Hampshire and Isle of Wight Educational Psychology (HIEP)

The work of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Educational Psychology (HIEP) is often concerned with learning, social, emotional, behavioural, physical or sensory strengths and needs. We highlight and draw on the strengths and capabilities of children/young people, families and professionals to work in partnership to create the best achievable outcomes.

. We use our skills and expertise to find solutions, offering advice and support in a broad range of areas including:
* Learning and attainment * * * Emotional wellbeing and mental health * Parenting * Understanding challenging behaviour and achieving positive change * Support for vulnerable children  * Training and professional development work with school/college staff and other children’s services *Organisational development activities

HIEP educational psychologists work closely with:

*Children, young people and their parents/carers
* Groups of school/college staff to develop ways of working with children/young people as individuals and in groups * Head teachers, inspectors, advisory teachers and education officers to develop approaches to teaching and learning * Schools and colleges to provide guidance on managing specific issues, such as reducing bullying, dealing with loss and bereavement, and how to enhance the development of literacy, numeracy, thinking and problem-solving skills * Other professionals from health authorities, social services and voluntary organisations

The purpose of our service is to advise families, schools, preschools, colleges and the local authority on the best way to support the learning and emotional needs of children experiencing difficulties. '''Schools, preschools, colleges and other educational settings''' The majority of Hampshire schools and academies purchase educational psychology time from HEP and decide how best to prioritise the work in discussion with the educational psychologist.

Local Authority - HEP provides a statutory service for the local authority. When a statutory assessment is agreed (this decision is made by the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Service based on specific criteria) an educational psychologist will provide the psychological advice to contribute to this process.

Parents, carers and young people - Parents, carers and young people can access advice through our telephone contact line. This is available regularly during term time and enables callers to speak directly with an educational psychologist.

If you are concerned about your child, speak to your child’s school, preschool or college in the first instance. We are a targeted service and for most children, education staff will be able to assess and meet children’s needs.

If an educational psychologist is required, ask whether your school has a service level agreement with Hampshire Educational Psychology (the majority of schools do). If your child’s school does not currently have an agreement, it may be possible for them to buy in a specific piece of work at your request.

If you would like to speak directly to an educational psychologist, you can use our telephone contact line, regardless of whether your school has a service level agreement or not.  The telephone support line is available to all parents, carers and professionals. We can offer advice and problem solving by telephone.

In the case of a statutory assessment, HEP will provide advice at the request of the SEN service. The decision to carry out a statutory assessment is made by the SEN service, on the basis of specific criteria.

Telephone support line (term time only)
* Basingstoke and Deane and north Test Valley team: 01252 814835
* East Hants, Rushmoor and Hart team: 01252 814729
* Eastleigh and New Forest team: 01962 876239
* Winchester and south Test Valley team: 01962 876239
* Fareham and Gosport team: 02392 441497
* Havant team: 02392 441497

We are organised within four area teams, based in four main local offices as follows: North based in Basingstoke (Dame Mary Fagan House); East based at Rushmoor Borough Council offices; South based at Havant Plaza and West based in Winchester (Four Chimneys).

Where a child is living in one county but attending school in another, the school should initially seek advice from their local educational psychology service. However, if an EHC assessment is agreed the psychology service from the child's home area has responsibility for completing the psychological advice.

Looked After Children - It is recognised that Looked After Children (children in the care of the Local Authority) may change residence frequently. Every effort is made to ensure that these children do not lose opportunities as a result of this. Whilst remaining the responsibility of the home authority, special arrangements are often made to involve the local psychology service.

If you are concerned about your child, speak to your child’s school, preschool or college in the first instance. We are a targeted service and for most children, education staff will be able to assess and meet children’s needs.

If an educational psychologist is required, ask whether your school has a service level agreement with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Educational Psychology (the majority of schools do). If your child’s school does not currently have an agreement, it may be possible for them to buy in a specific piece of work at your request.

If you would like to speak directly to an educational psychologist, you can use our telephone contact line, regardless of whether your school has a service level agreement or not.  The telephone contact line is available to all parents, carers and professionals. We can offer advice and problem solving by telephone.


Telephone support line (term time only) - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30 - 11.00

Basingstoke and Deane, and north Test Valley: 01252 814835

East Hants, Rushmoor and Hart: 01252 814729 

Winchester, Eastleigh, New Forest and south Test Valley: 01962 876239 

Fareham, Gosport and Havant: 02392 441497 

The service we offer is tailored to the situation and individual child/young person. Communication will therefore differ, but may include one or more of the following: * Face to face meetings * Letters * Reports * Advice * Written records of an observation/meeting/consultation * Telephone conversations * Emails

The type of communication will also depend on what has been negotiated with a school that has purchased educational psychology time.

We will meet with? your child if they are having an EHC needs assessment, or if work has been commissioned by the school and your explicit consent has been obtained. Direct involvement with children and young people takes place with written consent. There are times when we support staff by giving general advice without specific children being discussed or named

The telephone contact line is available to all.

Schools which have purchased educational psychology time will make the decision about how the service is used to support the children/young people in their care, in consultation with the educational psychologist.

The local authority decides which requests for EHC assessments are agreed, and may also ask HIEP to provide support for certain children/young people who have EHC Plans.

All educational psychologists working for Hampshire County Council have a psychology degree, experience of working with children and young people and a specialist degree in educational psychology which may be at masters or doctorate level. A comprehensive continuing professional development programme takes place and all educational psychologists have professional supervision.

All educational psychologists in Hampshire are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. Working with us, we often have trainee educational psychologists and psychologists who are in the process of registering with the HCPC (following their completion of the doctorate programme in educational psychology). The work of all psychologists who are not registered with the HCPC is supervised by an HCPC registered educational psychologist.

All our educational psychologists have an enhanced police check and are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and our work is underpinned by their standards of conduct, performance and ethics. All educational psychologists also have child safeguarding training and we prioritise the child’s well-being throughout our work and are responsive to a child’s needs in our meetings.

We always request parental consent before working directly with a child under the age of 16. If you, as a parent, have particular concerns then please discuss that with us.

Our services will be delivered in line with Hampshire County Council’s policies and are compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR 2018).

All our community teams have administration support staff available to answer the telephone during normal work hours (8.30am to 5pm, Monday-Thursday, 8.30am to 4.30 pm on Friday).

* North 01252 814835 * East 01252 814729; Winchester Office 01962 876239 * Havant Office 02392 441497

General email: hiep.enquiries@hants.gov.uk

Via private practice psychologists: http://www.bps.org.uk  The British Psychological Society keeps a register of chartered psychologists that can also be contacted directly.