The priorities of the submission are as follows:
- A pay increase of at least 5% on all pay points and allowances, which will begin to address the substantial real terms cuts which Soulbury employees have, like other public sector workers, suffered since 2009.
- Discussions to continue on the SPA system and London Area Payments.
- It was welcome that some of the changes to the pay structure proposed in the previous claim of the Officers’ Side were agreed. Local Authorities should be encouraged to use the points at the top of the A&B pay scales to improve recruitment and retention of staff. The Officers’ Side proposes that the following should also be considered:
- In the spine for Education Improvement Professionals, points 1-4 should be eliminated, making point 5 the first point of the spine.
- In Scale A for Educational Psychologists, points 1-3 should be eliminated, making point 4 the first point of the scale.
- Points 6-14 of Scale A are identical to points 1-9 of the scale for Senior and Principal Educational Psychologists. This overlap would be reduced if points 1-3 of the latter were eliminated, making point 4 the first point of the scale.
- Advice to Local Authorities to clarify that point 1 on the scale should no longer be used as it has been deleted from the Assistant Pay Scale and that any Assistants employed under Soulbury terms should automatically be placed on the current Assistant Pay Scale which consists of points 2-5.
Educational Psychologists (EPs) have a statutory role in providing advice or information to local authorities for children and young people who have SEND and are undergoing statutory Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plans. EPs also play a unique and vital role in meeting the needs of all children and young people within an inclusive education system as follows:
- assess children’s learning and development need
- create and implement early interventions that support educational, social, behavioural, and mental wellbeing of children and young people
- consult and collaborate with teachers, parents, and other professionals to create a wholly supportive environment in which all children can reach their full potential.
Over the past decade, there has been a 140% increase in the number of children with Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plans. The UK Public Accounts Committee report on support for children and young people with special educational needs (SEND) published on 15 January 2025 highlighted that in 2024, 576,000 children aged 0 to 25 years had an EHC plan, 140% more than in January 2015. In 2023, only half of EHC plans were issued within the statutory 20-week period, leading to delays in support for children. Too many families struggle to get the help their children desperately need, with long waiting times for assessments and support, and tribunal cases rising
Without an increase in Educational Psychologists (EPs), the ability to meet growing demand and provide the necessary support for children and families will remain severely limited. By ensuring a fully staffed and properly remunerated workforce of EPs, we can deliver the early intervention needed to help children and young people to support their social, behavioural, and mental wellbeing and help to help them reach their full potential. This proactive approach would reduce the demand for EHC plans, ultimately lowering the escalating costs for Local Authorities.
The Officers’ Side reluctantly accepted the pay offer for 2024-25, which continued the real terms pay cuts for Soulbury officers since 2009. The agreement included a review on a without prejudice basis the SPA system and London Area Payments.