Educational Psychology – children and young people

What to expect when you meet an EP - Guide for young people

Educational Psychologists are often called EPs. They use psychology to help with understanding barriers young people may experience with their learning, managing emotions, friendships and behaviour. Their job is to help children and young people have the right support to reach their educational goals. EPs visit preschools, primary, secondary, special schools and colleges to work with staff, parents/carers and young people across Southampton city.

Why has EP involvement been requested for you?

Don’t worry, plenty of children and young people see an EP and every school and college in Southampton has a link EP from our team that visits them. There are a wide range of reasons why an EP might be coming to visit you, but generally it is because your parents/carers and key adults that work with you may seek support to help promote your development in areas such as emotional wellbeing, learning or behaviour. Together with your parents/carers, key adults and you, the EP can help provide suggestions or strategies to reduce any barriers to your learning progress.

It’s an EP’s job to find out:

• what is working well for you?
• what struggles are there?
• what are your future goals?
• What might help you?

This work might involve:

• Visiting your school or college, home or an agreed place in the community
• Spending time talking together
• Doing fun challenges (Drawing, puzzles, card sorting, solving problems)
• Talking with key adults (parents, carers, teachers, key staff that support you).
• Reading and writing reports

An EP will only become involved to work with you when they have written permission from your parents or carers and key adults. An EP will also want you to know that you have a choice. You can say yes to everything, or only to some parts of your meeting with an EP. Or you can say no to everything and that is okay.

Before working with an EP, you should understand:

• Who will be working with you and why
• What ‘working together’ will involve
• What will happen as an outcome

Remember you can ask a trusted adult to be with you when you meet the EP if you like. You can also ask for a break or for the EP to stop working with you at any point in your meeting.

If you have any questions before you meet an Educational Psychologist, you can ask an adult or use our enquiry form below or you can also ask the EP when you meet them too.

Also, this short video guide explains ‘the who, what, where, why of working with an Educational Psychologist’ - Working with an EP video for young people. This video was produced by trainee Educational Psychologists from the University of Southampton and the University of East Anglia.

Here is an example guide of what to expect when you meet an EP.

Educational Psychology involvement

What to expect when you meet an EP as part of an EHC Assessment?

An EP may be asked to meet and work with you as part of an ‘Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment’ (often called an EHC). This means exploring your areas of strength (things you find easy/helpful) and struggles (things you find hard/unhelpful).

It is also a chance for you to say what life in and out of school or college is like for you and have your views heard by everyone else.

Your voice is really important in this process.

As part of gathering information the EP may also look at records held at your school/college and speak with some key adults who support you (such as parents/carers and key staff).

See our guide below for an example of EP work as part of an EHC Needs Assessment. 

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment

Useful websites and links for young people

Here are some websites often recommended by EPs to young people that come from trusted sources.

• There are a range of relaxation apps which you may wish to try which you can find including the free NHS Chill Panda
• Childline comforts, advises and protects children 24 hours a day and offers free confidential counselling - Phone 0800 1111 (24 hours). Childline Calm zone.
• Kooth - Online mental wellbeing support, which is free, safe and anonymous. Includes access to online tips and advice from other young people and the Kooth Team, discussion boards, a chat service and online journal.
• Young Minds - The UK’s leading charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of young people. They publish a range of information for parents/carers and they also have a parent/carers helpline. Calls are free Mon-Fri from 9:30am to 4pm 0808 802 5544.
• Shout 24 - 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. A place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help.
• Southampton CAMHS - Services for adults, families and people with SEND | Services Directory | Southampton City Council

Finding out more about psychology…

• Frontiers - Research articles for children in the areas of neuroscience and psychology.
• Science Journal for Kids and Teens - Articles for High School Psychology - Science Journal for Kids and Teens