Assistant Educational Psychologist

Job Title: Assistant Educational Psychologist

Grade/Salary: Soulbury AEP Scale 2-5: £38,265 - £43,115

Contract Type: Fixed Term (1 year)

Working Pattern: 37 Hours, Monday - Friday

Location: Sandwell Council House, Freeth St Oldbury B69 3DE

Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, overcome barriers and fulfil their potential. As an Assistant Educational Psychologist, you'll play a key role in supporting children, young people, families and schools through the application of psychology, helping to create positive change where it matters most. This is an exceptional opportunity to gain high-quality professional experience within a supportive service while taking the next step towards a future career as a qualified Educational Psychologist.

Sandwell’s Educational Psychology service is grounded in community psychology, with a strong emphasis on person-centred approaches, anti-oppressive practice, and inclusive values. We’re proud of our collaborative work with Public Health, our multi-agency links with NHS CCG, and Sandwell Children’s Trust, and our commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs.

You’ll be part of a service that values professional development, with many of our previous Assistant Psychologists successfully progressing to Doctoral training. You’ll receive high-quality supervision from dedicated Educational Psychologists to enhance your psychological thinking and practice.

About the Role

You’ll play a vital role in supporting the delivery of psychological services across Sandwell as part of the exciting new Experts at Hand model following the recent SEND reforms. Working within our Educational Psychology Service, part of the highly regarded Inclusive Learning Services, you’ll contribute to a wide range of activities including:

• Psychological consultations with schools, settings and families.
• Assessments, observations and information gathering to support understanding of children's needs.
• Delivery of interventions with children, families and education professionals.
• Development and delivery of training programmes and workshops.
• Research, data collection and analysis to inform service development and evidence-based practice.
• Multi-agency working alongside professionals from education, health and social care.
• Weekly involvement with our whole school approach to wellbeing – Sandwell Wellbeing Charter Mark.

You'll gain valuable experience across a broad range of activities while developing your knowledge of educational psychology within a supportive, collaborative and forward-thinking service.

About You

You will have:

• A minimum 2:1 honours degree in Psychology (eligible for graduate BPS membership)
• At least two years' experience working directly with children and young people with special educational needs in settings such as education or training
• Knowledge of all areas of child development
• Knowledge of all school and SEND relevant legislation and guidance Experience implementing interventions and support strategies
• Understanding of safeguarding practices and can apply them confidently
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to gather, analyse and interpret information from a range of sources.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Flexible and able to travel across setting within the Local Authority

Why Join Us?

You will be part of a supportive and experienced team dedicated to making a difference to the lives of children, young people and families. This role provides an excellent foundation for those wishing to progress towards Educational Psychology training while gaining valuable experience of applied psychology in practice.

The role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check and will require travel across Sandwell and surrounding areas.

How to apply

To be considered for this role, please submit a CV and supporting statement to Melanie-Sutherland@sandwell.gov.uk

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Melanie Sutherland (Principal Educational & Child Psychologist) or Julie Link (Senior Educational Psychologist) on 0121 569 2777, or email: inclusion_support@sandwell.gov.uk and your message will be redirected.

Click here to find out more about our One Team Framework: Values and Behaviours

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should a high number of applications be received. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

If you are an internal candidate and currently at risk, please let the recruiting manager know.

We place equality, diversity and inclusion at the core of who we are and how we lead, where every voice matters. At Sandwell, we recognise and value the richness that comes from diverse lived experiences, perspectives, backgrounds and identities. This diversity makes us a stronger and more effective council.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels they belong, are treated fairly, and have the opportunity to thrive. Creating an environment where colleagues feel respected, supported and able to contribute fully is central to our culture and the way we work. We are committed to ensuring that all applicants and employees have equitable access to opportunities. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process and within the workplace so that everyone has the support they need to perform at their best and succeed in their role.

If you wish to apply as Care Leaver or a Disability Confident candidate, please make sure to state this when submitting your CV.

If you have a disability and require assistance in submitting your CV, please contact Melanie_Sutherland@sandwell.gov.uk

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