School Psychologist

[benj1980]

I was just wondering what is the equivalent position in the UK? I believe a School Psychologist isn't an Education and Development Psychologist, so is it a SENCO equivalent? If so this is the type of work that I am currently doing. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

 

I have a MEd psychology bridging course (BPS graduate registration) and are currently completing a BPS accredited RQTU (psychometric testing). Are these qualifications transferable to the APS?

 

Cheers!

[Quoll]

It's not the APS you need to be worried about but AHPRA. Depends on which state you will be going to but the generic role would be a school counsellor but in most states you will need registration with AHPRA for that. Some states still have Ed Psychs (WA from memory) which is more of an office role than an in school role and largely assessment based. School Counsellors in SA arent psychs either AFAIK. In general school counsellors can cover a whole range of roles in a school - assessment, one on one counselling, parenting courses, behaviour management programs etc. Great job though. In many states you still need the teaching qualification and experience for the role as well.

 

I was a little confused by your post though so if I have gone off half cocked in the wrong direction I apologize

Edited May 25, 2015 by Quoll

[benj1980]

It's not the APS you need to be worried about but AHPRA. Depends on which state you will be going to but the generic role would be a school counsellor but in most states you will need registration with AHPRA for that. Some states still have Ed Psychs (WA from memory) which is more of an office role than an in school role and largely assessment based. School Counsellors in SA arent psychs either AFAIK. In general school counsellors can cover a whole range of roles in a school - assessment, one on one counselling, parenting courses, behaviour management programs etc. Great job though. In many states you still need the teaching qualification and experience for the role as well.

 

I was a little confused by your post though so if I have gone off half cocked in the wrong direction I apologize

 

No this is spot on. It's me going off in a weird direction don't worry! I am planning to move to WA and would be interested in this sort of role. The reason I chose my MEd was it gave me more options i.e. Ed Psych route in the UK as I now have a qualifying Psychology degree to apply. Obviously I won't be applying now that I will be moving to Oz and am more than happy to continue as a teacher. However ideally I would like to move back into SEN type of role at some point. Roles like the one below...

 

https://search.jobs.wa.gov.au/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=175133

 

Thanks for replying!

[Quoll]

If you can do your Ed Psych masters in UK you would be more likely to get through AHPRA and be able to practice in Aus - the converse isn't necessarily true if you want to be an Ed Psych practicing in UK (thought they were after PhD these days).

 

That job will require AHPRA registration and you should check that out - it's a very arduous process to negotiate and they can be very picky about what they accept or not. There is an exam and a supervised probationary period with significant PD component before you get unrestricted registration.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Quoll

[benj1980]

Yes what I mean is to train to be an Ed Psych in the UK, I am now in position to do it. I think this is a case of concentrating on teaching in the first instance and look at the options from there! APHRA sound worse than AITSL!

[Quoll]

Yes what I mean is to train to be an Ed Psych in the UK, I am now in position to do it. I think this is a case of concentrating on teaching in the first instance and look at the options from there! APHRA sound worse than AITSL!

You have a better chance of getting a job as an Ed Psych than a teacher - unless you are Secondary Maths and Science trained, the prospect for teaching jobs is not great.

[Bob1]

Much of the confusion here comes from the different names for the same job. I'm a British trained Ed Psych. When I first moved to Perth I wrote Ed Psych on the bottom of my reports and was told I couldn't do that unless I got specialist title registration through the then, psych board of WA - pre APHRA days. I had to prove how many hours of training I had done plus hours of supervision and if I wrote a thesis and eventually was granted the specialist title registration nd was allowed to call myself an educational and developmental psychologist. In WA every psych was known as a school psych, or just pysch unless they had this special registration. The job was basically the same - all school psychs certainly in WA deal with any problem that concerns a child in school from learning, behaviour, emotional to more systems work such as whole school bullying prevention interventions and child protection. They do counselling and assessment. The training has changed over the years but basically all psychs require a degree in psychology, some kind of teaching qualification and then either a further diploma or Master's degree. This has made it slightly different from the UK where every psych must have a Master's and now they are pushing for a ph'd as well. So the difference between and ed psych and a school psych is zero in terms of the job they do but the ed psych will have a master's degree and will have pursued specialist registration - and it allows them to provide supervision for other psychs. They are not like a senco's in the UK.

 

APHRA came along about five years ago and it has become more stringent which can only be a good thing but a pain if you are starting out. Even if you have the degree in psychology, the teaching qualification and the Master's you will then need two years of supervision. You also have to keep a detailed record of PD courses you have attended to show you have done so many hours - this is the same for experienced psychs. Every Govt school has a psych who visits on a regular basis. Many of the private schools employ their own and they are sometimes called school counsellors even though they are psychologists. They do sometimes employ just counsellors - who are counsellors and not psychs! I know over East psychs are sometimes called Guidance counsellors but are still psychs dealing with the full range of issues. Clear as mud? Many schools I worked in employed social workers to do the counselling stuff and the psych to deal with everything else. I have yet to come across a psych in WA whose role is just assessment or admin.

Joining the APS is not compulsory or necessary as it is APHRA who do all the registration requirements. You would have to contact APHRA to see if your qualifications are transferable - even if they are expect to have to complete a couple of years of stringent supervision which you may have to pay yourself.

You may find it hard to get a foot in the door for your first job but once you have WA experience it should be plain sailing after that.

[Quoll]

Are you guys school based or office based these days Bob? I know many years ago you got one of the ACT's ex leaders and from all accounts the WA service was largely office based assessment under her aegis - she would have liked ACT to have gone the same way I think. But, as I said, many years ago now! I think even Victoria is recovering its school counselling service after Kennet slashed it to the bone, if they can get people who can register with AHPRA. I'm very glad to be out of it!

[benj1980]

Much of the confusion here comes from the different names for the same job. I'm a British trained Ed Psych. When I first moved to Perth I wrote Ed Psych on the bottom of my reports and was told I couldn't do that unless I got specialist title registration through the then, psych board of WA - pre APHRA days. I had to prove how many hours of training I had done plus hours of supervision and if I wrote a thesis and eventually was granted the specialist title registration nd was allowed to call myself an educational and developmental psychologist. In WA every psych was known as a school psych, or just pysch unless they had this special registration. The job was basically the same - all school psychs certainly in WA deal with any problem that concerns a child in school from learning, behaviour, emotional to more systems work such as whole school bullying prevention interventions and child protection. They do counselling and assessment. The training has changed over the years but basically all psychs require a degree in psychology, some kind of teaching qualification and then either a further diploma or Master's degree. This has made it slightly different from the UK where every psych must have a Master's and now they are pushing for a ph'd as well. So the difference between and ed psych and a school psych is zero in terms of the job they do but the ed psych will have a master's degree and will have pursued specialist registration - and it allows them to provide supervision for other psychs. They are not like a senco's in the UK.

 

APHRA came along about five years ago and it has become more stringent which can only be a good thing but a pain if you are starting out. Even if you have the degree in psychology, the teaching qualification and the Master's you will then need two years of supervision. You also have to keep a detailed record of PD courses you have attended to show you have done so many hours - this is the same for experienced psychs. Every Govt school has a psych who visits on a regular basis. Many of the private schools employ their own and they are sometimes called school counsellors even though they are psychologists. They do sometimes employ just counsellors - who are counsellors and not psychs! I know over East psychs are sometimes called Guidance counsellors but are still psychs dealing with the full range of issues. Clear as mud? Many schools I worked in employed social workers to do the counselling stuff and the psych to deal with everything else. I have yet to come across a psych in WA whose role is just assessment or admin.

Joining the APS is not compulsory or necessary as it is APHRA who do all the registration requirements. You would have to contact APHRA to see if your qualifications are transferable - even if they are expect to have to complete a couple of years of stringent supervision which you may have to pay yourself.

You may find it hard to get a foot in the door for your first job but once you have WA experience it should be plain sailing after that.

 

 

Thanks for this Bob1! It is as clear as mud (needed to read it a couple of times but got there!) but certainly something I'd look into when I'm over in more detail. Clearly not the most straight forward process!

Edited May 26, 2015 by benj1980

[Bob1]

It was office based when I worked for the ed dept several years ago and then they changed to school based which is hopeless for the newly trained psychs as they are very much on their own and it is last in gets worse schools, very isolating.

[Quoll]

It was office based when I worked for the ed dept several years ago and then they changed to school based which is hopeless for the newly trained psychs as they are very much on their own and it is last in gets worse schools, very isolating.

I can imagine that - it worked for us because we weren't as spread out as you would be in WA. NSW and Qld manage the school based model with disparate locations but they spend a long time travelling!