Working with children and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Northern Ireland – An explorative study of Educational Psychologists' experience.

This study examines the experiences of educational psychologists (EPs) working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children and young people (CYP) in Northern Ireland (NI), focusing on their cultural competence and humility in practice. Findings from an online survey of 33 EPs and follow-up interviews with four participants reveal that while EPs recognize the importance of cultural considerations and demonstrate some cultural awareness, many report low confidence, competence, and knowledge in effectively supporting CLD CYP, particularly in areas such as speech and language assessment and culturally competent consultation. EPs identified significant knowledge gaps, a need for more targeted training, resources, and service-level guidance, as well as challenges related to time pressures and adapting to a rapidly diversifying population. The study suggests that increased exposure to CLD communities, ongoing professional development, reflective supervision, and organizational support are essential for enhancing EPs’ cultural responsiveness and improving outcomes for CLD CYP in NI and similar contexts.