Best Practice for Educational Psychologists in Gaining Consent
This document brings together guidance and requirements around consent from various sources into one guide for Educational Psychologists (EPs) and EP services practising in the UK.
Download as PDFEPs practising in the UK are required to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and to practise according to a set of Standards of Proficiency (Health and Care Professions Council, 2015) and Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics (Health and Care Professions Council, 2016). These standards require EPs to obtain appropriate informed consent for all psychological work and to understand the legislation relevant to their practice. The British Psychological Society (BPS) has a set of practice guidelines and a code of ethics and conduct that psychologists must meet (British Psychological Society, 2017, 2021) and the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) includes a Code of Conduct for its members within its Members’ Handbook (Association of Educational Psychologists, 2019).
Additionally, all public authorities are required to act in accordance with The Human Rights Act (UK Government, 1998), which also makes clear that consent is necessary for all psychological involvement.
Relevant Resources
The AEP preferred position for Trainee Educational Psychologists in Years 2 & 3 is that they should be employed on the Soulbury scale for Trainee Educational Psychologists. However, many local authorities continue to utilise the bursary scheme, which is a significantly lower rate and causes financial challenges for many.
