Senior Educational Psychologist (SEP) in Hereford

Herefordshire Educational Psychology Service (HEPS) is seeking to recruit an experienced candidate to the role of Senior Educational Psychologist (SEP). As a SEP you will be supporting the Service in applying psychology to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEN and additional educational needs in Herefordshire.

Key Responsibilities:

• To support the Principal Educational Psychologist (PEP) in providing a strategic and professional lead to the Educational Psychology Team.
• To provide line management and supervision for a small group of main-grade psychologists, trainee EPs and Assistant EPs as required; facilitating their ability to apply psychology to meet the needs of children, young people/adults, schools, settings and families in Herefordshire.
• To take a strategic lead in areas of expertise.
• Support the provision of statutory and early-intervention educational psychology services settings and schools across Herefordshire.
• Support service development and both design and implement a range of training for schools.
• Support the service’s quality assurance (QA) processes.
• Work collaboratively with Senior Officers and Intervention and Support teams, and through effective inter-agency working, to improve Inclusive policy, practices and provision for all vulnerable children and young people/adults including those with additional and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
• Attend panels and meetings with professionals from a range of services that facilitate the local authority’s work supporting SEN.

We are looking for a SEP who is highly motivated, passionate, dynamic and flexible. You will need to be a HCPC registered Educational Psychologist with at least five years of experience working within a team of educational psychologists. You will need to have highly developed communication and interpersonal skills along with knowledge of the context in which psychological services, schools and settings work.

The SEP will need to conform with HEPS’s co-produced, shared values: ‘Our mission is to apply psychology with kindness, empathy, and relational understanding to empower schools, families, and young people across Herefordshire. Through collaborative, reflective, and evidence-informed practice, we create safe spaces for communication, promote inclusion and wellbeing, and inspire positive systemic change so that every child and young person can thrive and reach their potential.’

Herefordshire Educational Psychology Service is a small but established and respected service. We provide high quality, evidenced based assessments and support to schools. Although the focus has been on EHC work for many years, recruitment will allow school based early intervention support for our pupils with SEN to expand. We offer flexible working arrangements, structured induction, CPD opportunities, regular supervision and the support of an excellent IT system, which includes working from home.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service. The role will require the applicant being able to travel independently to carry out this work.

For an informal discussion or should you require any further information, please contact Caryl Griffiths – Principal Educational Psychologist on 07792 881930 or e-mail [email protected]

We Offer:

• A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme.
• Salary range of £63,638 - £67,526.
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress.
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays.
• Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling.
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements).
• Access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits.

Why Choose Us?

We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community. Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.

If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.

Creating an inclusive workplace:

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

How to apply:

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.