Principal Educational Psychologist OCC615689

Job details

Salary range: £67,706 - £71,621, plus 3 discretionary SPA points. 

• Successful candidates may be eligible to claim up to £8000 in relocation expenses

Work location: County Hall, Oxford city with close proximity to the M40 (Hybrid Working arrangements to be discussed) 

Hours per week: 37 - we are open to discussions about flexible working  

Contract type: Permanent 

Vetting requirements: This role is subject to a criminal records check 

Closing date: Sunday 12th May 2024

Interview date: Week commencing 20th May 2024

Do you want to make a difference?  A REAL difference? 

About us

Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which is enabling us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice.  We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better.

At Oxfordshire County Council, we want every child to have the best possible education. With this goal in mind, we have made a significant investment to the Special Educational Needs (SEND) service in Oxfordshire.  In support of our growth, we are recruiting to a number of significant positions, which includes the appointment of a Principal Educational Psychologist.

Our Oxfordshire Educational Psychology Service is a well-established, highly regarded and supportive team of Educational Psychologists, Assistant Educational Psychologists and dedicated administrative support staff.

We benefit from close links with training courses and value the contribution of Trainee Educational Psychologists bring to the service. The service is divided into three area teams, with a strong group of Senior Educational Psychologists leading these teams.

All of our Educational Psychologists have a balance of traded and statutory work, working collaboratively with parent and carers, educational setting staff, professionals, to achieve positive outcomes for children and young people. The service also leads and contributes to wider SEND initiatives, such as the Relational Schools Programme and ELSA training.

As a Principal Educational Psychologist you will play a crucial role in providing strategic, operational leadership and management support to the Oxfordshire Educational Psychology Service to deliver a range of psychological services for children, young people, their families and schools.

About the role

The Principal Educational Psychologist is part of the wider SEND Senior Management Team providing opportunities to make a significant contribution to strategic planning across the SEND and wider education service.

In this role, as the strategic lead of the Educational Psychology (EP) service, you will aim to improve the learning and achievement for children and young people with SEND, working with SEND Managers, wider Education colleagues and other service areas, partners and key stakeholders.

In addition, you will work with teams to use family and child centred approaches that work in partnership with parents, children and young people with SEND, embracing the principles of Early Support that will provide a high quality and flexible service.

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.

Join our team of dedicated professionals and contribute to the ongoing improvement of SEND outcomes in Oxfordshire during this exciting time of growth and transformation.

We are also recruiting for other positions within our team, please click below for more information:

• Educational Psychologist 
• Senior Educational Psychologist 

About you

• Always learning: you’ll have a degree (or equivalent) in Psychology and post-graduate qualification in Educational Psychology, with a thorough understanding of SEND legislation.

• Kind and caring: you’ll be a natural leader with an understanding of and respect for individuals’ qualities, abilities, strengths, and diverse backgrounds.
• Advocating for equality and integrity: you’ll bring the knowledge to champion good practice, with a proven ability to develop trusted, positive relationships.
• Willing to take responsibility: to support and develop your team to deliver on the vision of Oxfordshire County Council, driving continual improvements and ensuring financial stability in terms of budget.  
• Driven to do things differently: as a confident Educational Psychologist you are someone who has the knowledge and understanding of the issues relating to vulnerable children and families to embark on a journey of continuous improvement.

Rewards and benefits

It really is true that every single job role here contributes to bettering the lives of the people in our county - we want to do this for our employees too.

We offer:

• Opportunities to apply psychology creatively in different contexts
• Stimulating Continuing Professional Development opportunities
• Excellent peer support
• Flexible agile working. Each EP is provided with a wireless enabled laptop and phone as well as excellent on-demand IT support
• Dedicated administrative support
• Annual leave starting at 30 days per year (plus bank holidays)
• Comprehensive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) - up to 19.9% employer contribution
• Flexible working
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support 24 x7
• Enhanced family friendly policies 
• Childcare vouchers, electric car scheme, cycle to work scheme, staff discount scheme for a range of retailers, holidays, insurance, restaurants, health & leisure activities and rail travel
• Excellent leadership learning and development opportunities
• Explore more here

Would you like to know more?

Please click here to view the Job Description and Selection Criteria 

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Deborah Smit (Head of SEND) on deborah.smit@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Application Procedure

To apply, please complete an online application form by clicking either of the Apply Now buttons at the top and bottom of this advert. This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the selection criteria, as specified in the job posting. You may attach a cover letter and/or CV to your application form, however it is not mandatory.   

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