Professor Will Shield (he/him)

I am an Associate Professor of Child, Educational and Community Psychology and one of the joint programme directors of the Doctorate in Educational, Child and Community Psychology programme.

My specific areas of professional interest and specialism are linked to how we support the wellbeing and mental health needs of children and young people, particularly those who have experienced adversity and those at risk of exclusion from school.

My research and teaching areas of interest include: children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs; alternative provision and inclusion; trauma and attachment; challenging behaviour linked to childhood adversity; critical incident stress management; dynamic assessment and mediated learning environments; group dynamics; widening participation in education; personal construct psychology and learner self-efficacy.

I only supervise doctoral research projects for students registered on the Doctorate in Educational, Child and Community Psychology.

Qualifications:

• Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (FHEA), University of Exeter, 2022.
• Doctorate in Educational, Child and Community Psychology, University of Exeter, 2013.
• Post Graduate Diploma in Education, 2010.
• BSc (Hons) Psychology, 2008.

I am a Chartered Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. I am registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist (PYL29808).

I have completed professional training in Dyadic Developmental Practice and Psychotherapy (DDPI Approved Level 2) and I am an accredited Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP) administrator (Anna Freud Centre). I am also a recognised Prosocial Group Facilitator. Prosocial is an approach which uses principles of Contextual Behavioural Science and Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT) to build effective, collaborative and socially equitable groups.

Career

I trained as an Educational Psychologist at the University of Exeter and began my career working for Devon County Council and later North Somerset Council. In both roles, I focused on supporting children who had been excluded or were at risk of exclusion, as well as those in the care system. I progressed to a Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist role, where I oversaw the development of a traded educational psychology service across North Somerset and Somerset, alongside direct work with schools. I later joined Bristol City Council as a Senior EP, where I contributed to strategic SEND developments linked to the Ofsted/CQC Local Area SEND Inspection and subsequent Written Statement of Action. This included the implementation of person-centred practices and enhancing parental engagement, leading a successful DfE accreditation for Senior Mental Health Lead training in Bristol, and supporting the development of critical incident response protocols for schools and the wider community.