opportunity to talk through where the college are up to with the issue. 2. Maybe some direct support for Danny, if he is in agreement, to help him get

back on track. 3. Some support for staff in school to support Danny effectively.

Danny’s parents are supportive. They are happy for him to receive whatever support is available.

You think that Danny would benefit from speaking to somebody neutral, not


connected with the college. You tentatively broached this with Danny and he said it would be OK.

Lucy is a quiet and reserved pupil. There are no indications that she has ASD or another learning difficulty. She was not particularly offended by Danny trying to kiss her. However, she admits that she mentioned the incident to a couple of girlfriends and it became widely known.

You think that some of the students might have given Danny a bit of ‘ribbing’ about the incident. Danny interpreted this as ‘bullying’. The other students have now been asked not to mention it and as far as you know, this has not happened.

If the educational psychologist asks about working with the other students, say you think it might be useful if someone does some work with Danny’s peers. You have already had contact with the group, so you could potentially do this.

Danny is upset that this has happened. After the attempted kiss, he went to two lectures where Lucy was present but ended up walking out. He has now missed the last three lectures they share but has remained on campus and gone to the library, albeit without consent. He feels as if people are laughing at him and he doesn’t know how to make things right. He wants to stay at college, but doesn’t want any contact with Lucy. Lucy has tried to talk to Danny, but he does not want to see her.

Danny has not really discussed the matter with anyone yet, including his parents.

Lucy and the other students are sorry that Danny is not coming to lessons. They have tried to make contact with him outside lessons but Danny will not talk to them.

Danny does not have a key worker. He has never had a statement or EHC plan. Although his needs were flagged up when he made the transition to college, and he had a few weeks of support from the transition team (a group of support workers who provide support to students during early days in college) he was felt to be managing well and no concerns were raised.

Danny is not currently accessing any support for developing social skills or relationships.

You have learning support workers at Redbank but they tend to focus on curriculum access and learning support, neither of which you feel are priorities for Danny. At Redbank College, the Pastoral Support Unit is separate from Learning Support.

Key worker support is potentially available, but you are not sure that the people


providing this support would have the appropriate level of skill to support Danny in understanding relationships and appropriate sexual behaviour.

Two lecturers on the computer game design course are upset with Danny for walking out of and missing lessons. You have arranged a meeting with them to discuss how Danny’s ASD might be contributing to the presenting difficulties.

You have a lot of expertise around ASD, but would struggle to have day-to-day involvement with this sort of case. You also think that members of staff might benefit from speaking to someone independent.

At the end of the consultation you will be asked to consider the question: ‘I would be

happy to come back and consult with this trainee again'. You should use a scale of 1-5 (1 =

strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = just agree, 4 = neutral, 5 = disagree).




assessment.

STATION 3 – ACTION PLANNING

Client details: Mr Andy Smith

Your role: EP for Redbank College


Please read the scenario printed below. Upon the instruction ‘start station’ enter the room. You have 10 minutes for your consultation. After 8 minutes you will hear the words ‘2 minutes remaining’. You may make notes if you wish. Where relevant, assume that all consents have been secured. Referral text:

Redbank College is a mainstream FE provision for young people post 16. You received an

email referral from the Head of Learning Support, Mr Andy Smith.

Dear EP,

Would you be able to meet with me in college sometime to

discuss how best to respond to issues arising from a recent

incident involving one of our students?

The young person ‘D’ has a diagnosis of autism and I would

describe him as ‘high functioning’. During the last three

months (since September) this student has developed a

friendship with a female student ‘L’. However, recently I

become aware that D was acting strangely and had started to

avoid L. His lecturers reported that he seemed anxious and had

started to miss some of his classes.

I tried to meet with D but he wouldn’t talk to me at all. I

then spoke to L. She told me that D had tried to kiss her but

she did not respond to this and rejected his advances. D

appears increasingly anxious and his teachers are concerned

this incident is having an impact on his learning and

wellbeing.


I know that you have just become our link EP. It would be

really helpful to have a chat about ways in which we might

respond to this, if you could pop in for a visit.

Best wishes

Andy

-------------------------------------------------------------------

You have acknowledged Andy’s email and have made a date to see him. You have made

initial contact with Andy via telephone and have outlined the role of the EP at a previous

meeting. This is the first piece of direct work with the college you have been asked to

undertake.

Initial contact with Andy has revealed the following additional information:

The pupil, Danny, is in Year 12. Danny is currently doing a level 3 course in computer game design (this requires 4 GCSEs at A-C, including C in English and D in Maths). Danny is in college for three days a week.

You are aware that Danny would like to be a computer games designer or a computer programmer. He has had some support from the Connexions service in thinking about future employment possibilities.

Danny does not have many friends and can be a bit of a loner. He has a few friends including males and females who he interacts with around political issues and he followed the recent election compulsively. He is also interested in anything to do with computers and technology. You do not know if he accesses social media.

Danny is attending some of the same lectures as the female student, for whom Andy is using the pseudonym ‘Lucy’, who is doing a computer science course. They have tended to socialise within a wider group.

There is no suggestion this is any sort of sexual harassment, but rather an inappropriate understanding of relationship boundaries. Andy wonders if Danny’s behaviour has been influenced by public displays of affection amongst other college students.

Danny’s lecturers have told Danny off for not coming to lectures. You acknowledge that this has not been helpful and may have increased his anxiety.

Andy genuinely likes Danny and thinks he has a lot to offer Redbank College. He is concerned about Danny’s learning, the fact he appears increasingly anxious and his ongoing difficulties in accessing lessons which Lucy is in.

Andy is not sure that, to date, the systemic response has been ideal.

NOT T


Aims of this station relate to Action Planning

The aim is to agree clear actions and next steps with Andy in relation to the issue presented, allowing him time to suggest solutions he favours and considers feasible.

Allow time to seek evaluation of the options you provide.

Summarise agreed actions and agree a follow up.

If you do not know key information, it is appropriate to let the client know that you need to find out more.

You may assume that all appropriate consent has been given for this piece of work.

O BE




STATION 4 - COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS

Your role: Kylie Ward, aged 24


History of presenting problem Looking through some documents in preparation for applying for teacher training, you found an EP report written when you were 8 years old. Information to be volunteered at the start of the consultation

The report is on the table and you refer to it during the consultation.

You are concerned that you had a previous psychological assessment that you and your mum did not agree to.

Your mum told you that she never met any psychologist and no-one mentioned to her that you had dyslexia.

Information to be given if asked.

1. You cannot remember the assessment having taken place. 2. You are anxious about the report and its implications. 3. You seek an explanation about why you and your mum knew nothing about the

report. 4. You are disconcerted that you were labelled as having dyslexia and want to know

what this means and the implications e.g. is it genetic? Will it pass on to my children?

5. You remember that when in the junior school you were taken out of class every week to work with Mrs Grimshaw on your spellings but this stopped at high school and you did not get any extra help after that.

6. You felt like you understood what the teachers were talking about but never did as well in exams as predicted.

7. You did well enough to go to university to study drama, although you seemed to be doing a lot more work than your friends.

8. You managed to get a few acting jobs but often found learning lines quite hard going. You have now decided on a change of direction and are applying to do teacher training.

9. You can be quite forgetful and are often disorganised.




assessment.

Client details: Kylie Ward, aged 24

Your role: Local Authority Educational Psychologist

Presenting issue: Freedom of Information request to see educational psychology file



Referral text:

Kylie aged 24 has found a report by an EP done when she was 8 that she did not know existed.

She has no recollection of the assessment and her mum tells her that she knows nothing about it and says that she would not have agreed to Kylie seeing a psychologist.

As the local authority EP, your PEP asks you to meet Kylie to discuss the 16 year old report (see over). The educational psychology file contains a copy of the report written by a colleague who has now retired, signed parent consent forms, assessment record forms and brief notes. There is no record of any meetings with parents.

The focus of this element of the consultation is to discuss Kylie’s concerns in relation to ethical practice.


Aims of the Station

The aim is to discuss Kylie's concerns about whether she and her Mum consented to the EP assessment.

You need to ensure that you have addressed Kylie's concerns. You do not need to explain the content of the report in detail. Familiarity with the BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct (2009) and the HCPC Standards

of conduct, performance and ethics (2012) will be central to the issues at hand and you will need to consider relevant aspects in relation to this case:

Respect (including confidentiality and its limitations, informed consent, self-

determination)

Competence (including ethical decision making, recognition of limits of competence)

Responsibility (including duty to avoid harm; termination and continuity of care)

Integrity (honesty and accuracy; addressing professional misconduct)


Educational Psychology Summary Report

Name: Kylie Ward Age: 8 Years 6 Months

COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING

Kylie’s cognitive abilities were assessed, at chronological age 8 years 6 months, using the

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 2nd Edition UK (WISC – II). The results are

summarised below:

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – 2nd Edition (WISC II)

Composite Score* Percentile**

Verbal Comprehension 106 66

Perceptual Reasoning 102 55

Working Memory 74 4

Processing Speed 115 84

Full Scale 101 53

*An average composite/standard score is 100. About 95% of children of the same age (95 in

every hundred) will score between 70 and 130. Scores below 70, therefore, indicate highly

significant difficulties, scores above 130 indicate very high abilities.

**A percentile is the suggested position of an individual’s performance on a specific test in relation to their peers. A percentile of 25 would suggest that 75% of pupils of a similar age would be expected to have obtained a higher score on that test with 24% having been expected to have scored lower.

Results of the cognitive assessment indicate above average skills in the area of visual

processing and in the areas of verbal and non-verbal problem solving. Working Memory

represents an area of weakness and Kylie may experience difficulties in this area that could

impact on her learning.


EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS

Kylie’s literacy skills were assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)

at a chronological age of 8 years 6 months. The results are summarised below:

WIAT

Age Equivalent Standard Score* Percentile**

Word Reading 6 years 4 months 74 4

Spelling 6 years 0 months 72 3

Kylie’s scores for Word Reading and Spelling fall in the borderline range for her age. She

displayed a relatively good sight vocabulary but her phonic decoding lacked a degree of

accuracy and fluency. Discrepancy analysis would indicate a significant difference between

Kylie’s scores for Word Reading and Spelling and her predicted scores in these areas (based

upon her full scale score). This profile for Word Reading and Spelling would be consistent

with dyslexic difficulties.

Conclusion

Kylie has dyslexia which is impacting on her learning across the curriculum. School staff

report she is withdrawn and reluctant to answer questions in class and seems to be

experiencing low self-esteem.

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