Children to receive less specialist psychological support in Northern Ireland

As reported by the BBC News, schools in Northern Ireland face a fall in support for children who need specialist psychological help

The Education Authority (EA) has said schools will receive fewer visits from educational psychologists.

The EA has blamed the changes on “significant pressures” on the Educational Psychology Service and a “sharp increase in demand”.

Since the COVID pandemic, the number of young people seeking help for mental health issues has risen dramatically – up by 25% compared to four years ago.

Robin Swann, health minister, previously warned of the rise in referrals as a result of “the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions to everyday life”.

Educational psychologists work with students across a range of different emotional and medical needs, particularly helping children with special educational needs (SEND).

In a letter, the EA stated: “Unfortunately, at this current time, the Educational Psychology Service is unable to provide the same level of support this year as in previous years due to the unpredicted rise in referrals to the service at all stages of the code of practice.

“I fully understand that this action will cause disappointment and concern for you and for parents of children in your school.”

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has commented that it is “extremely concerned”.

In a statement, the union wrote: “NAHT suggests, therefore, that the warning that the Educational Psychology Service will not be able to meet demand is not the result of an increase in referrals, but, rather, the legacy of an historic failure to properly invest in this vital service for the scale of the demand.”