Senior Educational Psychologist in Bournemouth

This role sits within a well-defined pay band, offering clear progression as you grow your career at BCP. Without exception, all new starters begin at the entry point of the band, ensuring fairness and consistency across the organisation. We are growing our Educational Psychology Team in BCP Council!

We are looking for an experienced Senior Educational Psychologist, or an experienced 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 exciting challenges connected to innovative service deliveries and 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? Do you enjoy solution-focused thinking? Are you looking to grow your career into strategic and systemic leadership?

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. You will work closely with other colleagues and our Principal Educational Psychologist.

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.
• Models of problem-solving consultations.
• Each EP has the 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.
• 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.

What you'll do:

• You will take an active role in developing our service, helping to shape and prepare the team following SEND reforms.
• Support the PEP in strategic planning and cross-LA workings.
• Support the team through change.
• Lead and manage cluster/locality teams connected to recent SEND Reforms.
• Develop, share, and apply your knowledge and skills as a psychologist within a management position.
• Contribute towards monitoring and evaluating service impact.
• Contribute to the recruitment, induction, professional supervision, appraisal and performance of both educational psychologists and assistant educational psychologists within the team.
• Promote and facilitate partnership working and early intervention, applying psychology to enhance the learning and development of children and young people.
• Provide psychological insight to staff within Children's Services and other agencies, including working closely with colleagues in the SEND team.
• Have opportunities to lead strategic developments across Children's Services.

You will need:

• Leadership and motivation: As an experienced educational psychologist, you will be a professional role model, inspiring, developing and leading others with compassion and collaboration.
• Skills in supporting a team through change.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• A passion for applying psychology to contribute to service design and delivery, in order to improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Solution-focused approaches: strong analytical skills and ability to develop and implement effective strategies.
• Adaptability: flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and diverse needs within the community.
• Effective teamwork: using a collaborative approach to working within teams to foster supportive and inclusive environments.
• Professional development: commitment to continuous professional growth and staying updated with the latest research and best practices in educational psychology.

Applicants must be a professionally qualified Educational Psychologist and registered with the HCPC. An enhanced DBS check is required for this post.

Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Mike.Lane@bcpcouncil.gov.uk or Brettany.Hartwell@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

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.

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.

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.