Critical incidents: the who, the what and the how

A critical incident is an event that occurs suddenly and causes trauma within the school community, beyond the point of normal coping mechanisms working.

Educational Psychologists (EPs) are often called upon during critical incidents to support the school community to manage in these moments. Fortunately, these situations don't arise that often. However, when they do, it's so important that schools have the right support systems in place to access the help and reassurance that is needed.

Who do EPs work with during a critical incident?

It's rare that the EP will work directly with children during a critical incident. This is because, during moments where people experience trauma, they often look to trusted others for signs of safety. As external professionals, we're unlikely to have developed these supportive relationships with the young people in your school community. Instead, EPs work with the adults in the school to support them in supporting the children and families.

What might an EP do during a critical incident?

💛 Ask questions as prompts in relation to the school's response 

💛 'Hold a space' for staff to share their feelings and be listened to

💛 Share information around trauma responses and emotional wellbeing

💛 Signpost to other agencies who can support in-the-moment

💛 Feed into systemic thinking around how the school might manage a similar event in the future

How does a school access critical incident support?

Based on the importance of relationships in providing supporting during critical incidents, Golden Thread Psychology doesn't offer critical incident support as a standalone package. To effectively support school staff in these moments, we feel it's important that the EP is a familiar face within the school community.

However, critical incident support is vital for schools during moments where things feel unmanageable and this is why such support is available, free of charge, to any school who has purchased an annual contract with Golden Thread Psychology.

As soon as an incident occurs, it is best practice for schools to inform their link EP. At this stage, it might not be that you are asking for support, but it is always useful for the EP to know what is going on from the outset. Should you feel support might be needed, just let us know and a member of the Senior Team will be in touch as soon as possible to discuss in what way we can be helpful.

You can find out more about our services or email hello@goldenthreadpsychology.co.uk for further information.