Educational Psychologist

Birmingham is a vibrant, ambitious and diverse city, and its Educational Psychology Service is changing. As the largest local authority in Europe, serving over 440 schools, we are at a pivotal point in our development and are seeking main grade Educational Psychologists who want to be part of a service that is actively shaping the future of inclusion. Our Educational Psychology Service is forward-looking, reflective and committed to working at the cutting edge of practice. In response to national reform and the direction set out in the recent Schools White Paper, we are repositioning our role to work alongside schools as partners in building inclusive systems, strengthening capacity, and improving outcomes for children and young people. Our core focus is on capacity building and implementation, supporting schools to enact a graduated approach to meeting need at universal, targeted and targeted plus levels. To support this, we are re-introducing a new and updated 'Framework for Intervention', providing schools with a clear, psychologically informed structure for responding to Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs across whole-school systems. We are consolidating and strengthening our delivery of established projects including Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transactional Supports (SCERTS), Trauma Informed Attachment Aware Schools (TIAAS) and Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA), using models of organisational change to secure sustainable impact. Alongside an expanding training offer and with the support of our Assistant Psychologist workforce, Educational Psychologists are increasingly involved in group consultation and video-based reflective methodologies such as VERP and VIG. Our service comprises over 50 HCPC registered Educational Psychologists, supported by 15 Assistant Psychologists across four locality teams, with strong partnerships across education, health and care. We are a collaborative and supportive service, offering leadership opportunities, peer supervision and clear pathways for professional growth. Applicants must be HCPC registered Educational Psychologists or trainee EPs in either Years 2 or 3 of their doctoral training, with a commitment to inclusion and system-level change. There is much to do and much to shape. We welcome applications from psychologists who want to be part of a service redefining its role in line with national priorities. Please upload an up-to-date CV and Supporting Statement via the attachments part of your application. The Supporting Statement should outline how you meet the criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying to the post. Note the Personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached "Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment." Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application., Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city., The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence. There is a clear vision which is ensuring that the Council is working for communities today and building for tomorrow, we focus our resources on five key priorities:

• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.
We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership - that's being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making. We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.