BPS Policy & Public Affairs team - November 2024 update 

Meetings with key parliamentarians and stakeholders  

In England, we met with Debbie Abrahams MP (Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee) to discuss how the BPS can support her in her role, and we met the Chief Medical Advisor and Chief Psychologist at the Department for Work and Pensions. We also attended a Mental Health Programme Board and Independent Advisory and Oversight Group meeting which explains the delivery of NHS England's commitments in the 'NHS Long Term Workforce Plan'.  

In Scotland, the BPS was represented at several Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group (CPG) meetings including CPG Learning Disability, CPG Autism; CPG Mental Health; CPG on Improving Scotland's Health; and CPG on Substance Use. 

The BPS has also been working with Scotland's Mental Health Partnership (SMHP) member organisation colleagues, to identify priorities and working practices for the partnership. This includes plans for an SMHP Scottish Parliament election manifesto and associated events and activities to promote the finished article (Scottish Parliament elections take place May 2026 at the latest). 

A paper will go out to BPS Scottish policy group members in December 2024, outlining plans and an indicative timeline for the development of our BPS Scottish Parliament election manifesto. We are very keen that all divisions are involved in the manifesto development process and their views heard.   

In Wales, we attended and exhibited at the first Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Conference held by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and Welsh Government. It was a great opportunity to network with stakeholders (including AHP professional organisations, the Chief Advisor to Welsh Government, and the new Associate Director of Psychological Therapies), while highlighting the importance of the profession and advertising our latest guidance and reports. 

This month, we also met with the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, where we discussed our priorities around access to psychological therapies and the need for more support in early years services.

We also attended the AGM of the Cross-Party Group on Children and Families, where we had an update from the Children's Commissioner for Wales on her priorities, which include mental health and additional learning needs. We also heard from the Chair of the CPG her detailed priorities for a Children's Act in Wales. The BPS will be involved in shaping these proposals through the CPG.   

Recent consultations and briefing material 

The BPS have recently responded to several consultations to influence change. We submitted evidence to inform the Department for Education's call for evidence for their curriculum and assessment review, and to inform the Public Accounts Committee's inquiry on support for children and young people with special educational needs. 

In Scotland, we responded to Scottish Government consultations on updates to adults with incapacity legislation and children's hearings system redesign. We regularly update the consultation section of our website, to invite member views in forming organisation responses. 

In England, the second reading of the Mental Health Bill in the House of Lords took place on 25 November. The BPS briefed parliamentarians ahead of this debate, which saw Baroness Hollins directly citing the BPS while speaking on the Bill. 

In Wales, the Children's Committee report into disabled children's access to education (an inquiry which we provided both oral and written evidence in 2023) was discussed in the Senedd. We produced a briefing for key Members of the Senedd in advance of the debate, echoing our call in our current 'SEND' Campaign in England, to review the Educational Psychology workforce in Wales and request a review into local authority retention plans for Educational Psychologists.  

Educational psychologist campaign  

To date, 1,082 people including BPS members, education professionals, parents and carers have used our online tool to send a letter to their MP in support of our campaign, and we want to thank everyone who has taken the time to support the campaign.

As a result of this activity, seven MPs have tabled eight written or oral questions in parliament asking about the government's plans to support the funding and retention of Educational Psychologists. We're pleased to be working with the LGA to engage local authorities with a call for evidence for their Educational Psychologist workforce retention strategies. 

Discussions with stakeholder organisations have revealed a need for the BPS to show the impact that educational psychologists have. We've now commissioned the BPS Research and Analysis Team to undertake a rapid evidence review to highlight the key impacts that educational psychologists have within the education systems across the four nations. We'll also be asking BPS members from across the four nations for impact case studies. 

We're also planning a cross-divisional member roundtable event in early 2025 to explore how psychology can drive real change for children and young people's educational outcomes and wellbeing in the UK, which will support our policy decisions when the UK government's Children's Wellbeing Bill is brought forward.