National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)
National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is the psychological service of the Department of Education and provides educational psychological support to primary, post-primary and special schools in Ireland.
Each psychologist is assigned to a group of schools. The NEPS Model of Service includes a Casework Service for individual children and young people and a Support & Development Service for school staff.
The focus of the NEPS Casework Service is to use a consultative, problem-solving approach to promote better understanding of the child or young person’s strengths and needs, to suggest interventions that may be helpful to include in the Student Support Plan, and to assist schools to implement, monitor and review those interventions. This work is done in partnership with school staff, parents and the child or young person themselves.
The focus of the NEPS Support & Development Service is to help enhance school systems, to maximise a whole-school approach to creating school environments that are inclusive, flexible and responsive to the needs of all and to build school capability to provide evidence-informed prevention and early intervention support as part of the Continuum of Support framework. This work also includes supporting schools to respond to Critical Incidents.
National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) Q & A video
What to do if you think your child needs to be seen by a NEPS Psychologist
You need to begin by discussing your child’s needs with the class teacher or school principal. Not every child needs to meet the psychologist in person. Each school makes referrals to their NEPS psychologist who helps the school to plan the work.
If your school arranges an assessment through NEPS there is no charge for this service.
You will find more information in our parents leaflet:
National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) Information for Parents
Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA)
The Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA) is provided by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) to help in the delivery of a psychological service to all schools.
The scheme is not a substitute for a full educational psychological service of the sort provided by NEPS. It is an interim measure intended to supplement the NEPS service and meet current urgent needs for psychological assessment of children and young people.
Critical Incidents
NEPS provides assistance to all schools that experience critical incidents, including those that may not have an assigned NEPS psychologist.
A critical incident is a situation that overwhelms the normal coping capacity of the school. The types of critical incidents experienced by schools range from the death of a member of the school community through illness, suicide or accidental death to physical assaults or serious damage to school property.
