Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist - Ref: CH08224

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Job Description

Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist (Communication, Interaction and ASC) - Ref: CH08224

Key Details
Location: Walsall Civic Centre
Salary: Soulbury B 3-8 (including up to 3 SPA points; £56,540 - £63,836)
Employment Type: Permanent (37 hours per week)

Are you passionate around supporting some of the most vulnerable children in our communities?

Would you relish the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches with partner agencies?

Are you eager to develop your skills and expertise in a specialist role?

Walsall Educational Psychology Service has an exciting new opportunity for a full-time Specialist Senior EP to lead and develop practice in Communication, Interaction and ASC. The role will have dedicated 0.4 fte (2 days per week) specialist senior time. Key strands of this specialism will include:

• Collaborating with partner agencies (Health, CAMHS, SALT) to support pathways to identify and meet the needs of children with communication and interaction needs.
• Supporting the EPS to meet needs through keeping abreast of research, developments and interventions in this area
• Applying psychology in innovative and creative ways to support YP with social communication and interaction needs
• Developing and providing an ongoing program of training for frontline practitioners working with this client group (e.g., through SCERTS, Intensive Interaction, Video Self Modelling, Functional Behavioural Analysis, and using technology)
• Supervising and Supporting TEPs and Assistants with their learning and development.

Key benefits of working for Walsall EPS:

• We have a friendly, supportive and growing team consisting of a Principal EP, Senior and Specialist Senior EPs, maingrade EPs, TEPs, and Assistant EPs with a strong team identity and regular opportunities for peer supervision and support
• Protected time to develop areas of specialism
• The opportunity for all Educational Psychologists to contribute to service development initiatives and central training.
• Access to a range of professional development activities, including a programme of team CPD/development days (recent examples include Consultation, ACT, trauma-focused CBT)
• A centrally based service
• Flexible working arrangements including agile working, council office space, and flexi-time.
• Generous annual leave which includes increments for continuous local authority service.
• A commitment to supporting work-life balance via transparent allocation and workflow systems and a cap on statutory case work.

The service has strong links with other teams within Children's Services, including Virtual School, Youth Justice, Early Help, and with Health and Social Care.

As well as statutory casework, we provide core work (critical incident support and support for vulnerable children with EHCPs) and a range of traded psychological services to schools and settings where demand for the service remains high.

We deliver the ELSA, SCERTS, Sandwell Wellbeing Charter Marker and EBSA initiatives in schools and are keen to develop new commissions from social care in relation to families work, for example.

We are keen to hear from EPs with a passion for working collaboratively with partner agencies to support vulnerable children, who are enthusiastic about applying psychology in creative and exciting ways, and who are keen to lead on project management and supervision. It is expected that potential candidates for this role will have experience as a qualified educational psychologist and can demonstrate existing interest and practice in this area of specialism.

All applicants must hold the relevant professional qualification and be registered with the HCPC. For an informal discussion please contact Dr Sam Samra, Principal Educational Psychologist (sam.samra@walsall.gov.uk) or Dr Dipak Choudhury, Senior Educational Psychologist (dipak.choudhury@walsall.gov.uk.)

View Job Description and Employee Specification

Closing date: 12th January 2025

Interviews: 17th January 2025 (TBC)

This post is covered by the Government's Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. We will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children and young people and vulnerable adults.

Note: Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas

Important note: When completing your online application form, you will be asked to enter supporting information. You must enter a detailed supporting information statement describing how your skills, abilities and experience meet the specific criteria included in the employee specification. If you do not include a supporting information statement, you will not be shortlisted. Please also ensure that you complete the work history and qualifications sections of your application form. Please do not add a CV as we do not accept them. See our Information for Applicants leaflet for further information.

About Us

Here at Walsall, we want to attract the best talent. That's why - as well as a satisfying and rewarding job - we offer a range of attractive benefits. Working arrangements in most jobs are flexible (you may work flexitime, full or part time and job sharing is usually available) and you can expect generous holiday entitlements, a first class pension scheme and plenty of opportunities for training and personal development.

We advertise vacancies because we want the best talent available. If that's you, we're waiting for your application.

Living in Walsall

Part of the Black Country, famous for its enterprising and industrial past, Walsall is reinventing itself to become a progressive modern community. The borough is centred around the major town of Walsall, but also includes five smaller and distinctive district centres (Bloxwich, Aldridge, Willenhall, Darlaston and Brownhills), together with numerous villages.

Walsall Council is committed to Safer Recruitment.

To achieve our commitment, we will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce.

Social Work Matters - Children's Social Worker Recruitment

Some of our children require a special kind of support: yours. Visit our microsite to find out more about joining Walsall Council as a Children's Social Worker.