Southend on Sea City Council - Principal Educational Psychologist

Your new job
Are you ready to make a meaningful and lasting difference to the lives of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Southend on Sea?

Southend on Sea City Council is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Principal Educational Psychologist to lead our Educational Psychology Service. This is a rare opportunity to shape the strategic direction of the service, influence inclusive practice across the city and play a central role in supporting children, families and professionals. As Principal Educational Psychologist, you will provide strong strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the delivery of high-quality psychological advice and support to schools, settings and partners. 

Our Principal Educational Psychologist plays a strategic, system-wide role in shaping and delivering SEND reform, influencing policy, practice, and outcomes across education, health, and care systems beyond individual assessments, and acting as a key local driver by integrating leadership, psychological expertise, and system design to strengthen inclusive and sustainable practice.

What you’ll be doing
You will lead and manage the Educational Psychology Service, setting a clear vision and ensuring the service responds effectively to local priorities and statutory responsibilities. Working closely with schools, early years settings, health colleagues and partner agencies, you will champion collaborative working and promote inclusive, evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes for children and young people.

You will oversee the delivery of statutory psychological advice in line with the SEND Code of Practice (0–25 years), including complex casework and representation at SEN Tribunals where required. Alongside this, you will be responsible for quality assurance, ensuring the service operates to the highest professional and ethical standards.

Safeguarding will be integral to your role, and you will actively promote the welfare and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults, ensuring robust risk management and safeguarding practices are embedded across the service.

What you need to succeed

You will be an experienced Senior Educational Psychologist with a strong track record of leadership and people management. You will bring confidence in leading, supervising and developing staff, alongside experience of partnership working and contributing to multi professional casework and strategic projects. You will be an excellent communicator, able to influence, collaborate and build trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. 

You will hold a recognised postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology and be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You will also have a deep understanding of SEND legislation, statutory processes, safeguarding responsibilities and the strategic frameworks that support effective service delivery.

An enhanced DBS check is required for this post.

What you'll get in return
Salary is Soulbury Scale B Points 12-15 (£72,999 - £77,184) with access to up to 3 additional SPA points (£78,591 - £81,425). 

What you need to do now
If you are interested in this role, please click on the link below to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV.