Educational psychologists’ contribution to the every child matters agenda: the parents’ view

In the DfES review of the role and contribution of educational psychologists (2006) the views of a range of different stakeholders were surveyed about the work that EPs do. As part of this process, questionnaires were devised and sent out to 300 parents, 30 from 10 local authorities (LA), distributed by the principal educational psychologist in each LA. Thirty per cent of parents completed the questionnaires and their responses indicated that they valued highly the contribution made by EPs to the outcomes for their child. Their responses also illustrate the broad range of work in which EPs are involved and the multiprofessional nature of support that is available. In this paper, the main findings from the survey are discussed and consideration is given to their implications for the future development of EP services.