Constructing a flexible model of integrated professional practice part: 3 - the model in practice

This is the third in a series of papers exploring the Constructionist Model of Informed Reasoned Action (COMOIRA). The first two papers articulated the theoretical and conceptual issues underpinning the model and explored some important process and practice issues associated with it. Initially, this paper discusses two important concepts that contextualise the model. Firstly, that the model is in an ongoing process of development, and, secondly, that the model is a heuristic, providing a template to guide the professional work of an applied psychologist, rather than a prescriptive process in which actions must follow in a particular, unchanging order. This paper then illustrates applications of the model in working with individuals and groups within the Cardiff University training programme for educational psychologists (EPs) and also in the work of the authors with service users, including joint work at an organisational level with two Educational Psychology Services (EPSs). Moving from a theoretical perspective to a practical, day‐to‐day application of any model, or even simply contemplating such a move, inevitably generates challenges for individuals and organisations and these are discussed from a constructionist perspective. This paper also addresses the issue of providing detailed worked examples of the model in practice, especially when there are expectations and assumptions that doing so will inevitably be positive and helpful. Whilst the model has been exported from the training programme and has been taken up in a variety of ways by some individual EPs and some EPSs, there is a need to explore more systematically its impact and value beyond the training programme. The next phase of development needs to involve some structured monitoring and evaluation of the model in the field. However, it will be critical also to explore the contextual and systemic factors that might encourage, enable and support the use of a new model, as well as those that might discourage, oppose and/or inhibit its application and development