Overview
Dumfries and Galloway educational psychology service is a statutory educational service for children and young people normally resident in the council area, or looked after by the council. It applies psychology and research evidence to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for all children and young people.
What we do
An educational psychologist is a specialist psychologist trained to provide advice on how children learn, why they sometimes have difficulties learning, and how they can be helped to reach their educational potential.
The role of an educational psychologist can vary depending on the situation and a young person's needs. In our region the team is usually involved at primary and secondary school ages but can be involved from the early years to the transition into adulthood.
Find out more about educational psychology.
Our educational psychology team
All of our educational psychologists are registered with the Health and Care Professional Council. Our role is to apply psychology and research evidence to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for all children and young people. We also work with education staff, parents, carers, social workers and health professionals to meet the needs of children and young people with additional support for learning needs and support them to achieve their potential.
How to ask for help
If you have concerns about your child’s learning, wellbeing, development, or experience of school, please speak to their school first. School staff can offer support and, if needed, they can contact Educational Psychology for a staff consultation to discuss strategies or advice.
If more help is needed
If, after this consultation, we agree that educational psychology should have a longer‑term role, the school can submit a formal request for assistance.
For us to agree to a request, we need:
- consent from a parent or carer
- a child's plan in place
- evidence of intervention already tried
- a role for an educational psychologist that cannot be met by a one-off consultation
You can still contact us for general enquiries:
Telephone: 01387 260466
Email: [email protected]
Demand for our service is high and we prioritise based on the child's needs.