FOI Request - Educational Psychologist Capacity and Waiting Times

Request 101003854510

Scope and timeframe

Please provide the following for academic years 2015/16 to 2024/25 (year-to-date) for Educational Psychology services supporting schools:

1. Capacity and activity (annual):

a) Educational Psychologist FTE (establishment and in-post).
b) Vacancies (FTE) and average time-to-fill (if recorded).
c) Number of referrals received.
d) Number of assessments or statutory advice reports completed.

2. Waiting times (annual, with most recent monthly position if held):
a) Median and 90th percentile time from referral to first contact/triage.
b) Median and 90th percentile time from referral to completion of assessment/statutory advice.
c) Number of cases open beyond your local waiting-time standard (please state the standard).

3. Use of external capacity (annual):
a) Spend on external/locum EPs and number of cases supported, where held.4

4. Policy, standards and systems:
a) Any current waiting-time standards/targets and referral triage policy.
b) System(s) used to manage referrals/caseload and any standard reports used.

Response 13-10-2025

1. a) Current FTE 5.107

b) No current vacancies

c) 

*The low numbers associated with this response may result in the identification of individuals. Therefore numbers between 1 and 5 have
been redacted and marked with <5 instead. This response is exempt under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - personal
information.
 

d) Not held. This is not data that is routinely recorded. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
2. We do not operate a waiting list. Schools and their Link Educational Psychologists collaboratively prioritise cases to meet need on an ongoing basis.  We do not record data from the point of EP formal involvement as there is no referral process; Early Learning & Childcare (ELC), school, allied health professionals and parent/carers and request a no-named discussion/consultation at any point, prior to any agreement to formally open an EPS casefile.

a) - c) We do not operate a waiting list. Schools and their Link Educational Psychologists collaboratively prioritise cases to meet need on an ongoing basis.  We do not record data from the point of EP formal involvement as there is no referral process; Early Learning & Childcare (ELC), school, allied health professionals and parent/carers and request a no-named discussion/consultation at any point, prior to any agreement to formally open an EPS casefile.

3. The number of colleagues hired on two separate contracts to cover long-term absence/vacancy in 2022-23 is between 1 and 5. Due to the low numbers involved, release of this information could result in the identification of individuals. This information is therefore exempt under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Personal Information.

4. a) & b) Not applicable – see response to Question 2.