A REVIEW is being carried out “at pace”, the government has confirmed, following a union’s concern about Jersey being an “unsafe” place to work for educational psychologists.
Assistant Chief Minister Malcolm Ferey told the States Assembly that delivering services to children and their families was the government’s priority.
But he admitted that psychologists’ grievances had only recently come onto his radar in spite of it dating from February of this year.
Deputy Ferey was responding on behalf of the States Employment Board to a question from Deputy Helen Miles, which followed a statement from the Association of Educational Psychologists last month.
The AEP said it was no longer recommending Jersey as an “appropriate or safe place” for its members and would not carry adverts for Island positions while “in dispute” with the government.
A “failure” to “deal appropriately” with concerns raised by educational psychologists, who are employed to support children with special educational needs, was highlighted by the union as the reason for its move, which was described as described as “deeply worrying” by the children’s commissioner, Dr Carmel Corrigan.
Deputy Ferey said the SEB was working with the AEP and the educational psychologists to resolve the dispute collaboratively.
He said: “This review is going to be carried out at speed – it starts next week and will last for two weeks, and a report will be produced into its findings five days after the end of that two-week period.
“This is being dealt with at pace to make sure that the educational psychology service is correct for Jersey and it’s properly staffed, and that young people are getting their needs served.”
Deputy Catherine Curtis, chair of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, asked Deputy Ferey to explain why the matter had not been dealt with sooner.
Deputy Ferey said the matter “only come across my radar recently”, but admitted that the grievance dated back to February.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf asked Deputy Ferey if he was confident that Jersey was meeting best practice in terms of dealing with grievance procedures, given the number to have arisen recently, including by former prison governor Susie Richardson.
Deputy Ferey confirmed that he had asked to meet Ms Richardson so that she could air the issues referred to.
