Who's who ?

Clinical Psychologist
A trained psychologist who specialises in behavioural and emotional issues. Clinical psychologists can help parents and children to identify strengths and needs and to incorporate appropriate goals into individual programme plans. Clinical psychologists can help alleviate difficulties in social skills, communication, developmental delay, anxiety and sensory impairments and will be able to deal with issues around resettlement from hospital and the development of community services. They offer support to carers, including families.

Educational Psychologist
Educational psychologists are employed by Local authorities in Scotland to perform certain statutory duties. They have a major role in supporting educational and social inclusion and in promoting holistic, collaborative practices across services in education, health and social work.

The unique contribution psychologists can make to working with children stems from their background of training in child development, theories of learning and educational systems. The psychologist seeks to address problems within their social context, (eg the classroom, the family etc), and Service practice is based on the principle of the most effective, least intrusive intervention required to tackle the problem. Often this will involve working with and through others, such as teachers or carers who deal directly with children and young people. In some cases, the psychologist will work directly with the child, carrying out tasks such as observation, assessment and various interventions with the child or their family.

The service is made available mainly through schools, but may also be accessed directly by parents and young people themselves and by other agencies, including medical and social work services, voluntary agencies and the Reporter to Children’s Hearings.

Family Support Worker
Family support workers are attached to social work teams and cary out a variety of tasks, for example, providing advice on parenting or budgeting.

Health Visitor
Health visitors, sometimes called public health nurses, are nurses who parents with children under five years old at home and advise them on areas such as hygiene, safety, feeding sleeping, teething, immunisation and managing difficult behaviour. Health visitors work for the National Health Service (NHS) and are qualified registered nurses or midwives.

Inclusion Support Worker
Inclusion Support workers work mainly with children and young people with social and emotional needs whose family circumstances may affect how well they get on at school. ISW's support pupils in a variety of ways including working with then on a one to one basis or in a small group to help their personal and emotional development or inviting parents to help provide a bridge bewteen home and school. All Stirling schools have access to the Inclusion Support Team.

Inclusion Teacher / Learning Support Teacher
Learning support teachers are qualified teachers who specialise in working with children with additional support needs. They have a varied role: they may train and support class/subject teachers to make sure that the curriculum is accessible, or work directly with children and young people either individually or in groups. The learning support teacher may co-ordinate the support provided to your child and may be your key contact at the school. Not all schools have learning support teachers.

Nursery Manager
The manager of a pre-school establishment, which could be run by the education establishment or by a private or voluntary organisation.

Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists are qualified health care professionals who assess and treat physical and psychiatric conditions to help people do the things that they want to. Occupational therapists work in hospital and other settings, including schools. An occupational therapist can help people learn new ways of doing things, adapt materials or equipment, or make changes to where people live and work to make them accessible.

Paediatrician
A qualified doctor who specialises in child health. Your child may be referred to a paediatrician by your GP or someone else who is working with you and your child. They may carry out medical assessments, prescribe medication or treatments or offer support and advice.

Physiotherapist
Healthcare professionals that help and treat people with physical problems caused by illness or accident. In child health they often work with children who have learning disabilities or severe mental and physical disabilities. Physiotherapists help people to get as much physical movement as they can by health promotion, preventive healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation.

School Nurse
A qualified registered nurse may be employed by the Health Board to work with pupils, teachers and parents to promote the health of children at school. The School Nurse may provide health education and be involved in immunisation programmes. They may help support children with additional needs, for example by helping them take their medicine, talking to them about their situation or working with the other school staff to make sure they understand your child’s needs. If you are worried about your child, the School Nurse may be able to offer you advice and support as well.

Speech and Language Therapist
A specialist in communication disorders. Speech and language therapists work to assess, diagnose and develop a programme of care maximise the communication potential of the people under their care/referred to them. Speech and language therapists also work to support people with swallowing, eating and drinking difficulties. They work with children who have a range of additional support needs including:

• Mild, moderate or severe learning difficulties.

• Physical disability.

• Language delay arising from any source, including deprivation.

• Specific language impairment.

• Specific difficulties in producing sounds

• Hearing impairment

• Cleft palate

• Stammering/dysfluency

• Autism/social interaction difficulties

• Dyslexia

Social Worker
Works with people, often at times of difficulty, to help them solve problems and improve their well being. Social workers are based in the local authority social work department (or equivalent and work closely with colleague in health and education to support children and families. The type of support provided depends on your family’s needs but social workers are able to arrange respite services, parenting classes, benefits and debt advice, advocacy services, befriending, childcare. Social workers have professional qualifications and are registered by the Scottish Social Services Council.

Support for Learning Assistant
Also known as Teaching/classroom assistants. SLA’s work under the direction of the teacher. Many are employed with specific responsibilities to work with individual pupils; others are give more general classroom responsibilities. Both roles are key to supporting inclusion by facilitating participation and learning, helping to build confidence, self esteem and independence so that all pupils are enabled to reach their full potential alongside their peers. Assistants may have had some training but they will not have formal teaching qualifications.

Youth Justice Team
The Youth Justice Team consists of social workers who specialise in working with young people who have or may have commited an offence. They work with young people and their families to look at therr offending and help prevent them from re-offending. They liaise closely with the young people's schools