Trainee Educational Psychologist - REQ004789

Job Title: Trainee Educational Psychologist

Salary:Soulbury Trainee EP scale SP2 £30,619

Hours: 37 hours (full-time)

Contract: Temporary until 31/8/28

Location: Technorth

Leeds Educational Psychology Team (EPT) is a large, dynamic and creative team serving the children, families and communities in a vibrant, diverse city. We are made up of Psychologists with a range of experience and interests and we are looking to recruit Trainees who will be entering their 2nd year of the doctoral course in September 2026, who have a strong commitment to living and working in or around the Leeds area and are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people who live here.

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

We would love to hear from you if you are:

A Reflective practitioner
Committed to a child-centred approach reflecting the Child Friendly Leeds values
Creative and flexible in considering the application of psychology
Have strong consultation and communication skills
Able to build strong relationships with link schools, families, and other partners.

In line with the AEP position, you will be in a secure employment situation with Leeds LA and have associated employment rights including pensions, sick leave and mileage.

About the Role

In Leeds we have:

Skilled colleagues offering a strong support network, with both individual and peer supervision opportunities available to all.
A record of successful partnership work with universities to deliver positive experiences for trainees.
Established TEP and NQEP support programmes to help you transition from being a trainee to a fully qualified EP.
EHCA allocation capped, with the flexibility to balance this with other aspects of work throughout the year. A commitment to working earlier, and delivering a balance of work to schools, settings, and projects.
Opportunities to develop autonomy in planning work and establishing relationships with link schools and clusters.
A flexible, hybrid working model which encourages connection and team relationships alongside home working and virtual contact where appropriate.
Regular team meetings and whole team CPD days.

As a trainee EP with Leeds, you will be able to:

Develop a range of skills and experiences to demonstrate you meet the relevant competencies leading to successful completion of the doctoral course.
Attend University as specified in the BPS guidance.
Fulfil the placement requirements of the BPS in relation to the training of Educational Psychologists.
Carry out a research project that contributes to the district’s priorities and fulfils the requirements of the doctoral training course.
Be a valued member of the EP team.

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 guidancefor further advice on completing your application.

All applicants must already be in Y1 on a recognised EP professional doctorate training course and be eligible for HCPC registration on completion.

If you would like to discuss the positions, please contact Lucy Taylor, Acting Principal Educational psychologist or one of the senior EPs on 0113 378 5163.

Interview Date: TBC

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy. 

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.  

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, 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, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose To support the effective delivery of outcomes for children and young people with SEND and support schools, settings and other agencies. The postholder will undertake duties across the Educational Psychology Team (EPT) to deliver a psychological service to a cluster of schools, under supervision of a qualified EP.

Responsibilities

Undertake and achieve the Educational Psychology doctoral training qualification.
Attend university as specified in the BPS guidance on the days specified and fulfil the academic requirements of the course, adhering to specific timescales and expectations.
Fulfil the placement requirements of the BPS in relation to the training of Educational Psychologists.
Carry out a research project that contributes to the EPTs priorities and fulfils the requirements of the doctoral training course.
Provide assessment and intervention services to children and young people 0-25 and their families.
Engage in a range of experiences including visits, shadowing and joint work.
Work with a group of schools, other educational settings and partner agencies as specified by the Educational Psychology Team’s Senior Managers.
Advocate for vulnerable children/young people and ensure their welfare is paramount.
To apply psychology in the creative and efficient promotion of inclusion.
Provide effective advice, psychological assessment and evidence-based intervention in order to raise achievement/attainment/attendance, improve outcomes and promote inclusion of children and young people with SEND (within the framework of the SEN Code of Practice (2015) and Children and Families Act (2014) etc.).
Promote the Graduated Approach of Assess-Plan-Do-Review, in supporting the needs of children and young people with SEND.
Comply with requirements and expectations in relation to policies, procedures and practices of the Local Authority and HCPC.
Responsible for the resources necessary for their work and development (e.g. office equipment, assessment and intervention materials, local induction, and facilities).
Access a minimum level of formal supervision of one half hour per day on placement.
Implement and have regard to Leads’ policies and procedures, Child Friendly Leeds Vision.
Responsible for maintaining confidential records on children and young people, families, and work settings, and for confidential information disclosed by other agencies.
Contribute to the delivery of the Educational Psychology Team’s Traded Offer.
Provide advisory and consultative services to Leeds City Council services relating to policy and practice concerning the psychological well-being of children and young people and the adults responsible for their education and care.
Provide advisory and consultative services to other agencies in the local areas for children and families.
Participate in Educational Psychology Team projects.
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications:

No formal qualifications are required on commencement however it is a requirement of the role that you are in your second year of the Educational Psychology Doctoral qualification.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Able to achieve the Educational Psychology doctoral qualification, adhering to specific timescales and expectations.
Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
Able to manage day to day casework and administrative functions of EP.
Able to set challenging targets in all areas of development to ensure good progress for children with additional needs.
Able communicate effectively and engage with children, young people and their families.
Able to commission, develop, deliver or co-ordinate effective learning and development courses or programmes.
Able to demonstrate excellent written skills, author reports and draft documents in a logical and accurate manner.
Able to gather and share information appropriately to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
Able to plan, prioritise and manage workload from a variety of sources while maintaining a high standard of quality and working under time constraints and manage the demands of the role.

Due to the Governments Fluency in English Duty for posts where employees speak directly to members of the public the post holder is required to meet either the Advanced threshold level (which will be implemented where the post requires a greater level of sensitive interaction with the public e.g. in children’s centres) – where the person is able to demonstrate that they can during the interview:

a) Can express themselves fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly
b) Only the requirement to explain difficult concepts simply hinders a natural smooth flow of language

Understand and use knowledge of physical, intellectual, linguistic, social and emotional development to assess and intervene in children’s learning.
Experience of working with children and young people as a Trainee Educational Psychologist ready due to start year 2 of a doctoral programme in September of the forthcoming academic year.
Experience of using a wide range of basic computer applications including Excel and Word and able to maintain and manage electronic data management systems.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
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.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

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