Principal Educational Psychologist

Job Introduction

We are growing our Educational Psychology Team in BCP Council!

Can you lead, inspire and shape the future of BCP Educational Psychology Service? 

The Principal Educational Psychologist is part of the wider SEND Senior Management Team providing opportunities to make a significant contribution to strategic planning across the SEND and wider education service.

If you are passionate about leadership and making a difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families, and possess the skills and experience required, we warmly invite you to apply for this exciting position.

As the strategic lead of the Educational Psychology (EP) Team, you will be passionate about improving the learning and achievement of all children and young people including those with with SEND, working collaboratively with Local Area Partnership and LA SEND Managers, wider Education and Skills colleagues and other service areas, partners and key stakeholders.

You will work using child centred approaches which are co-produced as wherever possible, and working in partnership with parents, children and young people with SEND, embracing the principles of early support to provide a high quality and flexible service.

Be the change

We are looking for an experienced Principal Educational Psychologist or, a Senior Educational Psychologist ready to step up into a new role, with good interpersonal and communication skills with energy and drive to take on new and fulfilling challenges to help shape the service going forward. 

Do you enjoy working collaboratively, compassionately and creatively to apply psychology to improve outcomes for children and young people?  

We are committed to early intervention and passionate about inclusion to support children and young people with a range of needs which make them additionally vulnerable. 

The EP Team is highly regarded by schools and parents/carers, providing an invaluable service across the Local Authority. 

About our service:

We have a strong commitment to collaborative working and our service model includes:

• Traded work (through a link EP model) to work creatively with settings and develop new ways of working.  Our team are particularly focused on systemic approaches.  More information about our traded services can be found in our 2025 service brochure.
• Each EP has opportunity to develop a Lead role in an area of interest.
• EPs within the team each contribute to a number of projects (e.g. SENCo supervision, ELSA, Nurture Network, EBSA interventions, PINS, centralised training programmes available to all schools).  
• Working with the Virtual School and College e.g. developing supervision models, training for designated teachers and therapeutic interventions.
• Multi-Element Plan consultations to support inclusion for vulnerable pupils.
• Exploring different ways of working through the EHC assessment process e.g. facilitating Joint Assessment Meetings and delivering advice through co-production meetings. 
• An expanding ELSA training and supervision offer which is enhanced by additional webinar training and is well regarded by ELSA Network nationally.
• We provide secondments to a field tutor and an academic and professional tutor role with Southampton University Doctoral EP training course.  We are committed to providing placements for trainee EPs.  
• More detailed information about our service can be found here: Educational Psychology Service (EPS).

What you’ll do:

• Lead and shape the EP service, ensuring that our practice and delivery continues to evolve and is responsive to changing priorities, community needs and current research developments
• Manage recruitment, supervision and performance systems to ensure that the Educational Psychology Service is delivered efficiently and effectively.  
• Apply psychology across a range of systems to ensure early intervention and positive outcomes for children and young people in line with our vison and Children and Young People's Partnership Plan
• Lead in the monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance of the service, to ensure that the services are effective, timely and accessible.
• Plan, implement, and monitor commissioning activity to support service delivery and ensure that budgetary targets are met. 
• Lead strategic developments across Children’s Services including contributing to the Local Authority’s Inclusion and Belonging agenda.  
• Work in collaboration with children, young people, their families, education providers and other stakeholders to maximize outcomes for children and young people at a strategic and operational level across the BCP area.
• Contribute strategically to the promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing, including liaison with schools, Public Health and the NHS.
• Provide psychological insight to staff within Children’s Services and other agencies, including working closely with colleagues in the SEND team 

You will need:

• Professional post-graduate qualification in Educational Psychology and HCPC registration as practitioner psychologist.
• Management experience as a senior or principal EP in a local authority educational psychology service, with successful experience of developing EP services to improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. This will include having strong verbal and written skills, and the ability to inspire and lead others to work collaboratively with a clear vision and direction, drawing on solution focused approaches to implement change. 
• Significant experience of working in partnership with educational settings and multi-agency services to improve the inclusion, well-being, and academic standards of children and young people. 
• Ability to use a range of complex data to inform planning and service delivery  
• Commitment to valuing the views of children, young people and their families in decision making and to upholding Our Co-Production Pledge.
• Experience of quality assuring, practice, and systems of delivery, to improve outcomes.
• Robust knowledge of Financial Regulations and Budget Management.
• Commitment to using supervision, mentoring and coaching to develop your practice and that of colleagues.

Our offer to you
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Flexible working options (subject to agreement) 
• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Family friendly policies
• A range of local discounts
• Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistance Programme and employee benefits
• Relocation scheme of up to £8,000 (subject to criteria)
• You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement  
• BCP is a wonderful area in which to live with its miles of sandy beaches and beautiful surrounding geography: not far from the Jurassic Coast to the West and the New Forest to the East.  

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please email Joanna.Bispham@bcpcouncil.gov.uk or Karen.Chester@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

Interview Date: Thursday 13th November

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits 

A Place to Thrive – Join BCP Council 

At BCP Council, we’re not just building a workforce— we’re transforming how we recognise and reward our people. 

From 1 December 2025, we’re proud to introduce a new Pay and Reward package, shaped through close collaboration with our trade union partners. This marks a significant step forward in how we recognise and reward our colleagues, reflecting our commitment to creating a modern, inclusive, and supportive workplace. 

Our enhanced offer includes fair and transparent pay, modernised terms and conditions, and a comprehensive benefits package designed to attract and retain talented individuals. Whether it’s flexible working, wellbeing support, or opportunities for career progression, our new approach puts people first- we’re excited to welcome new colleagues into a Council that’s evolving to meet the needs of both our workforce and our communities. 

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at (Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page) 

 Be the difference - Join an organisation that values you 

 More About us | Working for BCP 

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.