West Northamptonshire Council - Senior Educational Psychologist & Educational Psychologist

West Northamptonshire Educational Psychology Service are looking for creative and innovative psychologists to expand its existing team of skilled, supportive and friendly staff.  The service operates across two locality teams (south and north) and geographical preference would be considered for successful applicants. 

The service is very well regarded and strongly supported within the council, which has a strong focus on values-based practice and staff wellbeing. We are keen for staff at all levels to contribute to, or lead initiatives and projects in line with our model of distributed leadership, giving opportunities to develop, experience and contribute to strategic developments.

We offer a wide range of support to schools/settings in the county including a well established traded offer as well as early intervention initiatives that operate county-wide. Our direct work in schools/settings follows a consultation approach valuing collaborative working and joint problem solving.

The EPS is committed to developing services in response to community needs. We provide a broad and extensive centralised training offer and promote emotional wellbeing for school staff through our supervision offer. The service leads on various early intervention initiatives including:

• Northamptonshire Baby Room Project, 
• Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme
• Mediating Learning Support Approach (MeLSA)
• SENCO Supervision
• Assistant EP training offer, intervention support and parent information sessions
• A whole suite of training available free to all schools designed to promote well-being (Targeted Mental Health in Schools – TAMHS)

This year, we are pleased to be co-producing our Experts at Hand model alongside key stakeholders, working together to ensure enhanced provision meets local need. As part of this process, we have launched three exciting projects this year to find ways to respond to identified priorities such as:

• exploring ways to develop whole school belonging
• providing targeted support for young people at risk of disengagement 
• delivering a programme to support schools in encouraging engagement for those experiencing barriers to attendance. This has been developed in partnership with a wealth of local organisations and young people.

The service will provide you with a comprehensive induction and CPD programme and regular professional supervision. Additional mentoring support will be provided if you are a newly qualified EP. Examples of CPD running this year include ‘A systemic Perspective on Supervision’ by Roger Booker, ‘Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’ and the EdPsychEd ‘Literacy: A Path for All’ training for every member of the service.

We have links with training universities, with members of our EP team working as tutors on EP training courses - along with other links to local universities.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, and the new directions which the Service is taking, please email:

• Kathryn Davidson, Principal Educational Psychologist  - kathryn.davidson@westnorthants.gov.uk
• Gavin Morgan, Senior Educational Psychologist and tutor at University College London and Institute of Education: gavin.morgan@westnorthants.gov.uk   
• Sarah Luxford, Senior Educational Psychologist: Sarah.Luxford@westnorthants.gov.uk 
• Kavita Bickford-Solder, Senior Educational Psychologist: Kavita.Bickford-Solder@westnorthants.gov.uk 

West Northamptonshire Council covers the geographical area to the south and west of Northamptonshire. The service is based at One Angel Square in central Northampton. The EPS promotes a balance of face to face, alongside remote working. You will be provided with a laptop and mobile phone to support a flexible approach. 

What will you be doing?

Senior Educational Psychologist
As a senior EP you will play a key role in managing and providing professional support to a team which will include specialist senior educational psychologists, educational psychologists, assistant educational psychologists and trainee educational psychologists. The senior EP will support the team to deliver a balance of early intervention and statutory work. 

The senior EP role includes opportunities to maintain links with schools and support initiatives, protecting 0.6 FTE for senior EP duties and 0.4 FTE for direct work.

The role also includes exciting opportunities to lead and develop strategic initiatives across the county, supported by an established leadership team. Over the coming years the EP management team will be co-designing the Experts at Hand offer and senior EPs will play a strategic role in the planning and implementation of the local model.

Senior EPs work closely with and act as a representative of the Principal Educational Psychologist.

Educational Psychologists
Successful applicants will be joining qualified EPs, trainees and assistant psychologists who are committed to inclusion and improving the life chances of children and young people through the creative application of psychology.

West Northamptonshire EP Service protects time for early intervention work and all EPs have a patch of schools and opportunities to engage with a number of early intervention projects (e.g. MELSA, SENCO Supervision, ELSA, EBSA support, whole school belonging initiative, targeted support to develop pupil engagement, comprehensive training programme) available to all schools.

To learn more, please visit our Educational Psychology team and service pages.
Our Educational Psychology team | West Northamptonshire Council
Educational Psychology Service | West Northamptonshire Council

We look forward to hearing from applicants who have:

• A passion for applying psychology to make a meaningful difference and improve the life chances of others, and particularly those from vulnerable and/or marginalised groups
• A commitment to innovative and creative practice, seeking ways to ensure children and young people in West Northamptonshire achieve their best outcomes
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Skills in working collaboratively with different professionals

Applicants will need to be professionally qualified and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), unless currently in training. 

Our benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

• Previously awarded SPA points will be honoured. 
• West Northamptonshire Educational Psychologists are employed on local scales - which exceed Soulbury terms.
• Generous annual leave entitlement - of 28 days rising to 33 days after 5 years service (FTE). Senior EPs receive an additional day of leave, 29 days rising to 34 days after 5 years’ service (FTE) - and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
• West Northamptonshire value our EPs - HCPC registration fees will also be paid.
• Cycle to Work scheme. 
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Car Lease scheme via Tusker.
• Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Commsave- Free membership to Commsave Credit Union who provide a variety of savings accounts, loans, a monthly lottery draw and more!
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
• Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
• Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

Applications are welcome from qualified EPs and trainee EPs expecting to complete the course to begin employment in September 2027 or September 2028.

About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. 

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU  [KD1] 

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants should note that this role is not employed on Soulbury terms and conditions.