In 2016 Psychologists Against Austerity wrote a briefing paper outlining the ‘damaging psychological costs of austerity policies’. Their report summarised five ‘Austerity Ailments’, ways in which austerity policies impact specifically on mental health: humiliation and shame; fear and distrust; instability and insecurity; isolation and loneliness and the experience of being trapped and powerless (p.1). Since then we have lived through a global pandemic which has exacerbated existing health and social inequalities (Marmot, 2020) and we are now in the context of a cost-of-living crisis. Given research findings highlighting the impact of poverty on children’s development (Cooper & Stewart, 2021; Shonkoff & Garner, 2012), alongside systemic impacts, what should educational psychologists being doing to support this agenda; how can we work with our communities, schools and families to improve the experiences of those we work with? This conference will provide participants with a chance to hear about theory and up-to-date research around the impact of poverty on children and young people and their families, so that they can contribute to debates around social justice and can develop practice in the profession and in their working contexts.

Thank you to all of our speakers on the day: Professor Monica Lakhanpaul, an academic researcher and practising paediatric consultant and currently a Professor of Integrated Community Child Health at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health; Jake Anders, an associate professor and deputy director of the UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), and a principal investigator of the COVID Social Mobility & Opportunities (COSMO) study; Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics, a Faculty Affiliate of the LSE International Inequalities institute, and Associate Editor at the British Journal of Psychology; Matt Easterbrook, a Reader in Social Psychology at the University of Sussex and founding member of POSCUPI, a collaboration between UK psychologists who examine the policy and practice implications for the psychology of social class; Marc Pescod, an Educational Psychologist who works with Centrepoint (UK’s leading charity for homeless young people) and the remaining time at the London Borough of Havering and Joanna Stanbridge, a Senior Educational Psychologist working with Cambridgeshire County Council with a lead role across the county for Cognition and Learning..

A major emphasis in the work of educational psychologists is on inclusion and how psychology can contribute to inclusive educational policies and practices. Across the last decade awareness has grown that educational psychologists need to embrace a broader conceptualisation of inclusion. While traditionally inclusion has focused on special educational needs and disabilities, and ethnicity, the increase in children and young people questioning their gender identity means that EPs need to consider the implications of gender inclusion and gender inclusive practices. This is important work for EPs. There is awareness of the psychological distress and damage that can be caused when children and young people with additional needs do not experience a sense of belonging or, for example, are subject to racist or homophobic bullying. Equally, there is substantial evidence about the high rates of psychological distress that can be experienced by young people with concerns about their gender identity. This day is designed, therefore, to examine thinking and practice about gender diversity and gender inclusion, the implications for EP work and, particularly, what EPs can do to support staff in educational settings that may be uncertain about how best to act.

Thank you to all of our speakers on the day: Dr Jay Stewart MBE co-founded Gendered Intelligence in 2008 and is its CEO. Professor Gary Butler is Consultant in Paediatric & Adolescent Medicine and Endocrinology at University College Hospital in London. Sam Beal, a Partnership Adviser for Health and Wellbeing with Brighton and Hove City Council. Ryan Gingell is a Project Manager with Allsorts Youth Project, based in Brighton. Dr Cora Sargeant is an Educational Psychologist in Wiltshire and also an Academic and Professional Tutor for the initial EP training programme at the University of Southampton. Jenna Read is a trainee educational psychologist at the University of Southampton. .

The Children’s Commissioner report ‘Growing Up Digital’ (January 2017) and the EU Kids Online Final Report (Livingstone et al., 2011) highlight what are now familiar statistics relating to increases in children and young people’s use of the internet and social media. Alongside these statistics sit headlines in the media which highlight society’s concerns about children and young people becoming addicted to online life, being bullied, exposed to violence, pornography and user-generated content, as well as the risks of being groomed or contacted by adults masquerading as a ‘new friend’. While schools are now promoting safer internet use and supporting children to think about their digital profiles, are we going far enough in educating children to be able to make the best and safest use of the digital resources available to them? What role should parents play? How do our values relating to supporting children’s rights sit alongside the need to keep them safe? Are our assessments of the risks realistic, or has access to international media fuelled anxieties about children and young people’s safety? Could concepts such as digital resilience and digital citizenship be useful in making a difference for children and young people? While as EPs we may have a broad range of psychological theories to bring to this area, how confident are we in giving advice to children, young people, their families and school staff on this most topical issue? This well attended day brought together leading researchers in the field who are actively examining the implications of the digital age for children and young people.

Keynote speakers included Professor Sonia Livingstone (Professor of Social Psychology in the Dept. of Media and Communications at LSE), Dr Tom Harrison (Senior Lecturer & Programme Director for the MA in Character Education at the University of Birmingham), Dr Becky Inkster (Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge), Elizabeth Charles (Senior EP at NEPS) and Teresa Thornton (EP at NEPS).

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Educational psychologists are not alone in frequently appealing to the concept of resilience. It often forms part of a psychological perspective on a child or young person’s circumstances and may contribute to recommendations about approaches to improving those circumstances. At the same time there are a growing number of commercially available preventative programmes being used in schools, which aim to strengthen resilience. Many of these are promoted if not delivered by educational psychologists. In the undoubted appeal of the concept, there is a tendency to overlook clarity about what it means because of a blurring between every day talk about resilience and perspectives on resilience emanating from research. The risk, then, is the assumption that in discussion, little more is required than the word itself. What happens, though, when we scratch the surface? Do we know and more particularly, do our service users know, what we mean when we talk about resilience? This successful and extremely well attended day examined current research, considered the concept of resilience and how that concept is used by EPs in practice.

Keynote speakers included Professor Sir Michael Rutter (consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital and Professor of Developmental Psychopathology), Professor Ingrid Schoon (UCL Institute of Education and the Social Science Centre Berlin), Tony Mancini (Witherslack Group and Focus Psychology), Anne Peake (Oxfordshire Children’s Services) and Marc Chevreau and Pauline Wigglesworth (Blackpool Educational Psychology Service).

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This Leading Edge Day asked the question "How should educational psychology be responding to the consequences of a national policy of economic austerity?" There is a distinction to be made between the personal response (which may be political) and the professional one which involves acquiring knowledge of the evidence on the psychological impact of low socioeconomic status and the most effective forms of educational and psychological intervention in a context of significantly reduced resources. This successful Leading Edge Day sought to present current evidence on the cognitive and social impact of being a child in a poor family, to identify interventions which have had demonstrable impact with minimal resource requirements and to enable all participants to develop an assertive and positive professional response to the challenges presented by austerity to schools, children, young people and families.

Keynote speakers included Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington (Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at the LSE and visiting researcher to the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo), Sherria Hoskins (Head of Psychology at Portsmouth University) and James Richardson (Senior Analyst at the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent grant-making charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement).

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Despite a history within Child Guidance clinics, the profession of educational psychology has, particularly in the past year, been focused primarily on the implementation of the SEND reforms. However, the mental health agenda has continued to call to us. A clear rationale for our work in this area is provided by the current context, with the work around the parity between physical and mental health the recognition of mental health needs within the new SEND Code of Practice, and increased awareness of the connection between emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes. Even more recently, and building on the prevention and early intervention initiatives, a number of strands have led to the identification of perinatal and infant mental health as areas in which commissioners now need to focus.Whilst a recent focus has been on work with young people 16+, given that an EP's responsibilities start from birth, it is important to maintain close attention to advances in understanding infant mental health. The focus of infant mental health is on the optimal social and emotional development of infants and toddlers within the context of secure, stable relationships with caregivers (Zeanah & Zeanah, 2001). This includes within-child factors, caregiver-infant relationships and environmental factors. Is there then a role for EPs? Over recent years EPs have strongly embraced attachment theory as a basis to inform many aspects of their work.

This extremely popular Leading Edge day provided an opportunity for practising EPs to hear about current theory and practice from internationally renowned researchers and innovative practitioners in the field of attachment and infant mental health, to consider the implications of theory and research for the promotion of mental health and well-being across the life span, and to learn about possibilities for intervention in this area. Keynote speakers included Professor Pasco Fearon, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology and joint Director of the UCL Doctorate Programme in Clinical Psychology, Professor Jane Barlow, Professor of Public Health in the Early Years at Warwick University, Dr Paul Ramchandani, Reader in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Imperial College and Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr Shami Rait, Senior Educational Psychologist in Buckinghamshire and Penny Rackett, Educational Psychologist and Advanced VIG Supervisor in Suffolk.

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New special educational needs and disabilities legislation and guidance extends the role of educational psychologists to work with young people up to the age of 25 years. For the majority of educational psychologists this represents a journey into uncharted waters. It will be necessary for EPs working both in local authority and also private practice to re-imagine aspects of their role and, in particular, to embrace an understanding of the psychological concerns of 16 to 25 year olds and processes that emphasise person centred planning. This day represented a timely opportunity for EPs to hear first hand accounts about emerging developments and to consider the implications for their own practice and practice settings.

This extremely popular and well attended day boasted a range of speakers including Linda Jordan, Vivienne Clifford, Dr Sandra Dunsmuir and Dr Sarah Wright, and aimed to gain knowledge about what can be learnt from the SEND pathfinders and the FE sector; to deepen a psychological understanding of the needs of 16-25 year olds with special educational needs and disabilities and the possibilites of EP practice; and to stimulate consideration of 'What this means for me'.

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In the context of wider educational reforms across the education system, including the national curriculum reform, changes to funding systems and the diversification of educational settings, the special educational needs and disability landscape is undeniably changing. Once again there is an opportunity for educational psychologists to actively shape the future contribution that they and psychology can play, not least through the various SEND Pathfinders that are taking place across England. A succession of reviews, reports and draft legislation has begun to set out key themes for this changed landscape, including: an emphasis on better connected planning for children and young people aged from 0 to 25 years of age with complex SEND; the development of effective child and family centred practices; clarity over what resources and provision are locally available; personalised budgets; support for parents when things don't go well; and, questions about the over-identification of children with SEND in some schools.

This particularly well attended and successful Leading Edge Day assisted participants in better understanding and engaging with the context of wider educational reform and the changing SEND landscape, promoted reflection upon what can be learnt from current experiences on Pathfinder Projects and stimulated consideration of where EPs' efforts in the future might be best located.

Keynote speakers were Andre Imich, SEN and Disability Professional Adviser at the DfE, who is currently engaged on the implementation of the next steps of the Green Paper and previously worked as an adviser to the Lamb Inquiry into parental confidence; Dr John Oates, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University and academic consultant to the OU/BBC Child of Our Time; Michael Cotton, Principal EP North Yorkshire who drafted North Yorkshire's successful special educational needs and disability Pathfinder bid and is now seconded to lead this work and Dr Julia Katherine, Principal Educational Psychologist for the Isle of Wight and Southampton Psychology Service and joint lead for the Southampton SEND Pathfinder including the design and implementation of the integrated assessment model.

Educational Psychologists, engaging in planning consultations with secondary schools and supporting young people in their families and communities, are regularly asked for advice and support for young people whose behaviour appears to be uninhibited, unpredictable and unfathomable. Such children are likely to be disengaged in lessons, defiant to staff, have difficulty engaging in positive peer relations and may engage in a high level of risk taking behaviours both within and outside school. Often they show a flagrant disregard for the conventions of the school and the community and an inability to consider long term aspirations, or indeed their own current safety.

This extremely well attended Leading Edge Day examined questions such as: To what extent are these behaviours influenced by within-child, family, school and wider contextual issues? What can current research from Neuroscience and psychology tell us about adolescence and the best ways to support these young people and their families? Do answers to these questions contain specific implications for educational and child psychology practitioners? Current research in the topic area was reviewed and a number of innovatory interventions being carried out by educational and child psychology practitioners were discussed, with a view to consider the most appropriate methods of managing this problem.

Keynote speakers were Professor Judy Hutchings, a chair at Bangor University who has researched and published widely in a number of topics relating to behavior, including conduct disorder, anger management and in teacher classroom management, Dr Catherine Sebastian, a postdoctoral researcher at the UCL Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology whose most recent publication is a study of the neural bases of cognitive and affective Theory of Mind processing in adolescents with conduct disorder, and Dr Caroline White, a consultant clinical psychologist and head of the Children and Parents Service for Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation. Caroline's specialist research interest is in cognitive aspects of parental wellbeing and she has also organized workshops nationally on the 'Incredible Years' programme.

Students fail to attend school for a variety of reasons; non attendance may be due to a particular anxiety regarding the school experience (for example, the student may fear a particular teacher or the school features, such as corridors or the student may be rejected by their peers). Alternatively, the young person may be anxious about leaving parents. For the majority of students, these problems are usually resolved quickly and the student returns to school. However, there is a minority who continue to refuse to attend school over a prolonged period of time (Purcell and Tsverik, 2008).

School refusal is a problem that is stressful for the children, their parents and their teachers . Failing to attend school has significant short- and long-term effects on children's social, emotional, and educational development. School refusal is often associated with co-morbid psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression, so it is important to identify problems early and provide appropriate interventions to prevent further difficulties. However, the assessment and management of school refusal require a collaborative approach that includes the child, parents, school staff and support professionals from the caring agencies

This well-attended leading-edge psychology day reviewed past and current research in this area, inviting delegates to develop a better understanding of the needs of those children who are refusing to attend school by considering the most appropriate methods of managing this problem and hearing about a number of innovatory interventions being carried out by clinical and educational psychology practitioners.

Keynote speakers were Dr Nigel Blagg, a self-employed educational pschologist who wrote the pioneering book on 'School Phobia' and is Director of NBA Solutions Ltd, Dr Katherine Lawrence, a Clinical Psychologist working in the Berkshire Child Anxiety Clinic with children aged 7 - 12, many of whom have difficulty attending school, and Prof Ken Reid, Chair in Education at Swansea Metropolitan University, who has been carrying out research into non-attendance at school for many years and is the author of 15 educational books and 52 journal articles, including a number on persistent school absenteeism and truancy.