Consultation:

a means of being able to consider and apply appropriate psychological theory and understanding with parents and teachers where there are concerns about a child.

The aim of consultation is to reach a better understanding of the child and their situation, and develop an agreed plan to improve the situation, with the intention of enhanced outcomes at home and at school’ (Nolan & Moreland, 2014).

Psychology is applied through a structured conversation between the psychologist and the consultees with the aim of eliciting change talk, furthering understanding and empowering consultees to take informed and reasoned action to support positive change. There are many kinds of consultation and Dan will select and apply the most appropriate psychologies for the situation in situ.

Some examples of what consultation might look like include:

• Consultation with parents/carers
• Consultation with school staff including individual and group work.
• Consultation Cascades – Dan can utilise peer-sharing consultation teams via trained champions in the school to help build systemic capacity at every level of the organisation to respond to SEND needs in a proactive and containing manner and for staff to share good practice under the supervision of an EP (Dan).
• Collaborative group/multi-agency consultation with all stakeholders e.g., Health and Social Care as well as School Staff, Parents/Carers and where appropriate the child/young person themselves
• Advice and recommendations on strategies and support for interventions to support the ‘Assess Plan, Do, Review’ (APDR) process or ‘graduated response’
• Psychological formulation.