Vacancies

Educational Psychologist

About the role

West Northamptonshire Educational Psychology Service is seeking to recruit creative and innovative psychologists to expand its existing team of skilled and friendly staff, as we develop and grow.

We are interested in hearing from experienced EPs, those at an earlier stage of their career and trainees currently on educational psychology doctoral training programmes. We would welcome applications from trainees qualifying in September 2025, and September 2026.

West Northamptonshire is a new Unitary council – with many opportunities to shape the future of the educational psychology service through co-constructing future directions with our stakeholders and developing the team together.

The Service is very well regarded and supported within the council, which has a strong focus on values-based practice and staff wellbeing. We are keen for staff at all levels to contribute to, or lead initiatives and projects in line with our model of distributed leadership, giving opportunities to develop, experience and contribute to strategic developments.

The EPS is committed to developing services in response to community needs. We provide a broad and extensive centralised training offer and promote emotional wellbeing for school staff through our coaching and supervision offer. The service leads on the Northamptonshire Baby Room Project and the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme, and we are developing initiative into MELSA.

The service will provide you with a comprehensive induction and CPD programme and regular professional supervision. Additional mentoring support will be provided if you are a newly qualified EP.

We have extensive links with training universities, with two members of our EP team employed as tutors on EP training courses - along with other links to local universities.

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, and the new directions which the Service is taking, please email Gavin Morgan, Interim Principal Educational Psychologist and tutor at University College London - gavin.morgan@westnorthants.gov.uk

or Kathryn Davidson, Interim Principal Educational Psychologist - kathryn.davidson@westnorthants.gov.uk

West Northamptonshire Council covers the geographical area to the south and west of Northamptonshire. The service is based at One Angel Square in central Northampton. The EPS promotes a balance of face to face, alongside remote working. You will be provided with a laptop and mobile phone to support a flexible approach.

Salary will increase up to £63,348 FTE with 3 SPA points.

Previously awarded SPA points will be honoured.

West Northamptonshire Educational Psychologists are employed on local scales - which exceed Soulbury terms - alongside a generous annual leave entitlement of up to 34 days (FTE).

West Northamptonshire value our EPs - HCPC registration fees will also be paid.

Relocation expenses can be claimed when appropriate

What will you be doing?

Successful applicants will be joining qualified EPs, trainees and assistant psychologists who are committed to inclusion and improving the life chances of children and young people through the creative application of psychology.

All EPs have a balance of early intervention and statutory work, providing support to a patch of schools as well as having the opportunity to become involved with broader projects.

About you

We look forward to hearing from applicants who have:

An interest in developing innovative and creative practice
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
A commitment to improving the life chances of others, and particularly those from vulnerable and/or marginalised groups
An ability to work collaboratively with different professionals

Applicants will need to be professionally qualified and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), unless currently in training.

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
Cycle to Work scheme.
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Car Lease scheme via Tusker.
Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Commsave- Free membership to Commsave Credit Union who provide a variety of savings accounts, loans, a monthly lottery draw and more!
Ongoing training and development opportunities.
A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.

Apply