This page will be updated with the latest industry news and policy updates for psychology, health and education professionals. We will regularly update this page with relevant information and news.
You can also keep up to date with the latest news via our e-newsletters >|
March 2013
New technology to be introduced to improve children’s mental health services
This March, Norman Lamb, Care and Support Minister announced £2million to be invested into providing new handheld computers to boost children’s mental health services. This will be implemented across 42 sites across England. Tablet computers are to be made available during therapy sessions to provide instant access to information detailing clients’ treatment goals and progress, as well as enabling therapists to record sessions.
This investment mirrors the Department for Health’s objective to put mental health on par with physical health and to ensure more open access to the IAPT programmes.
Read more about this story online: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/03/tech-childrens-mental-health/|
At the beginning of 2013, Pearson Assessment launched Q-interactive which uses iPad technology to facilitate the administration of some the leading psychometric assessments. Find out more at www.helloq.co.uk/home|.
February 2013
Interview with Lisa Dibsdall, 2012 winner of the first COT/Pearson Award
Last year saw us launch the first College of Occupational Therapists (COT) and Pearson Assessment Award for education, research or continuing professional development. We caught up with 2012 winner Lisa Dibsdall to find out more about her chosen course and PhD studies.
Read blog post >|
Children and Families Bill
February 2013 sees the launch of the new Children and Families Bill, which aims to improve services for vulnerable children and support strong families. The new bill covers systems for adoption, looked after children, family justice and special educational needs.
Key features: include the extension of the SEN system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parent’s greater control and choice.
Find out more about the Bill via the Department of Education’s website >|
Children's laureate: Pupils learn to read 'in many ways'
Julia Donaldson, Children’s laureate and author of The Gruffalo has highlighted the importance of recognising that pupils learn to read in "various different ways” in an article recently published on the BBC Website. In the article, Donaldson raises concerns over the minister’s promotion of phonics for reading and questions the role of the new reading text for six year olds; suggesting that the latest approach may have gone too far and the checks had the potential to leave some pupils ‘feeling they had failed’.
Read our feature on the article >|
Alzheimer’s Society publishes data on dementia diagnosis rates
This January 2013 the Alzheimer’s society has published information on the rates of dementia diagnosis in the UK. The proportion of people with dementia who have a formal diagnosis is now 46%, compared with 43% in 2011. Since publication of this report, the society has launched Dementia Friends, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative that aims to give a million people a better understanding of dementia by 2015.
Find out more on the Department of Health website >|
Learn more about our assessments/screening tools for Dementia.|
2014 National Curriculum to include new focus on Speech, Language and Communication
The new National Curriculum Review compiled by an expert panel review consisting of Mary James, Tim Oates (Chair), Andrew Pollard and Dylan William, foregrounds the “compelling body of evidence that highlights a connection between oral development, cognitive development and educational attainment.” and recommends “that the development of oral language should be a strong feature of any new National Curriculum.”
Read press release >|
Download a copy of The Framework for the National Curriculum from the Department for Education website >|
Industry News and Policy Archive >|