Educational psychology services have been subject to budget cuts by councils across England. This is the finding of new research from the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP), which discovered funding for these purposes has been reduced by five per cent over the last three years, Children and Young People Now reports.

Following the submission of a Freedom of Information request, it was found that the combined budgets for educational psychology services across the 43 local authorities that responded to the request stood at £38.7 million in 2012/13 - markedly lower than the £40.1 million recorded in 2009/10.

There are concerns that reduced funding could further hamper services at a time when demand for mental health and emotional support in schools is on the increase. 

Speaking at a Trades Union Congress conference in Bournemouth, AEP President John Drewicz recommended councils place funding for educational psychology support to young people at the top of their priority lists, stating the resources are not available "to cope with these additional demands and once the problems with training funding are factored in, we are looking at a major issue of service provision".

Dr Andy Allen, the chair of our Division of Educational and Child Psychology, adds:

“It is difficult to understand the funding cuts at a time of increasing demand for educational psychology.

With the proposal to extend EP services to support 19-25 year olds, and proposed changes to statutory assessments, surely the move should be to increase the budget rather than reduce it. The same can also be applied to the funding of training of new educational psychologists.”