Educational Psychology Service Statutory Advice Contractors

Lambeth Special Educational Needs Team are currently initiating X EHC needs assessments per month. Lambeth EP service does not have the capacity currently to manage the demand for statutory advice that these needs assessments generate. We are therefore seeking to commission external providers to complete statutory advice that cannot be managed in-house.

Not all schools in Lambeth have been able to procure an Educational Psychology Service in the current academic year. Consequently, requests for EHC needs assessments do not always include evidence of Educational Psychologist involvement or appended assessment reports. Where the Local Authority agree to undertake a needs assessment in these cases, a complete psychological assessment is sought.

In other cases, requests for needs assessments include a comprehensive Educational Assessment. The Code of Practice states that if the existing report is deemed 'sufficient' no further assessment can be requested. In these circumstances the Local Authority may request a review of the current provision based on the recommendations in the existing report and a supplementary review report will be requested, summarising the child's needs and specifying outcomes and provision as identified in the existing report, amended as appropriate on the evidence in the review.

This questionnaire seeks the views and opinions of Limited Companies supplying Educational Psychology Services who may be interested in delivering this service.

The deadline to complete this brief survey is Date 20 August 2023