Job title: Principal Educational Psychologist/Head of Service SEND Inclusion
Salary: £77,460.00 - £85,002.00
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Leeds
As a Principal Educational Psychologist/Head of Service SEND Inclusion, you are motivated by your belief that every child and young person should receive the support they need to unlock their full potential as they learn and grow.
It’s about more than excellent service delivery in the here and now, you’ll seize the opportunity to realise your vision for a learning inclusion service that’s fit for the future. You will keep children and young people central to your thinking, engaging them and their families throughout so they truly have a say in their lives and learning.
This is a key role in our learning inclusion service and you will head up our educational psychology and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support function. We are part of Leeds City Council’s children’s services, rated outstanding by Ofsted at the last inspection. Our culture of restorative practice and a Family Valued Model is strongly embedded, guiding our relentless focus on the goals set out in the Leeds Children and Young People's Plan 2023-2028.
We are committed to the ambition of Child Friendly Leeds. We want Leeds to be a city where all children and young people are safe, happy and healthy, do well at school, fulfil their potential and grow up to be active citizens with voice and influence.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As our Principal Educational Psychologist/Head of Service SEND Inclusion you will hold a degree in psychology (with eligibility for graduate membership for the British Psychological Society) and a postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology through either:
- Qualified Teacher Status (with minimum of 2 years’ teaching experience) and MSc training in Educational Psychology; or
- minimum of 2 years’ experience of working with children and young people and 3 year doctorate training in Educational Psychology.
Candidates must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
You will also bring to the role:
- substantial management experience in children’s services, with a track record of effectively translating policy into evident service delivery and outcomes
- effective people management and leadership skills, supporting individuals and teams to promote a ‘can do’ attitude and culture of continuous improvement
- a collaborative approach with the ability to forge and drive successful partnerships, influence, negotiate and establish credibility for the service in a multi-agency environment
- in-depth understanding of regulation, legislation and policy, and the local and national issues that impact service strategy and delivery
- commitment to children and young people’s voice and influence, actively involving them and their families in decision making and working together towards agreed outcomes
About the role
As our Principal Educational Psychologist/Head of Service SEND Inclusion, you will be integral to our SEN and Inclusion Senior Management Team, contributing your insight and experience to strategic planning across the education service.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to SEND provision and inclusion for thousands of children in a major city. You will hold a leadership position in a large local authority with well-established strategic links to health and care partners and close working relationships with schools and other education settings.
You will lead and manage Leeds educational psychology team and our other specialist SEND teams These include teams supporting young people who have cognition and learning needs, social communication and interaction needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, young people who are deaf and hearing impaired or visually impaired, our early years team and colleagues working on quality assurance and funding.
The children and young people themselves are the focus of everything we do, and our guiding principle is to ensure they have a voice and their views are heard.
You will be joining us at a time of positive change and progress, so you will be a key contributor to the council’s strategy for delivering high-quality integrated services. We are continuing to streamline access to our SEND services, making it easier for education settings to get help from the right team at the right time.
Leeds Educational Psychology Team is a large, dynamic and creative team, made up of psychologists with a range of experience and interests, who work with colleagues and partners across the city. Within this system-wide context, we collaborate on exciting initiatives such as our trauma-informed approach to transform the response for young people affected by adverse experiences, and ongoing work supporting settings to further meet the needs of young people with neurodiversity. We work closely with the Virtual School, Youth Justice Service and Area Inclusion Partnerships to support children with social, emotional and mental health needs and reduce exclusions. Our strong links with universities support doctoral training and enhance research and development opportunities for the whole team.
Initially you’ll direct your leadership expertise to working alongside an established group of Senior Educational Psychologists to achieve the goals set out in the team plan. Your role will involve augmenting an existing strong team through focused recruitment and retention strategies.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
- a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
How to apply
Please complete the online application form. Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Dan Barton, Deputy Director Learning. Call 07907 401392 or email daniel.barton@leeds.gov.uk.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s barred list will be carried out on preferred candidates.Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period.
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.
Job Description
Job purpose: Working as part of the management team you will model values and behaviours to help us to achieve our ambition to become the best city council in the country, and our partnership aspiration to become the first child friendly city. You will deliver your own core statutory responsibilities and work with and support your colleagues in delivering our collective responsibility to keep all children safe.
You will support the active involvement of children and young people and families in how Children’s Services are delivered and how they contribute to the ambitions of the Council as set out in the City Plan for Leeds, ensuring that children and young people have a voice and their views are heard.
Responsibilities
- Strategic leadership and management of the Educational Psychology Team including professional supervision to deliver services in line with Council & Directorate priorities.
- Development of best practice within Learning Inclusion to promote high quality support and provision for children and young people with SEND.
- Development of systems and protocols regarding LEA and statutory duties.
- Lead on the development of policy related to national and local guidance of specific areas of SEN and in the development of policy related to SEN processes.
- Provide effective translation of strategy into operational performance within Inclusion services
- Actively support service delivery across each of the areas of the city, ensuring a cohesive, high quality and co-ordinated integrated intervention, assessment and support process for children with SEND
- Engage in joint development, implementation and better outcomes of the team/service plans in line with professional standards and following feedback from external inspections, reviews and assessments
- To create a climate of continuous improvement.
- Build strong and dynamic relationships, networks and trust with individuals and partners to facilitate a multi –agency approach, engaging with partners to provide targeted services centred on the needs of children and young people throughout the city, especially those who are most vulnerable.
- Lead and manage all aspects of people management within the service, providing direction, support, and clear objectives to immediate line reports. Ensure effective and timely communication, promoting high performance, and shared accountabilities.
- Champion the Leeds aspiration and ambition to become a child friendly city by developing and sustaining a culture that consistently meets the needs of and listens to children, families, and staff to meet the business needs of the directorate and the needs of children and young people
- Deputise for the Head of Service and represent on all matters relating to the leadership, management and development of the service at a city, regional, and national level
- Implement regular formal quality assurance, audit and performance management and reporting through the use of effective management information systems and ensure this meets statutory requirements
- Positively and effectively shape and deliver the vision and goals of the Children’s and Young People’s Plan as they affect the service
- Support effective partnership arrangements at local and city wide level to bring about change and improvement in families to keep children safe
- To lead and manage effective multi-agency relationships which underpin safe and effective services for children in Leeds
- Be responsible and accountable for all financial resources within the service area ensuring value for money and working within financial regulations
- Ensure that all staff are registered where required with the appropriate professional registration body, receive continuous professional development and practice safely
- Responsible for driving a programme that delivers the Council’s ambitions, in terms of time, budget, quality, quantity and that fits with the Council’s wider strategic goals and values.
- Manage, promote and deliver positive solutions to achieving diversity and inclusion in all aspects of service delivery, focussing on equality of outcome.
- In line with the Budget Management Accountability Framework be accountable for all financial resources within the service area ensuring value for money and working within financial regulations.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate to the grade.
Qualifications
Degree in psychology (with eligibility for graduate membership for the British Psychological Society) and a postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology through either:
- Qualified Teacher Status (with minimum of 2 years’ teaching experience) and MSc training in Educational Psychology; or
- minimum of 2 years’ experience of working with children and young people and 3 year doctorate training in Educational Psychology.
Working Context - Post holders will work flexibly at home and at various locations in the city and region. All colleagues comply with our hybrid working principles and spend regular time in the workplace to support service delivery, meeting the needs of the team and the requirements of their role. Working days are mainly Monday to Friday, however the post holder will be expected to work outside normal working hours, including attendance at evening/weekend meetings or events, if required to meet the needs of the service.
Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the post, as follows:
- Significant management experience within the relevant children’s services environment (i.e. schools, colleges, or local authority) with specific responsibility for translating policy via service delivery and outcomes, to shape and influence the delivery of strategic priorities at a City, Directorate and Service level ensuring people issues are kept at the forefront.
- Substantial experience in building credible and effective collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience of working within a multi-agency environment, forging and driving successful partnerships and implementing and delivering multi-agency strategies.
- Ability to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex managerial problems.
- Experience of leading, managing, supporting and developing individuals and teams and promoting a ‘can do’ attitude within an environment of continuous improvement and outcomes for children and young people.
- Experience of effective people management and financial accountability within recognised rules and procedures and the context of delivering successful outcomes for service users.
- Experience of health & safety and risk management to ensure the wellbeing and safety of staff and service users.
- Knowledge of current local and national issues impacting upon the service and can demonstrate a clear linkage with the needs of children and children and young people across the city.
- Demonstrate an ability to make difficult decisions, to be held accountable, and be comfortable managing targets and outputs.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility for the service, enhance its reputation, and to form positive relationships.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the Child Friendly City concept and the voice and influence of children and young people to underpin this
- Knowledge and understanding of evidence based approaches within the context of services to children, young people and families
- Understanding / experience of a range of improvement methodologies to drive service improvement.
- Able to demonstrate examples of managing services, implementing change and achieving quality transformational outcomes.
- Evidence of significant experience and commitment in relation to the engagement of relevant citizens, customers and stakeholders in decision making processes.
- Significant experience of developing productive working relationships with Council Members, trade unions and Corporate Leadership Team which commands respect trust and confidence.
- Demonstrate knowledge of applicable legislation, regulations, policies, inspections and performance information and relevant strategic functions eg health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection.
- Detailed knowledge and understanding of economic strategy and policy, understanding of local government political systems and experience of working on politically sensitive issues.
Behavioural & other Characteristics required
- Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
- Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
- Be aware of promote and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection.
- Be aware of and support difference ensuring equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the behaviours, values and standards of Leeds City Council.
- Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
- Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
- Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
