PRINCIPAL EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Salary: Soulbury scale 8 -£65,432 (plus up to 3 SPA Points)
Contact: Hilary Jones- Head of Additional Needs Service
Location: Hereford
Closing date: 4th July 2025
Herefordshire is a is rural county, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and a great place to live and work, and despite these benefits, there is a surprising level of diversity and need. We are looking for a dedicated, driven and committed leader who can inspire our EP service and wider school community to continue and expand educational inclusion.
The Herefordshire Psychology Service is a small, friendly and stable team. We are well-established and have an excellent reputation amongst our LA colleagues and our excellent group of schools. Whilst recently there has been a focus on statutory work, we are looking for a Principal who will expand and promote our plan-do-review model of service delivery and our traded early intervention work with schools. We have close relationships with schools across the authority, and the successful applicant will demonstrate an ability to establish wide ranging and influential relationships with our local colleagues.
We are seeking individual to lead this successful team who will lead in the development and delivery of:
- Training and development which promotes inclusion in schools
- Innovative project work
- Management and supervision within the service and for other colleagues in our wider service
- Service development and wider evaluation.
Requirements for the post:
- You are a qualified and experienced Senior Educational Psychologist with HCPC registration.
- Recent and sustained experience of managing and supervising other educational psychologists
- Evidence of good case work formulation skills and use of psychological understanding in reflective practice
- Normally the post requires full-time (37 hours) based around a standard working week although part-time and flexible working applications will be considered.
For further information please contact Hilary Jones, Head of Service, Additional Needs on [email protected]
We Offer
- A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Salary of £65,432
- Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS).
- Professional development: [include if necessary]
- Career progression: [include if necessary]
- Generous Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum.
- Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working.
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling.
- Payment of professional membership fees.
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
About Us
Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.
Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It’s the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People.
How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it's an exciting time to join Herefordshire – we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be!
Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people’s lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole.
We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.
Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.
Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme;
- Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and
- Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care
We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond. Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details of this role.
To apply, please submit your CV and complete the supporting statement within the application form, referring to the job description & person specification, detailing how you meet the specific requirements of the role.