Educational Psychologist

As an integral part of the SEND and Inclusion service, the Educational Psychology Service (EPS) supports the delivery of the Local Authority's wellbeing strategy and Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) strategy across educational settings, children, young people, and families throughout West Sussex. The EPS directly oversees the Portage Service and the Mental Health Support Teams in schools, with Education Psychologists playing an important role in both.

We have a growing chargeable service focussed on wellbeing which enables us to offer a range of evidence-based support to schools and other settings, including consultation and training. We have a well-developed Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme and lead on the county wide Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) support. Additionally, EPs contribute to other services such as our Virtual School and a specialist CAMHS service.

Salary: £40,838 - £50,584 per annum, plus up to 3 SPA points, pro rata for part time
Working Pattern: Full-time, 37 hours per week, and Part-time available, Monday to Friday
Contract: Permanent
Location: Your base location can be from County Hall Chichester, Bridge House Worthing, or County Hall North Horsham.

Interview Date: Interviews will be held on an ad hoc basis, as we are expanding our Educational Psychology Service to meet community need. Please do not wait until the closing date to apply.

Are you currently training to be an Educational Psychologist? Or do you already hold your Educational Psychology qualification and are looking for a new opportunity? We would love to hear from you!

To respond to an increase in demand for Educational Psychologists within West Sussex, we are expanding our Educational Psychology Service for our 2024 cohorts. This includes broadening the range of work we undertake in this service.

If you are passionate about evidence-based outcomes, with a child/young person focus, and would love to help shape our service, this is a fantastic opportunity for you.

You would become part of our evolving Educational Psychology Service, focussing on early intervention whilst maintaining excellent standards of delivery on our statutory requirements.

We are looking for someone who enjoys working collaboratively with team members and stakeholders, to achieve outcomes for children and their families.

We welcome applications from:

• Fully qualified and experienced Educational Psychologists
• Trainee Educational Psychologists towards the end of their second year
• Trainee Educational Psychologists in their final year of training and who are soon to be qualified.

Please note that Newly Qualified Educational Psychologists will start on Soulbury EP Scale A point 4.

The Team

Our Educational Psychology Service consists of four area teams with offices based in Chichester, Worthing, and Horsham, each managed by a Senior Educational Psychologist. Our service offers a range of support to Schools and other settings, including mental health support, portage, consultation, and training.

Our senior management team place the development and wellbeing of our team at the centre of all we do. We ensure Educational Psychologists have opportunities to develop their areas of interest, leadership, and strategic skills. We offer induction support, regular supervision, and dedicated time for peer support.

To find out more about our Educational Psychology Service, please visit Careers in Educational Psychology, West Sussex County Council website.

For a full list of key responsibilities, key skills and qualifications required for this role, please refer to the job description on our WSCC website job board.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a competitive salary you will have access to:

• Commitment to ongoing professional development supporting you to develop areas of interest.
• High quality supervision.
• 31 days annual leave + bank holidays with the ability to buy additional leave annually.

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.