Safeguarding children

Catalyst Psychology Community Interest Company carries out all the required checks for all staff employed as Educational Psychologists or Assistant Psychologists and for any volunteers. For Trainee Educational Psychologists on placement with Catalyst Psychology, the University of Manchester undertakes the required checks.

We follow approved 'safer recruitment' practices including requiring photo ID presented at interview, as well as two references and a check of original certificates for relevant/required qualifications. All staff require an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) disclosure.

All staff carry a recognized form of photo identification. Identity checks can be verified by telephoning our office number (07597 990484) or by emailing us.

All Catalyst Psychology staff work to government legislation and statutory guidance, which is based on the Department for Education's Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education.

Legal requirements

We have been advised directly by the Department for Education that staff working in schools on behalf of Catalyst Psychology are considered as visiting staff. There is no legal requirement to list Catalyst staff on the school’s single central register (but see below).

Visiting staff

The following guidance for schools is published on the Ofsted website: "For visiting staff who have unsupervised regular access to children and young people, such as educational psychologists, their 'providing' organisation (in this case Catalyst Psychology) should request the check. It is sufficient for schools and colleges to seek written confirmation that appropriate checks, including DBS checks have been carried out and by whom and to confirm the identify of these visitors. It is not necessary (or practicable) to require a date for such checks.  Written confirmation may be in the form of a public statement on the organisation’s  website."

The single central register

Whilst there is no legal requirement for schools to list members of our team on their single central register, there may be circumstances in which schools decide that members of the Catalyst team fall within the following description: People brought into the school or college to provide regular additional teaching or instruction for pupils but who are not staff members. 

In such circumstances, schools may wish to list the Catalyst psychologist on their central register. The Department for Education has advised that this decision is at the discretion of the individual school. If any school requires further details of an individual’s DBS status for this purpose, they should contact Teresa Regan.