Beyond Behaviour: An Assistant Educational Psychologist on SEND, Early Intervention and Safeguarding

In this blog, you will learn:

• About the links between an Assistant Educational Psychologist’s role and wider issues, like mental health and safeguarding.
• How early intervention, emerging needs and Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) are shaping future support for children and young people, according to an Assistant Educational Psychologist we spoke to.
• How to find and apply for the best Educational Psychologist jobs.

As educational psychology services expand their focus on early intervention and prevention, Assistant Educational Psychologists are playing an increasingly important supporting role.

Assistant Educational Psychologists work with qualified Educational Psychologists, contributing to consultations, assessment-informed decision-making and approaches that aim to improve outcomes for children and young people.

We recently spoke with Tanzeela, who has worked as an Assistant Educational Psychologist for the past 7 months. In this role, she supports Educational Psychologists and helps bridge research, professional practice and insights from schools.

In this interview, Tanzeela discusses how her work as an Assistant Educational Psychologist connects to broader issues like mental health and safeguarding. She also shares her thoughts on practical ways schools can better support students’ emotional needs and build more inclusive environments.

Tell us about your career journey so far and how it led to your role as an Assistant Educational Psychologist

I began my career as a Teaching Assistant, working closely with pupils who needed additional support in the classroom. Working with children with SEND, particularly those who struggled with communication, regulation, or confidence, had a profound effect on me. I saw how much it meant to a child when an adult truly understood them and how quickly they disengaged when they felt misunderstood.

Moving into teaching expanded my perspective and I loved the relational side of the role. I became aware of the barriers that Teachers face, particularly in balancing curriculum demands with pupils' emotional wellbeing.

I noticed that some of the pupils I was concerned about weren't the loudest or most disruptive; they were the quiet students whose anxiety showed up as withdrawal or avoidance. My curiosity about children’s underlying needs shaped my career path and led me to become an Assistant Educational Psychologist.

My journey has always been about the classroom, but now I am widening the lens to support children and young people. Each step in my career has strengthened my belief that when adults adjust their approach, children’s learning experiences improve.

In what ways does your work intersect with wider issues such as mental health, safeguarding or community wellbeing?

Children’s learning and development are shaped by more than what happens in the classroom. My work as an Assistant Educational Psychologist aligns closely with issues like mental health, safeguarding and community wellbeing.

A large part of my role involves supporting schools in understanding children’s emotional and behavioural needs. Often, what can present as ‘challenging behaviour,’ or disengagement may be linked to anxiety, trauma, or unmet attachment needs.

Through observation, consultation and psychologically informed training, I help adults look beyond the surface and understand what influences a child’s behaviour and experience.

I also work closely with school staff and Educational Psychologists to look for signs of broader vulnerabilities.

I am mindful of patterns that may indicate safeguarding risks, such as changes in behaviour, attendance concerns, or emotional withdrawal. Assistant Educational Psychologists and Educational Psychologists work collaboratively with multi-agency teams to ensure the physical and psychological safety of all children.

Our work also connects strongly to community wellbeing. Schools are often at the heart of communities and supporting inclusive practices benefits students, families and staff.

Whether contributing to work around Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), SEND support or staff training, the goal is to strengthen the systems around children. When we build stronger schools, we create lasting wellbeing across the entire community.

What do you find most fulfilling about your role?

One of the most fulfilling aspects of the role is seeing a shift in understanding. Children are often viewed through a lens of difficulty or frustration. Consultations that help adults reframe a child’s behaviour as communication can shift conversations from blame to curiosity.

I also value working directly with pupils through interventions focused on anxiety and resilience. Creating a safe space for young people to put words to emotions that previously felt overwhelming is incredibly meaningful. It allows them to develop coping strategies they can use beyond the sessions. 

Seeing young people gain confidence and realise they have the tools to handle difficult moments is so rewarding.

Can you describe a time where you faced a challenging situation in your career and how you resolved it?

While training as a Teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found it difficult to build relationships with students due to distancing measures, disrupted routines and remote learning.

Many everyday informal interactions, like greeting students at the door or catching up at lunch, were limited. I also became increasingly concerned about the quieter students, whose mental health needs might have gone unnoticed.

Initially, I felt frustrated by the barriers and found that technology made me feel even more detached. However, I realised I needed to adapt rather than wait for normality. I made my lessons more interactive and built structured opportunities for anonymous check-ins and low-stakes participation.

I created brief emotional ‘temperature checks’ at the start of lessons using emojis and established consistent routines to increase predictability and safety. Over time, I noticed students opening up more and some reached out to me during or after lessons to share worries and concerns they hadn’t voiced before.

While the circumstances were difficult, the experience strengthened my awareness of how easily mental health needs can be hidden. It highlighted how intentional we need to be as adults in creating psychologically safe spaces.

Looking back, what turning points in your career shaped your approach to educational psychology?

My work, especially my experience in consultations, has strongly influenced how I approach educational psychology. Seeing how shifts in adult understanding can change a child’s trajectory has strengthened my commitment to systemic work. Educational Psychologists don’t always need to directly deliver interventions to children, but they can reframe narratives at a wider school level.

My exposure to early years work has reinforced the importance of prevention. Seeing needs emerge early has shifted my focus to strengthening adult skills and classroom environments, rather than waiting for difficulties to escalate.

My role has honed my belief that educational psychology is not just about assessment; it is about building a culture of understanding in schools and communities.

What new knowledge or skills do you think Educational Psychologists entering the field now will need most?

I think having an awareness of both culture and structural inequality will be critical for those entering the field. Schools are serving increasingly diverse communities and issues such as poverty, racism and language barriers are central to understanding children's experiences.

Educational Psychologists will need to be skilled in holding conversations around identity, bias and inclusion in ways that are psychologically informed.

It is also important to be able to work preventatively and systemically. With rising demands and policy shifts toward early intervention, Educational Psychologists will need confidence in consultation, staff training and capacity building. Skills such as facilitating reflective conversations and influencing leadership teams to shape whole-school practice will be increasingly important.

Digital literacy is likely to become more important. Ensuring that technology enhances, rather than replaces psychological practice is crucial. Educational Psychologists need to use tools carefully and confidently while maintaining ethical standards.

I often deliver training to schools and discuss how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to design and tailor bespoke interventions for children and young people. AI shouldn’t replace critical reflection and evaluation. It is important to anonymise identifying information when using assistive tools.

What excites you most about the future of educational psychology?

What excites me most about the future of educational psychology is its potential to become more preventive, inclusive and representative of the communities it serves. 

Culture, identity, poverty, language and systemic inequality are increasingly recognised as key factors shaping children’s needs. I believe Educational Psychologists are uniquely positioned to support children and families where these factors intersect.

Educational psychology recruitment specialists

As award-winning SEND recruiters, we support local authority SEND services and private sector providers nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent staffing needs. If you're struggling to recruit the right talent, simply request a call back and one of our experienced recruiters will contact you to discuss how we can help. 

Looking for your next Educational psychologist job? Either search the latest jobs or upload your CV and one of our consultants will be in touch when a suitable opportunity arises.