Educational Psychologist

Lewisham Strategic Partnership; City of London; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in London is seeking a qualified Educational Psychologist to join their team and support vulnerable children in the Virtual School. The role involves providing training, engaging with multi-agency teams, and a commitment to anti-racist practices. Candidates should have HCPC registration and a passion for improving educational outcomes. The position offers a hybrid working model and a salary range of £51,893 - £61,664 per annum, plus additional allowances.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Local Government Pension scheme

Flexible working policies

Season ticket and bicycle loans

Subsidised gym memberships

Supportive staff networks

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism in educational practice.
• Experience in training and managing staff effectively.
• Ability to address institutional racism and complexity in children's situations.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate reflection and reflexivity in educational settings.
• Support children with social workers through individual casework.
• Engage in multi-agency working to improve educational outcomes.

Skills

Anti-racist practices

Training staff teams

Compassion and resilience

Planning and organization

Education

Qualified Educational Psychologist with HCPC registration

Job description

Educational Psychologist

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities! We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

We are looking to employ a permanent member of staff to provide Relationally Safe School training and individual child casework support for children with a social worker. You will be working in the Virtual School and reporting to our Senior Specialist EP based in the Virtual School. You would be part of the core EP Team and receive CPD, line management and supervision. This is an already established role in the Virtual School, and we see it as an exciting opportunity for any qualified EP who is looking to build depth and skills in CLA and the wider remit of the Virtual School, and is passionate about training relational practices in schools.

Responsibilities

In Lewisham our EPs work at all levels of the system (organisation, group, individual) to carry out the five functions of an EP (Consultation, Assessment, Intervention, Training, and Research).

You will be an EP working in the Virtual School, but with regular contact with the core EP Team. Through your application of psychological critical thinking skills you will facilitate reflection and reflexivity, enable adults to connect their knowledge and skills to their practice, and challenge the status quo leading to a change in practice. You will use psychological application of implementation science to bridge the gap between research and real‑world practice in education settings, and you will provide psychological safety to promote the good wellbeing of educators, parents/carers, children and young people.

Qualifications & Requirements

We are looking for an EP committed to the personal and professional work involved in becoming an actively anti‑racist Lewisham EP. You will demonstrate your commitment to this by identifying your own development needs in this area and pro‑actively taking up the support on offer in the Lewisham EP team. You will want to make your EP practice in the field robust and effective when tackling institutional racism.

An EP who is committed to learning about the work of the Virtual School and how it supports children looked after (Corporate Parent) and children who have social workers. You will be able to manage compassion and resilience in the face of working for children who are in complex situations. You will be an excellent team member who can manage the inter‑professional differences that multi‑agency working implies.

An EP who enjoys engaging in adult learning training. You will have experience training staff teams, staff groups, and be excellent in your planning and organisation skills. You will be knowledgeable about how to implement training into practice.

You must be a qualified educational psychologist with HCPC registration. You will sometimes need to travel outside of the borough to visit children/education settings. The job is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Benefits

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

Location & Working Arrangements

The job is primarily based in Kaleidoscope, 32 Rushey Green, Catford, London, SE6 4JF a children's developmental centre in Rushey Green/Catford area, but we operate a hybrid approach. You will be required to work both in the office, in education settings, and from home on a regular basis. There will be times when you visit children out of the borough of Lewisham.

Salary

£51,893 - £61,664 per annum (Soulbury A 5 - 10 +3 SPA) + Soulbury London Allowance £4,328.21 per annum. Starting salary will be increased inline with any increases established in the Soulbury Agreement for 2025.

Application Process

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s. Applicant handbook – please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Amanda Davidson, Senior Specialist EP, [e-mail].

EEO & Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification