Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to Deputy Ó Broin’s question on the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). NEPS is the psychological service of the Department of Education and provides educational psychology support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. NEPS is a schools-based service and each NEPS psychologist is assigned to a group of schools.

NEPS provides access for all schools to:

• Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
• A casework service for individual students where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA)
• A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools
• Ongoing access to advice and support for schools

The focus of the NEPS service is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with children and young people whose needs range from mild to severe, and transient to enduring. NEPS encourages schools to implement a Continuum of Support, with each school taking responsibility for providing universal and preventative approaches, as well as early assessment, educational planning and intervention where the need arises. Children do not require a psychological assessment or a diagnosis in order to access additional support at school.

Direct NEPS involvement is managed through the Casework Service for individual children and young people. If, following evidence-informed support and intervention, the school has concerns that a child is still experiencing significant difficulty, the school may request the direct involvement of the NEPS psychologist. Children can only be prioritised for direct NEPS involvement by the school principal, or by a staff member designated by the principal. A request for involvement is accepted from the school principal in consultation with the psychologist. When deciding who to prioritise for involvement with NEPS, school principals consider those students who present with the greatest level of need, in that particular school context. The focus of the NEPS Casework Service is to use a consultative, problem-solving approach to promote better understanding of the child or young person’s strengths and needs, to suggest interventions that may be helpful to include in the Student Support Plan, and to assist schools to implement, monitor and review those interventions. This work is done in partnership with school staff, parents and the child or young person themselves.

Where a parent has concerns about their child’s progress, they should discuss their concerns with the school principal and/or teachers in their child’s school to further explore how their child may be supported through the Continuum of Support process described above, and if appropriate, through the direct involvement of a NEPS Psychologist.