Headteachers across Gateshead are appealing to the council to continue funding psychological help for vulnerable primary school kids.
Proposals to continue funding a full-time educational psychologist to assist an education panel for vulnerable children will be decided next Thursday. The panel, known as the primary fair access panel, helps children who have no school places get back into schools as quickly as possible.
The panel, and its protocols, can apply to children who are homeless, carers, disabled, "challenging" or have special educational needs, among other criteria. The full-time mental health specialist ensures the child's mental health and social needs are met once a school place has been found.
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Since the role was established in 2014, the educational psychologist assisting the education panel has dealt with 154 individual pupil referrals. In the previous academic year, the specialist dealt with 26 referrals.
Ten of these referrals concerned children who struggle with communication and interactions, including kids living with autism. Nine children required help with their learning and seven needed help with their mental or social health.
Schools in Gateshead can access the help of the fair access psychologist by having the cost deducted from their budgets. Primary academies will see £5.50 per school child deducted from their budgets if the proposals are approved by councillors.
Gateshead Council documents state: "The role continues to be highly valued by schools, both in terms of individual casework and the training programme. The PFAP EP working at both the individual and systemic level in this way also hopefully supports our mainstream primary schools to better understand and meet the needs of their complex pupils in general, not just those placed via the Primary Fair Access Panel."
Councillors are recommended to approve the funding scheme to "ensure that all children and young people in Gateshead receive an education that is suitable and appropriate to their needs and abilities."
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