Following discussion by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Saturday 20 May, the AEP will hold a formal ballot on whether to take industrial action over the 2022 Soulbury pay offer. This decision has been made following an indicative ballot in which 80% of respondents said yes to taking industrial action. 

Mental health is commonly understood as an internal process. Subjectively, we experience both poor mental health and good mental health as something happening inside us because we can directly feel the effects. During a period of poor mental health, we might feel tired, anxious and find it hard to concentrate. During a period of good mental health, we might experience happiness or inner peace.

The GFTU annual meeting is to held this coming weekend - and the AEP and SWU have put forward a motion asking for the GFTU Executive to support SWU’s call to the government to recognise the impact of austerity and now the cost-of-living crisis upon the families and individuals social work and social care staff support.

At this time of year, it is hard not to notice the beauty of nature. We are surrounded by daffodils, crocuses and tulips; with shades of green emerging as new leaves begin to unfurl on the trees. But there can be no denying that the impacts of climate change are showing. In the UK, we are getting off lightly; in the past few years alone, other countries have been ravaged by fires, floods, extreme snow storms and droughts. It is no wonder, then, that so many people - especially the young people we work with - are feeling anxious about their futures and what the world might come to look like.

The AEP Privacy and Cookie policy has been updated. You can view the updated policy here - www.aep.org.uk/privacy-and-cookie-policy

SEND & AP Improvement Plan – press advisory and comment from the Association of Educational Psychologists.

Industrial action might be foremost in many of your minds at the moment. The ongoing Soulbury pay dispute is certainly taking priority in our work at this time. Strikes across the public sector are drawing lots of attention from the media. Unions have never been more relevant and it's never been so great to be part of the movement -  Heart Unions week (13 – 17 February) was a great way to celebrate!

Public services are in the spotlight - as key workers take to the picket lines and strike to ensure not only fair pay, but also the long-term sustainability of the services for which they work.