South Gloucestershire Council - Senior Educational Psychologist

How you'll make a difference
As a solution-focused and innovative Senior Educational Psychologist (EP), you will work with schools and settings to promote child development and learning through the application of psychology. As a senior member of the team, you will play a pivotal role in the leadership and management of the service across a range of areas, including professional development, work planning, quality assurance and evaluating impact. Working alongside experienced and supportive colleagues with a broad range of skills and expertise, you will contribute to a service that is well regarded locally and offers a varied workload through established trading arrangements with schools and SEND Clusters, alongside opportunities to support wider local authority strategic priorities.

This role offers the opportunity for an EP looking to take the next step into a leadership position within a psychology service at a time of change, as we continue to implement the SEND Reforms over the coming years. A programme of leadership and management support and development will be available to help you succeed in the role.

What you will be doing

• It will be your responsibility to lead and manage EPs, to contribute to the strategic development of the service and promote local team effectiveness.
• Using your experience and expertise, you will lead on specific areas within the service and be responsible for service development activities.
• Contributing to the development of joined up working with other relevant professionals, you will help provide a psychological service for schools and early years settings.
• Working collaboratively with partner services and agencies, you will help ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time.
• You will provide an effective consultation, assessment, advice and intervention service for children, young people and young adults, who may have special educational needs.

What we need from you

• We require you to be a fully qualified EP with substantial experience of working as a main scale EP, with the proven ability to deliver high quality casework.
• You must either:
  • hold an Honours Degree in Psychology or an equivalent qualification for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society alongside considerable experience working with children and/or young people and their families, a Doctorate in Educational Psychology and current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
  • a recognised teaching qualification with at least two years qualified classroom teaching experience, post-graduate qualification in Educational Psychology and current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• It is essential that you can demonstrate expertise in leadership and management of projects and/or teams, have the ability to think and work strategically, with evidence of innovative practice.
• You will have up to date knowledge of relevant legislation as it affects schools and early years settings in general and education psychology work in particular.
• You must have business and commercial acumen, be able to use your initiative to develop project work and develop new areas of the service to sell.
• It would be beneficial to have experience of working or delivering a traded EP service model.

What you need to know

• Please note that due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement of employment that a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained. 
• Salary is as advertised, but in addition to this up to 3 SPAs can be applied for upon meeting the eligibility criteria.
• This is an excellent opportunity for an EP who wants to take on a leadership role in a psychology service. A programme of leadership and management support and development is available.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.  
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.   
• We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work.   
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect. 

 We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.   

We’re making a difference, be part of it!