Senior Educational Psychologist

BCP Council; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 62,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

BCP Council is seeking a Senior Educational Psychologist to lead our Educational Psychology team and support colleagues across the service. The role focuses on leadership, mentoring and strategic service development to improve outcomes for children and families.

You will work within the Soulbury B 4–7 pay band, with potential SPA points, and contribute to innovative practices and early intervention strategies across schools and communities.

Qualifications

• HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist with eligible status.
• Experience leading and supporting other Educational Psychologists.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with collaborative approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support EPs and Assistant EPs, guiding professional development.
• Contribute to strategic planning and service development across Children’s Services.
• Develop and evaluate innovative practice and drive improvements in outcomes for children.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Leadership

Education

HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist

Job description

Senior Educational Psychologist

£61,721 - £66,156 Soulbury B 4-7 pay rate plus up to 3 SPA points if applicable

This role sits within a well defined pay band, offering clear progression as you grow your career at BCP. Be part of a forward thinking workplace where you’re supported to grow and you can truly #BeTheDifference at BCP.

Learn more in our ‘More than just a job’ brochure on our careers site.

Internal colleagues are also normally appointed at the bottom of the band, unless moving within the same profession and skill level, where the pay band is the same they can be appointed to the existing pay point.

We are growing our Educational Psychology Team in BCP Council!

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people with SEND, and possess the skills and experience required, we invite you to apply for this rewarding position. 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 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-focussed 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.

Senior Educational Psychologist – Take Your Next Step With Us

Soulbury B 4–7 plus up to 3 SPA points where applicable

Are you an experienced Educational Psychologist ready to take your next step into leadership, or a Senior EP looking for a new challenge?

This is an exciting time to join our service.

Through our Experts at Hand programme, we are developing cluster-based ways of working that bring professionals together around children, families and schools. Alongside wider SEND reforms, this is an opportunity to help shape how Educational Psychology contributes to earlier intervention, inclusion and improved outcomes.

Lead, develop and influence

Our belief is simple: when we understand a child or young person better, we are better placed to make a difference.

We want our Senior EPs to help create the conditions in which excellent psychology can flourish.

You will lead and support EPs and Assistant EPs, contribute to strategic planning and service development, and help us respond creatively to emerging needs across schools, families and the Local Authority.

You will have opportunities to lead projects, develop and evaluate innovative practice, and contribute psychological thinking across Children's Services. We want to be an outward-facing service: learning from excellent practice elsewhere, developing our own approaches and sharing what we learn.

A message from our Interim Principal Educational Psychologist

I am committed to supporting our Senior EPs to develop as leaders. I value a collaborative leadership approach, where we identify challenges together, draw on our collective expertise and take shared responsibility for finding solutions.

Our Senior EPs have an important role in enabling EPs to flourish – supporting their professional development, encouraging excellent applications of psychology and creating a positive and rewarding working environment.

I want our Senior EPs to feel confident in taking on new challenges, developing ideas and leading innovation. We value openness, reflection and learning from experience, alongside the professional courage to question established approaches and consider how we might do things differently.

If this reflects the kind of leadership culture in which you would like to develop and contribute, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

Mike Lane
Interim Principal Educational Psychologist

About you

You will be a qualified, HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist with experience that prepares you to lead and support others.

You may already be a Senior EP, or you may be an experienced EP ready to take that next step. We are looking for someone who can think psychologically, work collaboratively, embrace change and support the development of others.

You will bring strong interpersonal and communication skills, a commitment to inclusive practice and an enthusiasm for applying psychology to service development as well as individual work.

An enhanced DBS check is required. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and applicants must have an existing right to work in the UK.

Salary

The post is on Soulbury B 4–7, with up to three SPA points where applicable.

In line with the Council's corporate pay policy, new employees are appointed at the entry point of the advertised range.

About BCP Council

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. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

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.

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at (Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page)

Be the difference - Join an organisation that values you

More About us | Working for BCP

DBS

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. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.

Attached documents

• EP Brochure.pdf