DECP Award winners celebrated for achievements in educational psychology

Dr Carolyn Watson was presented with the award for Educational Psychology Doctoral Dissertation.

Dr Watson's research explored how Educational Psychologists (EP) experience occupational stress and wellbeing. She found that shockingly, 72 per cent of the 300 EP she surveyed reported moderate or high levels of burnout and 99 per cent had scores suggesting they were in the low or medium category for wellbeing. 

Her research is timely as it captured the mental health of EPs towards the end of lockdowns and into the period when Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) requests began to rise and change the nature of the balance of statutory work. EPs are currently unable to keep up with the number of requests for statutory advice on children with Special Educational Needs. 

Dr Watson presented her doctorate at a workshop at the South West EP conference and her work has been published in Educational Psychology in Practice. To date, three local authority EP services in the South West have shared her work with their teams as part of plans to improve wellbeing and reduce stress. Her work can help EPs feel that their stress is validated and consider their own and their colleagues' self-care. Her findings shed much-needed light on the reality of being an EP working in the field, who are acutely aware of problems, but haven't seen evidence to reinforce the feelings they are having. 

On winning the award, Dr Watson said:

"I'm honoured to receive the DECP Doctoral Dissertation Award for my research on occupational stress and wellbeing in the educational psychology profession. It's been a privilege to explore this important area, but more than anything, this research belongs to the EPs who shared their experiences. 

"Their voices are what truly matter, I was simply fortunate to be able to amplify them. I hope this work continues to contribute to conversations about how we can better support EP wellbeing and sustain the vital work we do with children, families and schools."

Dr Jeremy J Monsen was presented with the award of Distinguished Contribution to Educational Psychology.

Dr Monsen is a fierce advocate for social justice and fairness and is unafraid of bucking the trend. One of his most used phrases is, 'That the price of liberty is eternal vigilance' - a statement he lives by.

In 1995, he worked as a tutor on the UCL programme, when he and his colleagues were looking at ways that trainees might be better supported to think about and make their thinking explicit about complex casework.

The Problem Analysis (PA) framework was created, and Dr Monsen played a crucial role in developing and refining the model, later known as the Monsen Problem-Solving Framework, which is an executive practice framework used in Educational Psychology training programs and supports newly qualified EPs in conceptualising complex problems and developing effective interventions in educational settings. The framework provides systematic steps to structure, organise, and analyse complex problems coherently, and has been systematically reviewed in journals.

He researched the efficacy of the approach and how PA might be improved. Dr Monsen has gone on to refine the approach to the point where it is now referred to as the 'Monsen Model'. He has written five further papers on the framework and taught the model to virtually every educational training provider in the country.

As the editor of Educational Psychology in Practice (EPiP) from 2002 - 2005, he ensured that the rigour of submissions was upheld by ensuring that reviewers were given the time and space to complete their roles. As editor, he determined that the journal continued to be relevant to practitioners by seeking the views of recipients. 

Dr Monsen has a commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity, which is evident in his areas of research and publications but also in his daily practice. In response to Section 28 legislation, Dr Monsen organised the first conference for EPs and allied professions that focused on the needs of gay men and lesbian women. The conference was international and brought a topic which had received very little recognition to the fore. Over the decades, he has continued to lecture on training programmes to include LGBTQIA focuses. 

As a Principal EP, he has ensured that EDI has been given the platform it deserves within his team. In response to the Summer 2024 riots, Dr Monsen and his team ensured that support was offered to all schools within the authority, acknowledging that the events could be challenging to families and staff. He's also supported staff to pursue areas of research such as climate change, with one member of staff now working with Oxford University, and another member of staff liaising with parliament on AI. 

Dr Monsen supports his team to be as effective as possible and epitomises the values of fairness, compassion and competence. He has, and continues to, manage the demands of multiple tasks and relationships with key stakeholders with enthusiasm and energy to ensure that our service can consistently deliver.

On winning his award, Dr Monsen said:

"I was both very surprised and indeed honoured to receive the Distinguished Contribution to Practice in Educational Psychology award from the DECP. This recognition is, as I see it, not just a personal affirmation of a career of over 40 years but a recognition to all those I have had the privilege to work with who helped and supported me. 

"I would like to specifically acknowledge the unwavering support and collaboration of my management team at Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea EP Consultation Service, as well as my colleagues at UCL IOE. Their commitment to excellence and to the children, young people and families that we work with, has kept me going and motivated during challenging times. As the Māori proverb reminds us, 'Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini - My success is not mine alone, but that of many'".