The Educational Psychology Service provides a Crisis Support Service for schools. This work is part of the core work provided for schools by the local authority to support the delivery of its statutory responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and is not traded.

The service aims to mobilise the resources available in the school, and to stimulate and encourage positive coping strategies across the community through joint work in the immediate aftermath of an event. It also works with staff in school to identify individuals whose reactions to an event suggest a need for further long term support.

To support schools in crisis we identify the following aims:

• To enable educational establishments to deal with the initial shock of crisis situations.
• To support the senior management of the school/institution with the re-establishment of normal routines.
• To mobilise individual and collective resources for dealing with trauma.
• To use psychological support to promote cognitive organisation and understanding of the event to reduce distress.
• To identify vulnerable individuals who need more intensive psychological or psychiatric support.