BCP Council – Educational Psychologist, Senior Educational Psychologist & Principal Educational Psychologist

Educational Psychologist – Join Our Developing Service
Soulbury Range 4–9, plus up to 3 SPA points where applicable

This is an exciting time to join our Educational Psychology Service.
Our children and young people tell us that “we learn best when staff understand us, adapt learning, and understand the right tools and relationships” and that “we want schools to be accepting, welcoming and supporting” 

As part of our Experts at Hand programme, we are developing new cluster-based ways of working that bring professionals together around children, families and schools. Alongside wider SEND reforms, this creates an opportunity for Educational Psychologists to help shape how psychology contributes to earlier intervention, inclusion and improved outcomes for children and young people.

At the heart of our service is a simple belief: when we understand a child or young person better, we are better placed to make a difference.

We want our EPs to use excellent applications of psychology to help families, schools and professionals understand the person at the centre of their discussions – why they may be experiencing challenges and what might help.

Your role: You will apply psychology through consultation, assessment and intervention, statutory psychological advice, traded and preventative work, training, complex casework and systemic projects.

But we want you to bring more than your casework.

We want EPs who are curious, outward-facing and excited about psychology. You will be encouraged to identify themes, bring ideas to the team and help us develop and trial innovative approaches. We want to learn from excellent practice elsewhere and share our own developing practice with other EP services.

We value people who have the professional courage to ask, “Could we do this differently?”

A message from our Interim Principal Educational Psychologist:  I want this to be a service where EPs are excited about being psychologists.

I want you to feel challenged and supported, to grow in confidence, share your ideas and have opportunities to apply psychology in innovative ways.

I don't expect anyone to have all the answers. I want us to think together, learn together and be open when something doesn't work as we hoped.  Most importantly, I want us to keep asking how psychology can help people understand children and young people better and improve their life chances.

If that sounds like the kind of service you would like to help us develop, I would really like to hear from you.

Mike Lane, Interim Principal Educational Psychologist

About you: You will have a recognised qualification in Educational Psychology, or be completing approved training, with HCPC registration or eligibility on qualification. You will bring strong interpersonal skills, professional curiosity, a collaborative approach and a commitment to inclusive practice.

An enhanced DBS check with Child Barred List is required, together with the ability to travel across the area.

Salary and benefits: The post is on Soulbury Range 4–9, starting at point 5, with up to three SPA points where applicable, alongside the Council's wider employee benefits and professional development opportunities.

In line with the Council's corporate pay policy, new employees are appointed at the specified entry point of the advertised range.

Senior Educational Psychologist – Take Your Next Step With Us
£63,943–£68,538 | Soulbury B 4–7 plus up to 3 SPA points where applicable

Are you an experienced Educational Psychologist ready to take your next step into leadership, or a Senior EP looking for a new challenge?
This is an exciting time to join our service.

Through our Experts at Hand programme, we are developing cluster-based ways of working that bring professionals together around children, families and schools. Alongside wider SEND reforms, this is an opportunity to help shape how Educational Psychology contributes to earlier intervention, inclusion and improved outcomes.

Lead, develop and influence
Our belief is simple: when we understand a child or young person better, we are better placed to make a difference.

We want our Senior EPs to help create the conditions in which excellent psychology can flourish.

You will lead and support EPs and Assistant EPs, contribute to strategic planning and service development, and help us respond creatively to emerging needs across schools, families and the Local Authority.

You will have opportunities to lead projects, develop and evaluate innovative practice, and contribute psychological thinking across Children's Services. We want to be an outward-facing service: learning from excellent practice elsewhere, developing our own approaches and sharing what we learn.

A message from our Interim Principal Educational Psychologist: I am committed to supporting our Senior EPs to develop as leaders. I value a collaborative leadership approach, where we identify challenges together, draw on our collective expertise and take shared responsibility for finding solutions.

Our Senior EPs have an important role in enabling EPs to flourish – supporting their professional development, encouraging excellent applications of psychology and creating a positive and rewarding working environment.

I want our Senior EPs to feel confident in taking on new challenges, developing ideas and leading innovation. We value openness, reflection and learning from experience, alongside the professional courage to question established approaches and consider how we might do things differently.

If this reflects the kind of leadership culture in which you would like to develop and contribute, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

Mike Lane, Interim Principal Educational Psychologist

About you: You will be a qualified, HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist with experience that prepares you to lead and support others.

You may already be a Senior EP, or you may be an experienced EP ready to take that next step. We are looking for someone who can think psychologically, work collaboratively, embrace change and support the development of others.

You will bring strong interpersonal and communication skills, a commitment to inclusive practice and an enthusiasm for applying psychology to service development as well as individual work.

An enhanced DBS check is required. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and applicants must have an existing right to work in the UK.

Salary: The post is on Soulbury B 4–7, with up to three SPA points where applicable.

In line with the Council's corporate pay policy, new employees are appointed at the entry point of the advertised range.

Principal Educational Psychologist – Lead the Next Stage of Our Service
This is an exciting opportunity to lead an Educational Psychology Service at an important point in its development.

Through our Experts at Hand programme, we are developing cluster-based approaches that bring professionals together around children, families and schools. Alongside wider SEND reforms, our Educational Psychology Service has an important role in helping shape earlier intervention, inclusive practice and the Local Authority's response to the changing SEND landscape.

At the heart of our approach is a simple belief: when we understand a child or young person better, we are better placed to make a difference.

Lead, shape and influence
As Principal Educational Psychologist, you will have the opportunity to build on the foundations we are establishing and shape the next stage of our development.

You will provide professional and strategic leadership to the Educational Psychology Service, developing a culture in which excellent applications of psychology, curiosity and innovation are encouraged.

You will contribute towards the development of Experts at Hand and our response to SEND reform, while strengthening the contribution of psychology across Children's Services and the wider Local Authority.

Your role will include strategic service development, workforce leadership, quality assurance, commissioning and financial management, alongside building strong partnerships with schools, families, Public Health, the NHS and wider SEND services.

We want our service to be outward-facing and responsive: identifying emerging needs, developing and evaluating innovative approaches, learning from excellent practice elsewhere and sharing our own practice more widely.

A message from our Interim Principal Educational Psychologist: My priority as Interim PEP is to establish strong foundations for the future: a clear professional direction, a developing leadership structure and a service that is ambitious about the contribution psychology can make.

I want to hand over a service that is ready for its next Principal Educational Psychologist to take forward.

There is still work to do, and that is part of the opportunity. The next PEP will have the scope to bring their own ideas, build on what is working and shape a service that is increasingly able to respond to the needs of children, families, schools, the Local Authority and our wider community.

Mike Lane, Interim Principal Educational Psychologist

About you: You will be a qualified and HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist with substantial leadership experience within a Local Authority or comparable setting.

You will bring strategic thinking, strong professional leadership and the ability to build effective relationships across services and organisations. You will be comfortable leading through change, using data and evidence to inform decisions, and creating the conditions in which psychologists and other colleagues can flourish.

You will also bring knowledge of financial and budget management and a commitment to reflective practice, supervision, inclusion and hearing the voices of children, young people and families.

An enhanced DBS check is required. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and applicants must have an existing right to work in the UK.

Salary: The post is on Soulbury B 12-15, with up to three SPA points where applicable.

In line with the Council's corporate pay policy, new employees are appointed at the entry point of the advertised range.

What we offer: We offer flexible working, professional development, Local Government Pension Scheme membership, generous annual leave, family-friendly policies, wellbeing benefits and relocation support of up to £8,000, subject to eligibility.