BCP Council - Senior Educational Psychologist

We are growing our Educational Psychology Team in BCP Council!

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people with SEND, and possess the skills and experience required, we invite you to apply for this rewarding position.
We are looking for an experienced Senior Educational Psychologist, or an experienced Educational Psychologist ready to step up into a new role, with good interpersonal and communication skills with energy and drive to take on new and exciting challenges and to help shape the service going forward. 

Do you enjoy working collaboratively, compassionately and creatively to apply psychology to improve outcomes for children and young people?   

We are committed to early intervention and passionate about inclusion to support children and young people with a range of needs which make them additionally vulnerable. 

The EP Team is highly regarded by schools and parents/carers, providing an invaluable service across the Local Authority. 

You will work closely with other colleagues and, our Principal Educational Psychologist which we are currently recruiting to. 

About our service:

We have a strong commitment to collaborative working and our service model includes:

• Traded work (through a link EP model) to work creatively with settings and develop new ways of working.  Our team are particularly focused on systemic approaches.  More information about our traded services can be found in our 2025 service brochure.
• Each EP has opportunity to develop a Lead role in an area of interest
• EPs within the team each contribute to a number of projects (e.g. SENCo supervision, ELSA, Nurture Network, EBSA interventions, PINS, centralised training programmes available to all schools).  
• Working with the Virtual School and College e.g. developing supervision models, training for designated teachers and therapeutic interventions
• Multi-Element Plan consultations to support inclusion for vulnerable pupils
• Exploring different ways of working through the EHC assessment process e.g. facilitating Joint Assessment Meetings and delivering advice through co-production meetings
• An expanding ELSA training and supervision offer which is enhanced by additional webinar training and is well regarded by ELSA Network nationally
• We provide secondments to a field tutor and an academic and professional tutor role with Southampton University Doctoral EP training course.  We are committed to providing placements for trainee EPs.  
• More detailed information about our service can be found here: Educational Psychology Service (EPS).

What you’ll do:

• You will take an active role in developing our service, ensuring that our practice and delivery continues to evolve and is responsive to changing priorities, community needs and current research developments
• Develop, share, and apply your knowledge and skills as a psychologist within a management position
• Monitor and evaluate service impact
• Oversee the recruitment, induction, professional supervision, appraisal and performance of both educational psychologists and assistant educational psychologists within the team
• Promote and facilitate partnership working and early intervention, applying psychology to enhance the learning and development of children and young people
• Provide psychological insight to staff within Children’s Services and other agencies, including working closely with colleagues in the SEND team
• Have opportunities to lead strategic developments across Children’s Services   

You will need:

• Leadership and motivation: As an experienced educational psychologist you will be a professional role model, inspiring, developing and leading others with compassion and collaboration
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Effective teamwork: using a collaborative approach to working within teams to foster supportive and inclusive environments
• A passion for applying psychology to contribute to service design and delivery, in order to improve outcomes for children and young people
• Solution focused approaches: strong analytical skills and ability to develop and implement effective strategies  
• Adaptability: flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and diverse needs within the community
• Professional development: commitment to continuous professional growth and staying updated with the latest research and best practices in educational psychology
• A minimum of 3 years experience as a qualified EP is required for this post
• Applicants must be a professionally qualified Educational Psychologist and registered with the HCPC
• An enhanced DBS check is required for this post.

Benefits

• Regular supervision and opportunity to take part in regular CPD opportunities
• Excellent administrative support
• Up to date technology to support your practice including laptop and smart phone
• Comprehensive induction (including enrolment in leadership and management development programme)
• The council offers the opportunity for desirable, flexible working arrangements and schools can be matched to provide optimal efficiency in terms of travel.
• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Family friendly policies
• A range of local discounts
• Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistance Programme and employee benefits
• A generous annual leave entitlement  
• BCP is a wonderful area in which to live with its miles of sandy beaches and beautiful surrounding geography: not far from the Jurassic Coast to the West and the New Forest to the East.  

Anyone who would like to find out more about the position, would be very welcome to contact Dr Jo Bispham - Senior EP on 01202 127603 or Karen Chester - Interim Head of SEND Strategic Children’s Services on 01202 128623

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits 

A Place to Thrive – Join BCP Council 

At BCP Council, we’re not just building a workforce— we’re transforming how we recognise and reward our people. 

From 1 December 2025, we’re proud to introduce a new Pay and Reward package, shaped through close collaboration with our trade union partners. This marks a significant step forward in how we recognise and reward our colleagues, reflecting our commitment to creating a modern, inclusive, and supportive workplace. 

Our enhanced offer includes fair and transparent pay, modernised terms and conditions, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to attract and retain talented individuals. Whether it’s flexible working, wellbeing support, or opportunities for career progression, our new approach puts people first- we’re excited to welcome new colleagues into a Council that’s evolving to meet the needs of both our workforce and our communities. 

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at (Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page) 

Apply: https://jobs.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/jobs/job/Senior-Educational-Psychologist/2664