Delivery of the government\u2019s new \u201cexperts at hand\u201d SEND support service is \u201cat risk\u201d because of a chronic shortage of educational psychologists, an influential think tank has warned.<\/p>\n
Pupils in some areas are 20 times less likely to get support from an educational psychologist, the Education Policy Institute research suggests<\/a>, prompting calls for government to boost funding and training.<\/p>\n It comes a day after the government set out further details on its plans to create a new \u201cexperts at hand\u201d service, which is supposed to improve access to external support for mainstream schools from staff like educational psychologists.<\/p>\n James Zuccollo, the EPI\u2019s director for school workforce, said: \u201cThis report highlights a stark reality: we cannot deliver the government\u2019s goal of inclusive mainstream education while the educational psychologist workforce remains critically under-resourced.<\/p>\n \u201cThe \u00a31.8 billion \u2018experts at hand\u2019 programme provides a welcome framework, but its sufficiency is entirely dependent on a stable EP pipeline.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the length of specialist training required, the government\u2019s three-year delivery timeline is at risk without additional investment to reach adequate staffing levels.\u201d<\/p>\n EPI\u2019s report warned of a \u201cstark disparity in levels of EP provision\u201d, with estimates showing some areas have one professional per 480 pupils, while others have just one for every 9,400.<\/p>\n The EPI found the 20-fold disparity in access was driven by a \u201csubstantial national shortage.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout urgent capacity expansion, the sector faces a cycle of attrition, rising costs, and an inability to deliver on the government\u2019s goal of including more children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools.\u201d<\/p>\n The think tank said its findings indicated there was \u201ccurrently no accurate count of the total EP workforce and that there are no evidence-based benchmarks for adequate staffing\u201d. It analysed administrative data and case studies from six councils.<\/p>\n It found official data undercounted the workforce by \u201cabout a third\u201d, and missed around 1,300 full-time professionals working in traded services, academy trusts and private practice.<\/p>\n However, \u201cthis hidden workforce is not evenly distributed to plug gaps in deprived areas\u201d.<\/p>\n The EPI estimated that bringing the 96 councils with below-benchmark staffing up to the right level would require an estimated extra 1,400 full-time educational psychologists, a 40 per cent rise.<\/p>\n The cost of \u00a3140 million a year would be a \u201cmodest investment relative to the wider costs of a failing SEND system\u201d.<\/p>\n At present, the government funds just over 200 training places. But last year<\/a>, the scheme had more than 1,765 applications.<\/p>\n \u201cContinuing to fund training for only 200 EPs each year will not be enough to adequately support children\u2019s needs,\u201d said Zuccollo.<\/p>\n \u201cA relatively modest investment of around \u00a3140 million would allow EPs to work more effectively to improve outcomes and break the cycle of burnout and attrition that currently threatens the service.\u201d<\/p>\n‘Stark disparity’<\/h3>\n
Current funding not adequate<\/h3>\n