Featured job: Assistant Psychologists (APs)

John Hepburn (Company Director at EdPsychs Ltd and an Educational and Chartered Psychologist) describes a number of areas that make the company so different, but he stresses one. 'We are a social contribution company. This involves, among other things, developing outstanding psychologists for the next generation while helping our current schools grow and develop.'

I asked John more about the company: 'We are supported by around 70 employees and consultants, working mostly in London and the South-East. Most people are educational and assistant psychologists, but we also have some clinical and counselling psychologists and educational consultants. Teams of APs work in schools supporting the whole school community, researching evidence-based recommendation, and evaluating the impact of our work'.

'The APs are a key part in helping our psychologists do their jobs authentically, and in a flexible and impactful way. Psychologists are usually in our schools between two and eight days a month, and they do lots of things including designing whole school well-being and learning projects; developing teaching and learning in the classroom; running staff training; supporting SEN; setting up specialist provisions and programmes, and of courses assessing and supporting students.'

John says the APs help the psychologists run everything smoothly. 'To give two examples of where APs fit in: last week I was in a school and APs had completed an in-depth whole school audit under the supervision and guidance of an EP. The school's attached clinical psychologist, EP and I will then do ongoing work with senior leaders supporting students, teachers and the local community based on this information. In another school, I did five evidence-based consultations in one day.

In the weeks before the consultations, APs secured informed consent; completed a range of observations and voice of the child work; gathered teacher and parent views and completed screeners and school-based (rather than psychological) assessments. By the time I began those consultations, I had a wealth of qualitative and quantitative information and case analysis gathered over time which meant that the consultations were very efficient and focused.

The school, APs and myself could then co-construct meaningful recommendations that teachers and APs could run. Over time, APs will check and track these interventions, help SENCos on learning walks and work with me to support teachers if any psychological advice needs to be clarified, changed or further supported. I'd also expect these consultations to lead to wider staff training as recurring themes emerged'.

What are you looking for in the ideal candidate at interview? 'People who can support schools and also become outstanding future psychologists. This means excellent psychological fluency, social awareness, problem solving skills, integrity, empathy and the ability to develop and maintain rapport with a range of people. The psychologists and APs at EdPsychs support each other, and then in turn we help children, students, teachers and schools learn and develop using strengths-based approaches where possible'.

John describes this as 'the final element in our social contribution model; we train APs to leave EdPsychs and to start their own journey as professional psychologists. Over 60 APs so far have progressed onto doctoral training programmes, and hopefully they too will also help the profession grow and develop.'

- Find out more on our Jobs in Psychology website.