Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist

Do you make a real difference to the lives of children and young people? 

We are very proud of our effective, friendly and supportive service, and you will be working alongside other committed professionals to maintain high standards. We are significantly involved in leading the current drive within the LA to maximise inclusion in our local educational settings. We are currently leading on developing and co-producing an Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) strategy involving representative stakeholders from across the piece.  

You’ll deliver a psychological service through consultation and working with individual and groups of children, parents and carers, schools and early years providers, the local authority and partner agencies. 

This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people, through addressing more smartly the increased demand in accessing ours and related services. 

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

 

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

What will you be doing?

You will take the lead role in the delivery of Educational Psychology to a designated area of need within the population of children and young people within North Northamptonshire. This will involve developing, overseeing and delivering projects aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people in one of four areas:  

1. Children with a Social Worker. The precise focus of the work will be determined within the scope of providing educational psychology support to the LA with regard to children and young people across the age range who may have barriers to education in relation to needs arising from experiences that have led to them requiring involvement of a Social Worker currently or previously. 

1. Diversity. The precise focus of the work will be determined within the scope of providing educational psychology support to the LA with regard to children and young people across the age range who may have barriers to education in relation to neurodiversity, cultural diversity and/or gender/sexuality diversity. 

1. Early Years and Early Intervention. The precise focus of the work will be agreed with post-holder, within the scope of providing educational psychology support to the LA with regard to: pre-school education settings; community-based Family Hubs; and a graduated approach to meeting additional needs across the age range of children and young people.  

1. Social Inclusion. The precise focus of the work will be agreed with post-holder, within the scope of providing educational psychology support to the LA with regard to children and young people across the age range who have additional social emotional and mental health needs, which constitute a barrier to their engagement in education, or are at risk of being a barrier.  

Over time as LA priorities change, each of these areas may change for the respective post-holders.  

Alongside the specialist area focused activities, you will provide generic work for up to 40% of your time: especially delivering a psychology service through consultation and working with individual and groups of children, parents and carers, schools and early years providers, the local authority and partner agencies. 

 

About you

You will have a minimum of 2-years’ successful experience as an educational psychologist in a local authority educational psychology service or equivalent. With knowledge of psychological theory, research and evidence-based interventions linked to the area of preferred specialism. 

You will be able to contribute to the shared tasks of multi-professional working and have demonstrable evidence of a commitment to maximise educational achievement and inclusion. 

You’ll be able to contribute to policy work specifically around the area of specialism and have the ability to undertake research activities and apply the outcomes to guide good practice. 

For an informal discussion please contact Mike Simons, Principal Educational Psychologist mike.simons@northnorthants.gov.uk 07912 187268;
or one of our Senior EP's (SEPs)
Cliff.turner@northnorthants.gov.uk (acting team manager for Kettering/Rushden.
Yvonne.needham@northnorthants.gov.uk, team manager for Corby/East Northants
rebecca.judge@northnorthants.gov.uk team manager for Wellingborough

Shortlisting: 5th December 24
Interviews: 12th December 24

Job-share and part time requests will be considered.
Previously awarded SPA points will be honoured.

About us

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

We aim to be a carbon neutral Council by 2030.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)