Von Spreckelsen, Megan;
(2023)
Exploring the experiences and perceived impact on professional practice and wellbeing of SENCos engaging with EP-led group supervision.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) in English schools are unique and stretched in the demands and strategic scope of their role to promote inclusion for individual children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and across their school system. Professional supervision is a well-established practice across many vocational professions and seen as integral to the support and development of those in roles supporting vulnerable CYP, such as Educational Psychologists (EPs). Supervision opportunities remain lacking in schools despite increasing recognition of the relevance and need in this context. In light of ongoing changes to SEND legislation and increasing concern around supporting the wellbeing and retention of school staff, SENCos represent a key professional group which stands to gain from supervision opportunities. This study aims to capture and understand the experiences of school SENCos engaging with EP-led interprofessional group supervision. This case study research is conducted in the context of a local authority EP Service providing supervision to groups of SENCos across local primary and secondary school settings. Survey and interview data from this research align with the emerging literature to highlight the benefits of supervision to school staff in developing professional practice and wellbeing. SENCos particularly emphasized the restorative and protective impact they experienced from interprofessional supervision, with the supervision group being identified as a key factor in SENCos feeling less alone and supported to meet the challenging demands of their role. Broader systemic factors influencing the impact and experience of supervision are identified. This study demonstrates the value of interprofessional group supervision for SENCos and exemplifies an important role for EPs in promoting professional wellbeing, understanding, and competence across school systems. The strengths and limitations of the present study are outlined, and the key findings discussed alongside implications for the systemic practice of EPs and school staff.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring the experiences and perceived impact on professional practice and wellbeing of SENCos engaging with EP-led group supervision |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2023. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10176383 |
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