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Chapter Ten Summary of findings and conclusions

10.1 The aims of this evaluation as defined in the research specification were to assess the way in which post-school psychological services have developed, the contribution they have made and their effectiveness in promoting better outcomes for young people. The objectives were:

• to assess the development of PSPS at local, cluster and strategic levels
• to evaluate the role of the Strategic Officers and their contribution to planning and facilitating implementation within psychological services
• to assess service delivery in the 12 authorities and the part played by PSPS in strategic development
• to evaluate the extent to which PSPS contributed to improved outcomes for young people.

This chapter provides a summary of findings and conclusions in relation to these aims.

Psychological services

10.2 On the basis of the evidence gathered from the 32 psychological services throughout Scotland it is concluded that:

• Pathfinders were clearly differentiated from non-Pathfinders in the extent and range of post-school psychological services developed by them
• the services developed in Pathfinders represented a wide range of post-school initiatives directly relevant to the key objectives of the project, such as schemes to enhance transition, the development of new assessment frameworks and provision of staff training
• both in April 2005 and in March 2006 Pathfinders anticipated a much greater development of PSPS in the coming year than non-Pathfinders
• PSPS in non-Pathfinders was very limited, in some case almost non-existent and generally restricted to existing functions in relation to transition from school for young people with additional support needs
• Pathfinders rated their own effectiveness in PSPS service delivery significantly higher than non-Pathfinders
• there were key differences in favour of Pathfinders for involvement in strategic planning
• the gradient of change between April 2005 and March 2006 was significantly higher for Pathfinders than non-Pathfinders in relation to a wide range of PSPS activity
• the differences between Pathfinders and others in relation to PSPS are consistently supported in the data collected from educational psychologists in training regarding their field placements
• new arenas of psychological service delivery require time to develop contextual knowledge, to establish contacts and to explore opportunities, and this has characterised Pathfinder development, particularly in the first year
• the development of PSPS has far-reaching implications for educational psychology as a profession, but Pathfinders and non-Pathfinders alike have embraced these implications and are keen to develop effective post-school services
• the support of the Strategic Officers (separately covered in Chapter 8) has been crucial to the development of PSPS
• the extra resources provided to support Pathfinders have been the key factor in the development of an effective range of post-school services.

Scotland's Colleges

10.3 On the basis of the evidence gathered in relation to the 43 (formerly 46) colleges existing in Scotland it is concluded that:

• the self-ratings of psychological services regarding their PSPS delivery were fully validated in the ratings assigned to them by Scotland's Colleges on the same questions
• colleges in Pathfinder areas were clearly differentiated from those in other areas in the extent and range of post-school psychological services received by them at the time of both surveys
• these differences were apparent across virtually every area of PSPS activity
• the services delivered in Pathfinders included a wide range of post-school initiatives directly relevant to the key objectives of the project
• colleges in Pathfinder areas anticipated greater development of PSPS in the coming year than other colleges
• services delivered to colleges in non-Pathfinder areas were very limited or non-existent and generally restricted to existing functions in relation to transition from school for young people with additional support needs
• colleges in Pathfinder areas rated the effectiveness of PSPS as being higher than other colleges
• there were no significant differences between the ratings given by the colleges for the surveys in April to June 2005 and in February to March 2006
• PSPS provided to Scotland's Colleges by local psychological services has been highly valued
• highly valued support, especially in relation to BRITE and SFEU training, has been received from the Strategic Officers.

Careers Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and other service providers

10.4 On the basis of the evidence gathered from Careers Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and a wide range of other training and service providers throughout Scotland ( OSPs), it is concluded that:

• the self-ratings of psychological services regarding their PSPS delivery were supported in the ratings assigned to them by OSPs on the same questions
• OSPs in Pathfinder areas were clearly differentiated from those in non-Pathfinder areas in the extent and range of post-school psychological services received by them
• these differences were apparent across virtually every area of PSPS activity
• the services delivered in Pathfinders comprised a wide range of post-school initiatives directly relevant to the key objectives of the project, including improving information transfer and transition, supporting effective joint working and enhancing staff skills and knowledge
• services delivered to OSPs in non-Pathfinder areas were very limited or non-existent
• OSPs in Pathfinder areas rated the effectiveness of PSPS as being higher than other OSPs
• when post-school psychological services have been provided to OSPs by local psychological services they have been highly valued
• those OSPs reporting support from the Strategic Officers have highly valued it (separately covered in Chapter 8)
• OSP data, while amply illustrating the trends noted above, should be interpreted with more caution since, in the nature of an unknown number of disparate OSPs in Scotland, they cannot approach the comprehensiveness of psychological service and college data
• in addition, as many more OSP contact details were provided by Pathfinder psychological services than by non-Pathfinders (since Pathfinders were providing many more post-school services), the returns cannot but favour Pathfinders.

Young people

10.5 On the basis of evidence gathered from young people regarding their views and experiences, and other evidence relating to the impact of PSPS on young people, it is concluded that:

• a context for supporting the view that PSPS was having a positive impact on the quality of life of young people and their families had already been established from earlier work
• the more extensive development of PSPS in Pathfinders has been accompanied by a wider range of initiatives involving consultation with young people than in non-Pathfinders
• these initiatives are of direct relevance to the key objectives of the Pathfinder project
• young people and their parents and carers have valued the work done by psychological services at the post-school stage
• the initiatives being carried out by Pathfinders have led to a vast number of demonstrable improvements in outcomes for young people not only through training and strategic work but also through more traditional work with individuals
• the evidence gathered in relation to young people has further validated the evidence from all other sources regarding the value of PSPS in the Pathfinder services.

The local authorities

10.6 On the basis of evidence gathered from key personnel in local authorities it is concluded that:

• the views of key personnel in local authorities support the evidence gathered from psychological services and from all other sources
• no PSPS is provided in a number of non-Pathfinder authorities
• there are significant differences between Pathfinders and others in virtually every aspect of PSPS delivery
• in particular, Pathfinders have a higher overall level of PSPS, with a more strategic focus
• Pathfinder authorities report more PSPS growth over the past year and anticipate more growth in the year ahead
• additional resources are seen as being key to the provision of PSPS, and in non-Pathfinder authorities they are presented as the principal barrier to developing provision
• in addition to wider strategic roles, both Pathfinders and others view the ideal contribution of PSPS in terms of developing effective transition for all young people from school to post-school services.

The Strategic Officers

10.7 On the basis of multiple sources of evidence gathered from, and in relation to, the work of the Strategic Officers it is concluded that:

• the development of an effective working model of PSPS across Scotland at local, cluster and national levels has been overwhelmingly the result of the work of the SOs, building on the foundations laid by the National Development Officers
• all Pathfinder services have received high levels of support from the SOs, and this support has been crucial to their effective development
• support has also been provided to several non-Pathfinder services
• the establishment and maintenance of a PSPS Network has been a central contribution to psychological services
• key stakeholders in Scotland's Colleges, in Careers Scotland and in other post-school agencies have received an extensive contribution from the SOs in enhancing their ability to promote improved outcomes for young people
• a significant contribution has been made by the SOs at strategic level to national and organisation-wide policies, practices and documentation
• the national perspective and local support of the SOs continues to be of crucial importance to the ongoing development of PSPS in the Pathfinder services, and equally will be crucial for establishing and developing effective PSPS in non-Pathfinders.

The university training programmes

10.8 On the basis of evidence gathered in relation to the university training programmes at Dundee and Strathclyde Universities, with particular reference to Dundee where 3 additional trainee places were provided to promote PSPS, it is concluded that:

• significant developments have taken place at Dundee University in terms of curriculum development and promotion of post-school practice
• both universities have taken active steps to incorporate PSPS into their programmes.

Overall conclusion

10.9 The overall conclusion of this evaluation therefore is that PSPS is achieving its key objectives, as defined in the research specification, of:

• supporting the young person's transition to post-school by enhancing continuity and progression
• complementing the assessment and advice of Scotland's Colleges and other service providers
• improving the understanding, skills and effectiveness of service providers through consultation, training and action research
• contributing to strategic developments locally and nationally, including policy development.

Implications

10.10 This evaluation has a number of implications for taking forward post-school psychological services in Scotland. These are considered under the headings of maintenance of Pathfinder initiatives; further roll out of PSPS; the role of the Strategic Officers; and other branches of applied psychology.

Maintenance of Pathfinder initiatives

10.11 The progress made by Pathfinders in establishing a range of effective and highly valued post-school psychological services, and in gradually embedding these within a coherent framework of service delivery, points to the value of maintaining the resources that have supported this project in the 12 Pathfinders.

Further roll out of PSPS

10.12 The above progress in Pathfinders, combined with the general lack of progress in other areas, the perceived need for post-school services, the readiness of psychological services to develop them and the clear barriers presented by lack of resources, may inform the Executive in making decisions about the further roll out of PSPS.

University training programmes

10.13 A further roll out of PSPS will have implications for the staffing of educational psychology services, and account should be taken of the number of trainee places required on the educational psychology training programmes at Dundee and Strathclyde Universities

The role of the Strategic Officers

10.14 The crucial role played by the Strategic Officers in continuing to support Pathfinders at this stage in their development, the even more crucial need for their support for any further roll out of PSPS, and the strategic significance of their national role point to the value of utilising their key position so that these services can be maintained and extended. The extent of any further roll out may have further implications regarding the total FTE appropriate to the Strategic Officer remit.

10.15 Further implications arise in relation to the place of a national role in the longer-term development of post-school psychological services. Once PSPS is embedded in local authority service delivery many of the aspects in which the SOs support local developments will have become established functions of psychologists working in PSPS. At the same time, there are key respects in which PSPS differs from the existing range of local authority functions. Services must relate to providers that are not part of the local authority and that often are not co-terminous with their boundaries. Some of the main providers, such as Scotland's Colleges, relate to national structures. The possible advantages of a continuing national role for PSPS, as in other areas of applied psychology in Scotland (occupational, clinical and forensic) should be explored.

Other branches of applied psychology

10.16 This evaluation may have implications for other branches of applied psychology in Scotland. Some of these overlap considerably with educational psychology, and offer services that could be of considerable importance to the post-school sector. In particular, occupational psychology overlaps with educational psychology at the interface of careers and employability issues. Clinical and educational psychology overlap at the interface of the whole range of mental health issues. Both of these disciplines are likely to have a contribution to make to young people in post-school provision, pointing to the advantages of links across these areas of the profession for PSPS.

Recommendations

10.17 In the light of these implications the following recommendations are made:

• it is recommended that the resources that have supported this project in the 12 Pathfinders should be maintained
• it is recommended that there should be a further roll out of PSPS in other areas
• it is recommended that any further roll out of PSPS should take account of the number of trainee places required on the educational psychology training programmes at Dundee and Strathclyde Universities
• it is recommended that the Strategic Officer posts should be maintained and extended
• it is recommended that a longer-term national role for PSPS Strategic Officers should be explored
• it is recommended that the professional organisations for psychology in Scotlandshould be asked to explore the development of links between educational psychology and other branches of applied psychology, to ensure effective signposting for post-school service users.

Summary

10.18 This evaluation of post-school psychological services has concluded, on the basis of multiple sources of evidence, that the Pathfinder initiative has been highly successful in promoting PSPS. Evidence has been available from psychological services, from Scotland's Colleges, from Careers Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and other training and service providers, from the local authorities, from the Strategic Officers, from the university training programmes and from young people themselves.

10.19 Overall, it points to a range of effective post-school services having been established in Pathfinder authorities, supported by the crucial contribution of the Strategic Officers and reflected in the developing context of university training. The implications for maintenance and roll out of PSPS, for university training programmes, for the role of the Strategic Officers and for other branches of applied psychology are considered.

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