To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of waiting times for the commissioning of educational psychologists; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing assessments by educational psychologists arranged and paid for by parents to be used.
Answered on
7 January 2025
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life, breaking down the barriers to opportunity.
Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, providing statutory input into education, health and care (EHC) assessments and advising the school workforce on how to support children and young people with SEND.
As set out in the SEND Code of Practice, when carrying out an EHC needs assessment, local authorities are required to seek psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist, who should normally be employed or commissioned by the local authority.
As the employers of educational psychology services, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that their services are adequately staffed. The department does not hold data on waiting times for the commissioning of educational psychologists.
However, the department is taking measures to support local authorities by investing in building the pipeline. We are investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from 2024. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.
To support retention, following graduation, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this requirement has increased to three years.