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staff and are responsible for the School Psychological Service
in the area as well as forming part of the clinical team.
Until ten years ago the supply of Educational Psychologists
was reasonably good, especially in the southern half
of the country, but there has recently been a serious wastage
and it is now very rare for an Authority to be fully
staffed. It is therefore likely to become increasingly difficult
to maintain a service to schools which would be regarded
as adequate by the standard suggested by the British
Psychological Society though Havering is fortunate in
being nearly fully staffed in this respect at present.
There is establishment for two Educational Psychologists
who divide their time between visiting schools to
undertake work in connection with the School Psychological
Service and working as members of a clinical team.
They may also undertake some educational treatment under
the direction of the Consultant Psychiatrists, and advise
heads and remedial teachers in the schools for which they
are responsible. The area is divided in order to use the
available staff in the most economical way and not necessarily
geographical. They work closely with the Tutor
Organiser for Remedial Services who is a member of the
Chief Inspector of School's Advisory team.
Educational Psychologists are normally graduates in
Psychology who are also qualified teachers. They have
usually followed a teachers' training course, had varied
teaching experience over a number of years and have followed
a post-graduate course of clinical training.
The Senior Educational Psychologist is concerned with
the practical administration of the establishment (but not
with administrative matters involving decisions about
policy, as these are dealt with by the Medical Director
after consultation with the whole staff) and also with the
organisation of the School Psychological Service, being responsible
to the Chief Education Officer for the development
of special educational units and the remedial teaching
service in Raphael House.
(d) Remedial Teachers
The remedial teachers, employed at Raphael House for
the purpose, work on a part-time basis. They are experienced
teachers who are unable to undertake full-time duty
and who are interested in working with individual children
who need intensive instruction in one or two subjects in
a mildly therapeutic setting. The remedial teachers discuss
each case with the appropriate Psychologist and sometimes
attend relevant sessions of a Case Conference with the fulltime
clinical team.
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