This document brings together guidance and requirements around consent from various sources into one guide for Educational Psychologists (EPs) and EP services practising in the UK.

Colleagues will be saddened to hear of the death of Carole Westwick. Carole was an exceptional Educational Psychologist. For fifty years she strove to improve the lives and wellbeing of children through her great insight, knowledge, and wisdom.

Most EPs employed in Local Authorities are employed on Soulbury Terms and Conditions, which includes the nationally agreed payscales. These are not statutory, but have been developed over many years of consultation and negotiation by the Soulbury Committee which is made up of the Local Government Association and the recognised Soulbury Trade Unions. The AEP is a member of the Soulbury Committee along with National Education Union and Prospect. The full agreement can be found on the AEP website Soulbury Report. For AEP Members, there are four relevant scales, and every post should be graded on an appropriate range within them. There are other Soulbury scales, but it is only in rare occasions that EPs would find their post being allocated a range on another scale.

The AEP submitted this response to the Government Consultation on the Green Paper on SEND review in July 2022. This was after an extensive process of gathering views from across the membership via email, focus groups and DfE led webinars.