Dorset Council - Educational Psychologist

Are you an Educational Psychologist who is passionate about inclusion, early intervention and making a lasting difference to children and young people with SEND?

Are you excited by the opportunity to shape innovative services, influence system-wide change and work collaboratively with schools, families and partners to improve outcomes?

Applicants must be professionally qualified and registered with the HCPC.

Join Dorset's Educational Psychology Service and play a leading role in delivering our pioneering Dorset’s Expertise Offer (Experts at Hand). Working within a highly supportive and forward-thinking team, you'll help strengthen inclusive practice across mainstream education, ensuring expert advice and support is available earlier, closer to where children learn and when it matters most. You'll have the opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues across education, health and care, contribute to Dorset's ambitious SEND Reform programme, and help shape the future of support for children, young people and families across the county.

Why join Dorset?

• Shape the future of SEND support through Dorset's innovative Experts at Hand programme.
• Influence system-wide change and strengthen inclusive practice across schools and settings
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with education, health and SEND professionals.
• Make a meaningful impact, helping children and young people access support earlier and thrive in their local communities.
• Be part of an ambitious transformation programme that is nationally aligned and locally driven.
• Join a service that values innovation, professional growth and collaboration.

About Dorset Children’s Services
‘Dorset Children Thrive’ is our locality model to deliver Children's Services.  It brings together services and support for children and families into four integrated locality teams.  The locality teams include Family Help, Children's Social Care and Learning and Belonging.  Through our integrated structure colleagues work in multi-disciplinary integrated teams, educational psychologists are part of the Learning and Belonging strand.

Dorset Council Educational Psychologists are creative, person centred and have excellent relationships with families, children and young people, education settings, social care and health colleagues as well as with each other. 

Our team values are Relationships, Hope, Diversity, Curiosity and Creativity.

We are seeking applications from Educational Psychologists who are:

• Child and young person centred
• Passionate about supporting the inclusion of children and young people to improve belonging and engagement
• Seeking opportunities to apply psychology as a leader and to influence strategic plans
• Committed to supporting the development of EPs and other colleagues
• Committed to the development of their own practice and that of colleagues using reflective supervision
• Creative, flexible, positive and focused on solutions
• Able to demonstrate effective work within a multi-disciplinary team
• Able to develop positive working relationships with a range of colleagues
• Pro-active in developing and sharing your knowledge and skills

An enhanced DBS for adults and children is a requirement of the post.

 Join us and help build a more inclusive education system where every child can belong, thrive and achieve.

Further Information

If you would like to discuss the post informally or visit the team please call or email Clare Anderson - Principal Educational Psychologist on clare.anderson@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or 01305 224354

This post requires significant travel. Applicants are required to hold a driving licence and must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.
See our adult safeguarding policy.

The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you, mention them when asked on your application form. Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title.

The key skills recruitment and retention scheme applied to these positions, subject to eligibility. The amount payable will be £2000 (pro-rata for part time positions) after 24 months of employment.

A generous relocation package is payable, of which up to £8,000 (of HMRC eligible elements) are free of tax. We can offer you help to move whether you are looking to buy or rent, depending on your circumstances. 
Our package includes:
• an initial advance of up to £2,500 payable when you start
• help towards fees associated with buying/selling (up to £6,500)
• an option to receive help towards your rent or mortgage in the first two years