Educational Psychologists

Soulbury Scale A 2-7 £44,474 - £54,609 plus 3 discretionary SPA points: up to 2 previously awarded SPAs honoured

Relocation package of up to £8000

Children’s Services, Ballard House, Plymouth

Permanent positions

37 hours per week, 52 weeks per year

Ref: CS/3571

 *Please note, the Salary is subject to change due to national pay award

Plymouth is a compact city and we are a friendly, motivated, and supportive multi professional team including psychologists, teachers and specialist support workers managed by the Principal EP. We work closely together and psychology underpins our practice within the wider professional group. There are excellent relationships with our schools, many of whom buy additional time to be used for more in-depth casework as well as strategic developments.

Due to the growing demand for our service, we are seeking applications to come and work as part of our valued and highly rated Service.

This is an exciting time to join us as our One Children’s Service goes through substantial change and Educational Psychology has the potential to be at the heart of these developments through inclusion in an integrated Front Door and as part of an ongoing programme of professional development across the workforce. Where else could you practice and develop cutting edge psychology in a compact urban environment that sits between a National Park and the sea?

In Plymouth we ensure there is a favourable balance of statutory and non-statutory work with opportunities to develop specialist areas of interest. We welcome applicants who wish to work flexibly and may choose to work part time. Areas of responsibility are negotiable within the roles to balance with other personal commitments or consultancy based work. We deliver a range of core and traded work in schools as well city-wide initiatives in response to national and local priorities.

The culture within Plymouth Children’s Services is ambitious, with a clear and approved plan to support early intervention. Our team is integral, along with other services and schools, to the delivery of Plymouth City Council’s Graduated Approach to Inclusion and the SEND Strategic Improvement Plan. We work closely with our Children, Young People and Families Service, Attendance Officers, Virtual School and SEN advisory teams. We also regularly deliver sessions to trainee EPs at Exeter University.

If you would like a balance of work with the opportunity to influence practice across many aspects of Plymouth children’s lives, in a highly regarded service, then please apply.

We offer:

• Opportunity to take part in policy development and service design, develop specialist skills and undertake mutually supportive joint work as part of a multi-professional team
• Traded work and contribution to early intervention through a graduated response working with a patch of schools and link professionals
• Flexible working arrangements including IT systems and virtual working
• A generously funded CPD programme and resources to apply psychology
• Regular structured supervision including allocated time for peer supervision.  Newly appointed EPs will have an induction programme that includes an EP buddy and recently qualified EPs will benefit from a reduced allocation in their first year
• The chance to work in a compact vibrant waterfront city surrounded by beautiful beaches and a National Park.

We are seeking Educational Psychologists who:

• Are committed to building parental/carer confidence, embracing the principles of early help and co-production
• Work in partnership with others
• Take a holistic perspective in applying psychology to support and promote inclusion
• Can work consultatively and adopt problem solving and solution focused models of working.

Applications are welcome from HCPC registered EPs and year 2 & 3 TEPs.

In addition to those seeking employment we would also welcome applications for any qualified HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist seeking associate work to support with the statutory assessments of Plymouth learners.

The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is: Children's Barred List.

For more information or an informal discussion regarding these posts please contact one of our Senior Educational Psychologists, Dr Barry Sullivan, Dr Alan Ebbens or Liz Hampton on (01752) 224962 or via email at psychology.service@plymouth.gov.uk.

You may also ask to speak to any of our Educational Psychologists who would be happy to talk to you about working in our Service.

Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.

As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years

Closing date: Sunday 8 December 2024.