Job Introduction
Learn more in our ‘More than just a job’ brochure on our careers site.
Principal Educational Psychologist – Lead With Purpose, Make a Real Difference
Inspire. Support. Belong.
At BCP Council, we believe every child and young person deserves to thrive — and we know the right leadership in Educational Psychology can help make that happen. If you’re passionate about inclusion, excited by innovation, and looking for a place where your expertise will genuinely be valued, we’d love to welcome you to our team.
Why You’ll Love Working With Us
We’re a friendly, forward‑thinking service built on collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement. Through our link EP model, we work alongside schools and settings to embed evidence-informed practice and meaningful change.
You’ll be joining a warm and committed team who care deeply about doing what’s right for children, families and education communities. We encourage professional curiosity, shared learning and leadership at all levels — because great ideas come from everyone.
(You can learn more about us in our Service Brochure.)
What Makes Our Service a Great Place to Grow
Distributed leadership
Every EP has the opportunity to lead in areas they care about — from SENCo supervision and the ELSA programme to our Nurture Network, EBSA interventions, PINS, and delivering central training.
Strong partnerships
We work closely with the Virtual School and College, contributing to innovative supervision models, engaging training and impactful therapeutic support. Our Multi‑Element Plan consultations and EHC assessment processes champion inclusion, co‑production and genuinely listening to families.
Committed to development
We value growth at every stage — supporting trainee EP placements, offering high‑quality CPD, and ensuring you have the space and support to continually develop your practice and leadership.
Your Leadership Role
As our Principal Educational Psychologist, you’ll play a key role in shaping the vision for our service and championing positive experiences for children and young people across BCP. You will:
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Lead and develop an ambitious and compassionate vision for the Educational Psychology Service.
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Lead and develop a service delivery in line with ‘Experts at Hand’ and the SEND reforms.
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Oversee recruitment, supervision and performance management to ensure we deliver high‑quality, timely support.
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Promote early intervention, inclusion and strengths‑based practice in line with our current strategic plans and objectives
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Ensure robust evaluation, quality assurance and accessibility across the service.
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Lead commissioning activity to support effective service delivery and meet financial goals.
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Contribute to strategic developments across Children’s Services, particularly our Inclusion and Belonging agenda.
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Strengthen partnerships with schools, Public Health, the NHS and wider SEND teams, sharing psychological insight across the system.
What You’ll Bring
We’re looking for someone who is not only highly skilled, but thoughtful, collaborative and committed to making a positive difference.
You will bring:
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A postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology and HCPC registration.
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Experience as a Local Authority senior or principal EP (or equivalent), leading and developing services that improve outcomes.
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills — someone who can inspire, support and work alongside others.
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A passion for partnership working across education and multi‑agency teams.
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Confidence using data to guide decisions and shape services.
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A commitment to truly hearing and valuing the voices of children, young people and families.
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Knowledge of financial and budget management.
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A belief in reflective practice, supervision and coaching as tools for growth.
Our Offer to You
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We want you to feel supported, valued and able to thrive in your role. We offer:
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Competitive salary and benefits
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Flexible working options
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A wide range of professional development and training
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Local Government Pension Scheme
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Family-friendly policies
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Local discounts and a comprehensive Wellbeing Programme
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Relocation support up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
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Generous annual leave
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And of course, you’ll be living and working in the stunning BCP area — miles of golden beaches, the Jurassic Coast, and the New Forest all on your doorstep.
If you’d like an informal chat about the role, please email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
At BCP Council, we believe every child and young person deserves to thrive — and we know the right leadership in Educational Psychology can help make that happen. If you’re passionate about inclusion, excited by innovation, and looking for a place where your expertise will genuinely be valued, we’d love to welcome you to our team. In this video, Lisa Linscott, Director of Education & Skills, and Jeanette Yorke, Head of SEND, share their vision for the service and explore the exciting opportunity to join us as our Principal Educational Psychologist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpK3ye9JuUU
Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.
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.
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.
