Job Introduction
Children and Education – SEND & Inclusion/Educational Psychology
Educational Psychologist
Salary: £49,215 - £59,809 (Soulbury Scale A 3-8 plus up to 3 SPA points)
Hours: 37
Contract type: Full time, permanent contract (part time and temporary will be considered)
Join a highly regarded, innovative and supportive Educational Psychology Service
Due to ongoing investment in our service, we are delighted to be recruiting two additional Educational Psychologists to join our talented, supportive and ambitious team.
There has never been a more exciting time to join our service. As Wolverhampton implements SEND Reform and develops the Experts at Hand offer, Educational Psychologists are increasingly recognised as key drivers of inclusion, early intervention and system change. We are investing in the unique contribution of psychology, creating opportunities for EPs to influence practice and policy at every level while working collaboratively with school leaders, families and partner agencies to improve outcomes for children and young people.
This is a great opportunity to join a stable service and forward thinking Council, where psychology is genuinely valued and where Educational Psychologists are empowered to make a meaningful difference at individual, group, organisational and strategic levels. We are proud of our strong reputation across the city and the positive relationships we have developed with children, young people, families, schools and partner agencies.
Our EPs enjoy a rich and varied role with opportunities to apply psychology creatively to promote inclusion, belonging and positive outcomes for all children and young people. Alongside a substantial and highly valued traded offer to schools, Educational Psychologists lead and contribute to a wide range of innovative projects and developments across the local area including:
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ATTUNE, our trauma informed whole school development project
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Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme
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Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) pathway
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SCERTs as a framework to support the graduated approach
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Selective Mutism pathway
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Harmful Sexual Behaviour support offer
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A psychologically informed workforce development offer to education settings
We also deliver support to Wolverhampton’s:
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multi-agency autism pathway
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Power 2 service
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Youth Justice Service
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Virtual School
We are committed to ensuring that EPs have the time and capacity to use their skills in impactful and creative ways. Our realistic time-allocation model ensures work is distributed fairly and transparently, supporting manageable workloads and a healthy work-life balance. Typically, over 50% of an EP's time is allocated to traded work, creating genuine opportunities to engage in project, research and service development activity, including leading work in areas that align with your interests and expertise.
Our Values
We are a values-led service and our work is guided by a shared commitment to being:
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Child-centred
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Inclusive
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Collaborative
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Solution-focused
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Empowering
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Anti-oppressive and committed to equality
If these values resonate with you, we would love to hear from you.
What We Offer
We believe that EPs thrive when they feel supported, connected and professionally challenged. We therefore offer:
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A comprehensive induction programme
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Regular high-quality professional supervision
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Excellent peer support within a friendly and experienced team
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A structured and high-quality CPD programme
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Opportunities to engage in and lead innovative project work and research
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A personal dynamic assessment toolkit
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Excellent ICT provision and dedicated office space
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Dedicated administrative support
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Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
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A leadership team that actively promotes wellbeing and professional autonomy
What Our Team Says
"We are involved in a range of exciting projects and initiatives that make a real difference to children and young people."
"We have the opportunity to be creative, reflective and eclectic practitioners."
"There is a genuinely supportive culture and a nurturing leadership team."
"Psychology is valued here. It is a forward-thinking council that listens to and invests in its Educational Psychology Service."
A Message from Senior Leaders
"Our Educational Psychology Service is one of our greatest strengths. Educational Psychologists play a pivotal role in shaping inclusion and SEND across the city, and their expertise is highly valued by schools, families, partners and senior leaders alike. We are committed to investing in the service and creating opportunities for EPs to influence practice and outcomes at every level of the system."
Who Can Apply?
We welcome applications from:
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Qualified Educational Psychologists, looking for permanent, temporary, full time or part time roles
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Trainee Educational Psychologists who will be entering Year 3 in September 2026
We particularly encourage applications from Educational Psychologists from minority ethnic backgrounds and from groups currently underrepresented within the profession.
Applicants must be:
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Registered with the HCPC (or currently completing Year 2 or Year 3 of the Doctorate in Educational Psychology)
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Eligible to work in the UK
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Able to satisfy an enhanced DBS check
This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
The closing date is 2nd September 2026.
Interviews will take place on 17th September 2026. As part of the interview process, you will be required to prepare a presentation.
For full details of the responsibilities and requirements of this role please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
You can find more information on our service website Educational Psychology Wolverhampton and we welcome contact for an informal discussion.
Emma Thornbery, Principal Educational Psychologist:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Our working arrangements
All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.
Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.
For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies, employee benefits and much more please click here.
Diversity
We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.
Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential.
We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace.
As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees.
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post.
We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here
Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here
Employment Information & Support
If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here
