Memorandum submitted by Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP)

 

The Association of Educational Psychologists is the certificated trade union and professional association that represents over 93% of educational psychologists in England and Wales. Our members work closely with schools and other agencies, both directly and indirectly, towards the goal of seeking the best outcomes for children, young people and their families under the Every Child Matters agenda.

 

The Association of Educational Psychologists welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to the Education and Skills Committee on the matter of separation of assessment of need from funding of provision. Educational psychologists have a long history of involvement in this area. This submission aims to raise issues for further consideration, with reference to relevant changes in legislation.

 

The report on Special Educational Needs: separation of assessment of need from funding of provision, published July 2006, refers to an " inbuilt conflict of interest in that it is the duty of the local authority both to assess the needs of the child and to arrange provision to meet those needs, and all within a limited resource."

 

Although there is a potential conflict of interest, reference to "an inbuilt conflict" questions the integrity of the professionals working to meet the needs of children and young people. We would argue that there is an implied understanding within Local Authorities that psychological advice is not contaminated by budgetary constraints, but rather first and foremost reflects the needs of the child or young person and how best they can be met. As

with any 'good' assessment, contextual factors and what can realistically be achieved are taken into account, but do not have a bearing on the conclusions and recommendations given on what the child's needs are and how they can be met.

 

We believe that a separation of the two functions of assessment could lead to situations where an assessment service saw its function as providing an absolutely impartial,, context-free assessment service to children, young people and their families. Because there would be no constraints on the nature of the advice given, and little to no appreciation of contextual influences, parents/carers could be led to believe that whatever was recommended would automatically be implemented by the Local Authority. It would inevitably leave the Local Authority with increasing battles to justify the provision they proposed to organise to meet the needs as set down by those undertaking the assessments.

 

The nearest equivalent situation to the proposed changes occurred when the Special Education Forms were in use prior to the implementation of the Education Act 1981. Even before these were introduced, the Handicapped Pupils Forms were in use; here the School Medical Officer was the last person in the assessment chain, who gathered the reports of the school, parents and educational psychologist. This sequence was criticised at the time because by 1974, in effect, the recommending officer was not a member of the Local Education Authority and it was not felt that it was appropriate for someone who was not part of the LEA to be making recommendations which had considerable funding implications for the LEA. This is precisely the model that the Education and Skills Committee is proposing.

 

Within two years of 1974 this anomaly was corrected. The Special Education Forms were introduced and the educational psychologist became the recommending officer, collating the information from parents, schools and medical officers in that order.

 

When the Warnock Committee sat to consider the whole SEN situation, LEAs made strong representation that the SEN arm of the LEAs should be responsible for determining how the needs so identified by the assessment process would be met, as they were the people who had to manage the budget. This was subsequently enacted in 1983.

 

In conclusion, we believe that no such "inbuilt" conflict of interest automatically exists between assessment and funding of provision. Educational Psychologists use their professional knowledge and integrity to work closely with colleagues within the Local Authority to support the development of children and young people, particularly those who have special and/or additional educational needs.

 

 

June 2007