Service Manager Specialist Practice and Advice PEP

London Borough of Hounslow; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in London is seeking a Service Manager for their Educational Psychology Service. The successful candidate will provide leadership and strategic direction for the service, ensuring alignment with inclusion and educational priorities. They will manage staff, enhance service delivery, and represent the council at professional forums. Candidates should have a degree in psychology, a postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology, and significant practical experience. This position focuses on creating inclusive environments for learners and offering professional development to educational psychologists.

Benefits

Flexible working

Training and development opportunities

Well-being programmes

Qualifications

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Practitioner Educational Psychologist.
• Substantial post-qualification experience as an Educational Psychologist.
• Demonstrated leadership and service development experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Educational Psychology Service.
• Provide clinical supervision and professional development to staff.
• Represent the service at strategic forums and professional networks.

Skills

Leadership

Psychological assessment

Collaboration

Strategic planning

Education

Honours degree in psychology

Postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology

Job description

About Us At Hounslow

We’d love you to join us at the London Borough of Hounslow! Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be. We are an outstanding council, serving an outstanding borough. With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can‑do culture, we’ve built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve one of London’s most diverse boroughs. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.

About Our Commitment To Diversity And Inclusion

We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. All our work has equality, diversity and inclusion at its very heart, best articulated in “Harness the Mix”. It is about breaking down barriers and unlocking the problem‑solving power of our amazing mix of minds. We serve a diverse community, we have a diverse workforce and we are committed to being an inclusive employer. We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, we have thriving employee network groups and our learning and development programmes help us lead, model and breathe ways of working that eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias. As part of this and under our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. There’s space for you to tell us what you need within our application form.

Our Benefits

Here we highlight the key benefits and support available to staff, including flexible working, training and development opportunities, and well‑being programmes.

About The Role

There are some exciting opportunities to be part of the leadership team within the Access, Inclusion and Participation pillar in the London Borough of Hounslow.

Service Manager – Specialist Practice and Advice (Principal Educational Psychologist)

Education

As the Service Manager (PEP) for the Specialist Practice and Advice service function, you will lead and manage this new service function, which includes statutory educational psychology assessments, traded educational psychology services, specialist practice and professional advice (linked to the SEND areas of need). Reporting to the Head of Service for Access, Inclusion and Participation, you will:

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for the Educational Psychology Service and wider Specialist Practice teams, ensuring alignment with the council’s inclusion, SEND and educational improvement priorities.
• Provide clinical supervision, quality assurance and continuing professional development for educational psychologists and specialist practitioners.
• Support the recruitment, retention, and professional development of staff, including trainee and assistant psychologists.
• Represent the service at strategic multi‑agency forums, SEND panels, and professional networks.
• Act as the Council’s principal advisor on psychological services, inclusion, and wellbeing, influencing policy, strategy, and decision‑making across education and children’s services.

As the council’s principal advisor on psychological services, you’ll work closely with settings, Children’s Social Care, SEND services, and partners such as the NHS to drive inclusion and positive outcomes for all learners.

About The Team You Will Be Working In

The Lifelong Learning, Skills & Employment division provides a range of statutory and community services, regulated and non‑regulated. Our vision is for a thriving community where all our residents can engage in and benefit from lifelong learning opportunities – for personal growth, health and wellbeing and economic success. The division, which sits within the Children’s & Adults Services Department, is organised into four operational service areas, each led by a Head of Services, and each contributing to achievement of the Borough’s ‘limitless’ Lifelong Learning Strategy. As a Service Manager (PEP) within the Access, Inclusion and Participation pillar, you will be a member of our extended Hounslow Leadership Team who play a key role in delivering high‑quality, resident‑focused services. You will provide expert guidance, support and leadership across Hounslow to set high standards for practice and service delivery, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards. Your role involves training and mentoring staff in your area of expertise and succession planning for roles which require similar levels of expertise. You will also provide regular updates on outcomes to your Service Manager, Head of Service and Director, and promote a positive, inclusive culture championing staff development and continuous improvement.

About You

As a Service Manager (PEP), reporting to the Head of Service – Access, Inclusion and Participation, you will:

• Have an Honours degree (or equivalent) in psychology, recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology (Doctorate or Masters‑level training) accredited by the BPS.
• Be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Educational Psychologist.
• Have substantial post‑qualification experience as an Educational Psychologist, including evidence of leadership, supervision and service development responsibilities.
• Demonstrate an ability to align psychological practice with the wider strategic aims of the council and national SEND and inclusion priorities.

If you’re an innovative, collaborative and knowledgeable educational psychologist, with a passion for inclusive practice and system improvement, we’d love to hear from you.

When Interviews Will Be Held And Who To Contact

The key information you need about the role should be in the job description, but if you have any further questions about the role, please contact:

Email: [e-mail]

Interviews for this job will be held during the week commencing 5th January 2026.