HC Deb 22 April 2002 vol 384 cc78-83W
Mr. Lidington

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the average waiting time between a child being referred by his school to an educational psychologist and the first consultation taking place has been in the last 12 months; [51053]

(2) how many educational psychologists are employed (a) by each local education authority in England and Wales and (b) in total; what the equivalent figures were for the last five years; and if she will make a statement; [51055]

(3) if she will make a statement about the recruitment and retention of educational psychologists; [51056]

(4) what estimate she has made of the number of posts for educational psychologists in local education authorities in England and Wales that are unfilled. [51057]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

[holding answer 18 April 2002]: Information on waiting times for consultations with educational psychologists is not collected centrally. Recruitment and retention of educational psychologists are matters for local education authorities, as employers.

The latest available information on the number of educational psychologists employed by local education authorities in England, and the number of unfilled posts, is given in the following table:

Educational psychologists (full-time equivalent)
In service
LEA 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 FT vacancies 2001
Kensington and Chelsea 9.0 10.0 8.0 8.0 6.0 0.0
Lambeth 13.3 8.0 10.7 13.4 15.1 0.0
Lewisham 13.5 13.5 12.5 12.5 13.5 0.0
Southwark 13.6 11.1 12.3 12.3 11.7 2.0
Tower Hamlets 14.0 29.6 15.7 15.3 14.4 0.0
Wands worth 11.2 11.6 10.7 11.3 11.0 0.0
City of Westminster 10.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 9.4 0.0
Barking and Dagenham 12.9 10.9 11.9 14.0 11.9 3.0
Barnet 16.1 15.5 15.5 14.4 15.5 1.0
Bexley 11.3 10.0 11.0 10.6 10.1 0.0
Brent 11.6 10.0 9.4 10.0 11.0 0.0
Bromley 11.5 12.0 12.0 11.0 11.5 1.0
Croydon 10.4 14.6 13.9 13.4 9.6 1.0
Ealing 12.8 13.8 23.8 14.7 13.7 1.0
Enfield 15.0 12.7 17.6 20.6 19.2 3.0
Haringey 14.8 13.3 15.0 14.1 11.6 2.0
Harrow 11.0 4.6 8.7 10.3 10.9 1.0
Havering 7.9 9.6 9.5 9.5 9.5 0.0
Hillingdon 12.4 13.8 15.3 14.2 15.5 0.0
Hounslow 9.5 10.5 10.0 10.5 10.5 0.0
Kingston upon Thames 4.9 6.9 5.7 6.8 5.4 1.0
Merton 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.8 9.6 0.0
Newham 12.1 12.8 15.5 19.0 17.7 4.0
Redbridge 8.1 8.2 10.0 10.4 7.4 2.0
Richmond upon Thames 6.6 7.6 7.6 7.1 6.1 1.0
Sutton 5.6 5.0 6.5 8.9 10.8 0.0
Waltham Forest 13.0 13.0 13.0 13.0 8.3 1.0
Birmingham 39.0 40.1 46.2 22.6 46.2 0.0
Coventry 13.3 12.8 13.9 14.5 16.0 0.0
Dudley 10.5 10.5 11.5 7.7 11.7 5.0
Sandwell 14.0 15.0 14.0 16.0 15.0 0.0
Solihull 9.4 10.0 9.5 11.0 9.5 1.0
Walsall 10.5 12.6 11.8 12.0 10.6 0.0
Wolverhampton 11.8 12.8 10.0 13.0 15.0 0.0
Knowsley 8.8 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 0.0
Liverpool 16.0 16.0 15.0 15.0 14.0 0.0
St. Helens 6.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 8.1 0.0
Sefton 10.0 11.0 10.6 9.5 13.6 0.0
Wirral 14.0 12.5 13.7 12.8 12.1 2.0
Bolton 8.4 8.4 8.4 9.4 9.4 0.0
Bury 7.6 7.2 6.1 8.0 8.6 0.0
Manchester 17.6 20.9 22.2 17.8 21.0 0.0
Oldham 6.5 7.5 7.5 8.5 8.9 0.0
Rochdale 8.3 9.3 9.3 8.0 9.3 0.0
Salford 9.5 8.3 7.6 11.2 8.8 3.0
Stockport 11.8 10.6 10.5 11.2 10.0 0.0
Tameside 7.6 9.6 9.6 9.6 9.6 0.0
Trafford 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.4 7.0 0.0
Wigan 12.0 11.8 12.4 12.4 10.0 2.0
Barnsley 4.0 6.5 6.9 7.4 7.9 0.0
Doncaster 10.9 11.9 10.9 10.9 9.9 2.0
Rotherham 11.5 10.5 8.3 7.3 9.1 0.0
Sheffield 19.4 20.9 22.4 23.4 26.0 0.0
Bradford 18.5 19.2 20.5 21.7 21.7 0.0
Calderdale 8.4 7.4 7.4 7.7 8.8 0.0
Kirklees 21.5 22.5 20.0 22.8 25.1 3.0
Leeds 14.5 17.0 19.0 21.5 19.5 2.0
Wakefield 10.0 10.0 11.0 9.0 9.3 0.0
Gateshead 9.0 9.5 9.5 9.5 6.5 0.0
Newcastle upon Tyne 14.4 10.4 14.8 10.5 8.6 0.0
North Tyneside 6.6 7.5 5.7 7.7 9.0 0.0
South Tyneside 6.0 7.5 5.0 7.1 6.5 1.0
Sunderland 11.5 11.5 13.5 15.9 11.1 0.0
Isles of Scilly 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
Bath and North East Somerset 5.0 5.0 5.0 8.5 7.0 0.0
City of Bristol 16.9 14.3 15.6 19.2 19.5 0.0
North Somerset 7.9 7.5 9.0 12.0 10.5 1.0
South Gloucestershire 7.3 7.0 8.8 9.8 11.4 0.0
Hartlepool 3.2 4.0 4.0 3.4 2.4 1.0
Middlesbrough 5.0 7.0 7.4 7.0 6.2 0.0
Redcar and Cleveland 5.1 4.9 6.0 6.0 5.8 2.0

Educational psychologists (full-time equivalent)
In service
LEA 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 FT vacancies 2001
Stockton on Tees 8.5 5.1 7.0 6.0 8.3 0.0
City of Kingston Upon Hull 8.0 8.3 10.3 10.3 11.4 10.0
East Riding of Yorkshire 8.0 8.0 8.0 7.0 9.0 0.0
North East Lincolnshire 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.6 6.4 0.0
North Lincolnshire 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0 0.0
North Yorkshire 13.1 14.3 15.8 14.7 14.5 0.0
York 6.9 6.9 6.9 7.8 8.1 0.0
Former Bedfordshire 16.3 — — — — —
Bedfordshire — 6.0 10.3 10.3 11.7 1.0
Luton — 4.8 5.3 6.0 7.0 0.0
Total former Bedfordshire area 16.3 10.8 15.6 16.3 18.7 1.0
Former Buckinghamshire 24.9 — — — — —
Buckinghamshire — 18.2 19.7 19.8 18.6 36.0
Milton Keynes — 10.0 7.0 10.0 11.5 0.0
Total former Buckinghamshire area 24.9 28.2 26.7 29.8 30.1 36.0
Former Derbyshire 31.9 — — — — —
Derbyshire — 22.0 20.6 23.0 20.7 3.0
Derby — 9.0 8.7 10.9 10.9 0.0
Total former Derbyshire area 31.9 31.0 29.3 33.9 31.6 3.0
Former Dorset 25.0 — — — — —
Dorset — 14.0 13.0 12.6 12.7 0.0
Poole — 5.5 6.0 4.5 5.1 1.0
Bournemouth — 4.0 5.4 6.0 6.0 0.0
Total former Dorset area 25.0 23.5 24.4 23.1 23.8 1.0
Former Durham 23.4 — — — — —
Durham — 16.0 20.9 20.6 23.2 0.0
Darlington — 4.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 0.0
Total former Durham area 23.4 20.0 23.9 24.6 27.2 0.0
Former East Sussex 18.3 — — — — —
East Sussex — 11.9 13.9 12.6 16.9 1.0
Brighton and Hove — 7.1 6.7 7.7 7.7 0.0
Total former East Sussex area 18.3 19.0 20.6 20.3 24.6 1.0
Former Hampshire 61.4 — — — — —
Hampshire — 48.9 48.3 50.1 42.9 4.0
Portsmouth — 11.0 9.0 14.0 11.0 2.0
Southampton — 10.0 11.6 12.7 12.7 0.0
Total former Hampshire area 61.4 69.9 68.9 76.8 66.6 6.0
Former Leicestershire 26.2 0.0 — — — —
Leicestershire — 21.1 22.6 24.6 21.1 2.0
Leicester — 12.7 13.3 12.7 21.0 5.0
Rutland — 0.4 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0
Total former Leicestershire area 26.2 34.2 35.9 37.8 42.1 7.0
Former Staffordshire 28.0 — — — — —
Staffordshire — 21.0 20.0 22.4 18.5 6.0
Stoke on Trent — 6.1 8.0 6.2 6.1 0.0
Total former Staffordshire area 28.0 27.1 28.0 28.6 24.6 6.0
Former Wiltshire 13.2 — — — — —
Wiltshire — 14.3 20.9 15.6 14.1 0.0
Swindon — 5.9 4.9 6.5 6.7 0.0
Total former Wiltshire area 13.2 20.2 25.8 22.1 20.8 0.0
Former Berkshire 20.6 20.2 — — — —
Bracknell Forest — — 3.0 3.0 3.0 0.0
Windsor and Maidenhead — — 6.6 6.0 5.2 1.0
West Berkshire — — 5.4 5.8 8.3 1.0
Reading — — 4.0 5.0 4.5 1.0
Slough — — 4.9 7.7 9.7 0.0
Wokingham 4.9 5.0 5.0 1.0
Total former Berkshire area 20.6 20.2 28.8 32.5 35.7 4.0
Former Cambridgeshire 19.5 19.5 — — — —
Cambridgeshire — — 19.0 18.3 16.8 1.0
Peterborough — — 6.5 6.5 6.6 0.0
Total former Cambridgeshire area 19.5 19.5 25.5 24.8 23.4 1.0
Former Cheshire 30.1 27.8 — — — —
Cheshire — — 18.8 23.8 18.4 15.0
Halton — — 4.0 5.0 5.0 0.0
Warrington — — 6.0 10.1 6.0 2.0
Total former Cheshire area 30.1 27.8 28.8 38.9 29.4 17.0
Former Devon 34.8 33.2 — — — —
Devon — — 20.8 18.9 21.5 0.0
Plymouth — — 9.5 9.4 9.5 0.0
Torbay — — 3.6 3.5 3.5 0.0

Educational psychologists (full-time equivalent)
In service
LEA 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 FT vacancies 2001
Total former Devon area 34.8 33.2 33.9 31.8 34.5 0.0
Former Essex 63.3 60.5 — — — —
Essex — — 45.6 47.6 52.4 1.0
Southend on Sea — — 4.0 5.0 5.8 1.0
Thurrock — — 4.5 7.5 6.0 1.0
Total former Essex area 63.3 60.5 54.1 60.1 64.2 3.0
Former Hereford and Worcestershire 22.0 20.2 — — — —
Herefordshire — — 4.7 5.7 5.6 0.0
Worcestershire — — 19.8 18.7 22.6 0.0
Total former Hereford and Worcester area 22.0 20.2 24.5 24.4 28.2 0.0
Former Kent 55.8 50.2 — — — —
Kent — — 37.7 43.6 42.4 5.0
Medway — — 9.5 10.1 9.5 0.0
Total former Kent area 55.8 50.2 47.2 53.7 51.9 5.0
Former Lancashire 55.3 51.9 — — — —
Lancashire — — 40.5 43.3 42.1 1.0
Blackburn with Darwen — — 8.0 9.0 8.0 0.0
Blackpool — — 5.0 5.5 6.5 0.0
Total former Lancashire area 55.3 51.9 53.5 57.8 56.6 1.0
Former Nottinghamshire 32.9 30.8 — — — —
Nottinghamshire — — 22.8 25.3 25.8 1.0
Nottingham — — 9.2 9.4 15.1 0.0
Total former Nottinghamshire area 32.9 30.8 32.0 34.7 40.9 1.0
Former Shropshire 13.0 13.1 — — — —
Shropshire — — 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Telford and Wrekin — — 13.6 14.5 16.9 0.0
Total former Shropshire area 13.0 13.1 13.6 14.5 16.9 0.0
Cornwall 13.0 13.0 13.0 12.8 13.4 0.0
Cumbria 17.2 17.2 17.0 19.9 23.6 2.0
Gloucestershire 8.5 8.5 17.5 18.2 19.1 0.0
Hertfordshire 34.6 34.9 35.8 35.3 32.4 3.0
Isle of Wight 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 0.0
Lincolnshire 18.8 15.4 17.0 17.0 19.0 1.0
Norfolk 24.0 21.5 23.5 20.5 20.5 4.0
Northamptonshire 23.4 29.1 28.4 28.1 25.6 4.0
Northumberland 9.2 8.5 8.5 14.5 9.1 0.0
Oxfordshire 17.9 19.9 18.8 21.1 22.2 0.0
Somerset 16.3 16.8 20.5 23.5 23.8 0.0
Suffolk 15.8 19.8 19.8 19.3 18.7 2.0
Surrey 34.2 31.2 31.2 34.3 37.0 2.0
Warwickshire 14.8 14.6 18.0 19.9 16.1 0.0
West Sussex 21.8 22.7 21.5 23.6 26.2 3.0
Total England 1,767.6 1,788.1 1,866.5 1,928.7 1,954.4 176.0

Source:

Annual form 618G surveys of teachers in service and teacher vacancies.