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Evidenced-based consultation

What is consultation?  

Educational Psychologists are trained in and frequently use consultation in their work.  

Consultation is a structured conversation which involves joint exploration of a problem to bring about change. It can be thought of as a collaborative problem-solving conversation.  

Consultations can take many forms including;  

Individual case work: we will often use consultation as part of EP involvement with schools and families.  

Group work: we currently offer regular Early Years and Reception/KS1 Group Consultation (Hyperlink).  

Whole school level: we can use consultation to develop whole school approaches, in evaluations and action research (?).   

Service development: We provide consultation to a range of wider services, including the Youth Justice Service and the Early Years Service. We also contribute to broader Local Authority initiatives, such as the Coproduction Framework and Knowsley’s Graduated Approach.

What are the benefits of consultation?  

Consultation is a supportive process that receives positive feedback from SENCos, teachers, parents/carers and other professionals.  

  • It is a collaborative process 
  • It helps create a shared understanding of the needs and context
  • Consultation acts as an early intervention as part of a graduated response. 
  • It aims to generate next steps and positive change.  

ADD some quotes in boxes?  

Consultation is an evidence-based approach that is heavily based in psychological theory. Research shows;  

  • that all models of consultation aim to achieve change within the system, individual or group (Guiney et al., 2014)
  • Consultation offers a problem-solving approach that promotes staff development and builds capacity (Kratochwill et al., 2014). 
  • It enables effective change for children and young people at a greater rate than traditional models of EP assessment and intervention (Guiney et al., 2014) 
  • Others – these probably need rephrasing  

Who attends a consultation?  

Who attends a consultation depends on the purpose and focus of the consultation. These decisions can be discussed and guided by your Educational Psychologist to help identify who would be best placed to attend.    

I am a parent/carer who has been asked to attend a consultation 

As a parent/carer, you know your child the best and so we really value your insights. You will often be asked into a consultation with Educational Psychologist.  

Consultation is a problem-solving conversation.  
It aims to:  

  • Understand the child’s strengths, needs and experiences 
  • Explore concerns together in a supportive, non-judgemental way 
  • Work collaboratively to think about next steps that can help the child thrive.  

During this meeting;  

  • You’ll likely be asked for any background information 
  • You’ll be asked to share your views and any concerns 
  • You’ll help the EP understand what’s already been tried, what’s worked and what hasn’t
  • You’ll be asked what you would like to see for your child in the future.  

I am a SENCo who has been asked to attend a consultation about a child 

A consultation will most often be used to gain further information about the child’s needs and understand what has already been tried, what has worked and what has not been successful.  

You and the EP will then discuss future aims and next steps to facilitate positive change and development for that child.    

If a consultation is being held in your school;  

  • Please ensure full informed consent is gained from parents/carers of the child
  • Please ensure a private room is available for the meeting.
  • If requested by the EP, please liaise with parents to ensure their attendance at the meeting. 
  • If requested by the EP, please arrange for key staff to be released to attend the consultations.  

I am attending a multi-agency consultation  

Click here for more information (Hyperlink to multiagency working infographic)  

I want to attend an Early Years or Reception/KS1 Group Consultation 

During these sessions, settings that have referred a case can present the child’s case to the group, while the rest of the group offers hypotheses and suggests strategies. This supports understanding of the child’s needs and develops actions that create positive change. (Taken from the leaflet).  

It is an opportunity for staff to utilise the expertise of their peers and share practice across schools and settings.  

For more information, please follow the links below;  

  • Early Years Group Consultation
  • Reception/Key Stage 1 Group Consultation

How does consent and confidentiality work for Consultation?  

When discussing any named child, we must have fully informed parental consent. Schools and settings are able to discuss children anonymously without signed consent; however, it is important to ensure that identifiers are not shared.   

Any participant of a consultation is expected to follow confidentiality agreements, which means they will not discuss details of the consultation information outside that session.

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