Senior Educational Psychologist

Our super friendly, highly supportive, and immensely creative Cheshire East Educational Psychology Service is continuing to grow, thrive, and expand

We warmly welcome applications for our Senior Educational Psychologist role. This is a full-time post (37hrs Monday - Friday) however, part-time hours could be considered.

Soulbury B SCP 7 -10 £64,104 - £72,095 (including up to 3 SPA)

We wish to warmly welcome highly experienced and passionate colleagues, who are seeking to advance their careers and grow together with us.

Our Senior Educational Psychologist position will enable you to be an integral part of our leadership team, contributing strategically and operationally in a range of areas within a dynamic, innovative and relationally focussed service.

We are committed to investing in the development of all our team members. Relevant CPD, tailored to you, will be available to further support you in your role.

Please note: We aim to inform suitable candidates of an invite to interview within four working days of receiving your application. We therefore recommend that you submit your application without delay.

About Us

At Cheshire East Council we are resident and partner focused with a vision to enable prosperity and wellbeing for all. People really are at the heart of everything we do and that starts with our incredible workforce. We promote a culture of high performance where people can aspire, thrive and flourish, where we strive to deliver best value in everything we do.

For us, success isn't just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it together. We promote curiosity, excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.

We are values led and committed to wellbeing and inclusion for all, where our employees co-created our values of drive, integrity, respect and collaboration which inform all that we do.

We are proud to work for Cheshire East Council and believe you would be too, so come and join us

Join us on a meaningful journey at Cheshire East Council

Join a team that's compassionate, forward-thinking and deeply committed to making a difference. Our residents are at the heart of everything we do, and your role will be a key part of our transformation journey. This is your chance to be part of something meaningful where your ideas, energy and work can create real impact every day.

Organisation

Cheshire East Council

Location

Macclesfield

Job Category

Children and Young People Services, Education, People

Grade

Soulbury Senior EP SCP 7 - 10

Salary Min

£64,104 per annum

Salary Max

£72,095 per annum

Hours per week

37

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Closing Date

30/01/2026

Ref No

E3398

Cheshire East is an amazing place to live and work. As one of the largest employers in the borough, we are able to offer you a wide range of challenging and rewarding career opportunities.

At Cheshire East Council we are working for a brighter future – together and our commitment to you is that our workplace culture will provide a shared purpose, a well-led organisation with valued people succeeding together as one team and one council to deliver the best service for our customers and communities.

If you want to be part of our award-winning council and contribute to our ongoing success, have the flexibility and drive to enable us to innovate, are committed to working as part of a team and striving to deliver exceptional service wherever you can, we would especially like to hear from you.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and want our workforce to reflect the diversity of our local communities so that we can all work for a brighter future - together.

Brighter Future

Highlights of the Senior Educational Psychologist role

As a Senior Educational Psychologist, you will:

• Lead and influence within our expanding Educational Psychology and Specialist Teaching Service, working closely with the Principal Educational Psychologist as a key member of our leadership team to drive forward our ambitious transformation plan.
• Shape the future of the service by contributing to strategic development and representing Cheshire East in meetings with partners and stakeholders—occasionally deputising for the Principal Educational Psychologist at local and national level.
• Champion collaboration by building strong links across Education, Health, Social Care, and voluntary sectors, ensuring joined-up support for children and families.
• Inspire and develop others through supervision and support for our talented team of psychologists, including trainees and assistants.
• Lead on strategic priorities aligned with council and service goals, bringing your expertise to projects that make a measurable difference.
• Deliver impact by ensuring statutory duties (EHCPs, tribunals, complex case involvement) are met to the highest standards, underpinned by robust quality assurance.
• Drive innovation and research, keeping the service at the cutting edge of educational psychology practice and contributing to new approaches that improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Provide high-quality psychological services across schools, early years settings, and colleges, promoting inclusion, removing barriers, and maximising achievement.

This is a role where you'll have the opportunity to shape the future of the service, influence practice, and bring your strengths and interests to a service that values creativity and professional autonomy, making a real difference for children, young people, and families across Cheshire East.

A little about the Educational Psychology Service

Cheshire East Educational Psychology Service is dynamic, forward-thinking, and values driven. Relational practice is at the heart of everything we do - it's not just a model; it's our way of being. This ethos runs through every connection we make and every piece of work we deliver for children, young people, and families.

Our team is highly skilled, collaborative, and committed to excellence. We invest in our people, prioritising high-quality supervision, professional development, and opportunities to lead on aspects of our co-constructed service transformation plan. We champion shared learning through our Supervision Hub and specialist Working Groups, and we actively engage in research to ensure our practice remains innovative and impactful.

We deliver a broad and innovative range of evidence-informed prevention and early intervention work, underpinned by our highly regarded partly traded model. This sits alongside our essential psychological contribution to statutory duties, ensuring we make a real difference for children and young people across Cheshire East. We are proud to be a service that embraces research, evaluates practice, and champions shared learning through our Supervision Hub and specialist Working Groups.

Our traded offer is extensive, and current developments include our PATH pilot, strengthening post-16 support for young people with EHCPs and we're already receiving outstanding feedback. We are committed to co-production, using diverse models to keep children and young people firmly at the centre of our graduated approach. Our flexible working practices enable us to deliver educational psychology involvement at individual, targeted, and strategic levels, working in close partnership with schools, settings, stakeholders, and commissioners.

Recent commissions and innovations include:

• Family Hub initiatives: Parent drop-ins and bespoke training tailored to local needs (e.g., autism, attachment, emotional wellbeing, attendance barriers, parenting).
• Neurodiverse assessment pathway: Multi-disciplinary collaboration promoting neuro-affirming practices.
• Expanded consultation and training: Diversifying assessment and reporting, in addition to developing ambitious programmes to enhance engagement and achievement.
• Year-round EP consultation for Early Years and Family Hub staff.

We are also embracing iThrive and will be contributing to its delivery and supporting settings to integrate the full offer. Additionally, We people and where commissioned, utilising our additional training and qualifications, under professional supervision. Our services have recently been commissioned to broaden Virtual School support, strengthening our involvement and support for children and young people who are cared for. We provide consultation that informs preparation for adulthood plans, and we provide a service to children and young people who are adopted, and their families.

This is just a snapshot of the exciting work you'll be part of. To learn more about the role and responsibilities, please see the attached job description.

What we offer in return:

• Enhanced annual leave & the opportunity to purchase up to 10 extra days each year
• Strong commitment to professional supervision
• Bespoke CPD to support and develop you in your role
• Full reimbursement of your HCPC fees
• Salary sacrifice green car scheme
• White goods salary sacrifice scheme
• Enhanced career average pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee assistance programme - Access a completely free and confidential assistance service to help manage, reduce, and overcome life's challenges, both at work and in your personal life

• Discounted Everybody Leisure membership, including:

• Gym, Swim and Group Fitness at all 16 facilities

• Off-Peak Racket Sports
• Athletics Tracks
• Sauna/Steam/Spa

How to apply:

Please do consider applying if you -

• Are a HCPC registered Educational Psychologist
• Can work well as part of a supportive team and are keen to develop resources and deliver training with colleagues in the EP service, wider SEND teams and across Children's Services to improve your own and others' practice and skills.
• Can utilise your skills and knowledge to bring about positive change for Cheshire East children, young people, their families, and the wider community.
• Are creative, enthusiastic, and passionate about the role that applied psychology can play in your daily work.
• Are an advocate for a consultation method of service delivery and the use of person-centred methods of problem-solving and supporting change.
• Are mindful of social justice, committed to early identification and prevention support, overcoming barriers, promoting social and educational inclusion, and improving the lives and wellbeing of all children, young people, and their families.
• Embody relational practice and committed to contributing to a felt sense of belonging and inclusion for all.

To join our team, simply click 'Apply for this job' at the bottom of the page. Applicants should ensure all sections of the application form are completed as failure to do so will result in their application being rejected. Please upload a copy of your CV and a cover letter, explaining why you feel your skills, knowledge and experience meet the specification set out in the attached job description and person specification.

If you'd prefer an informal chat first or have any questions about the role, feel free to reach out to our Principal Educational Psychologist, Dr Alexandria Brightmore -

Shortlisting and Interview

We aim to inform suitable candidates of an invite to interview within four working days of receiving your application. We therefore recommend that you submit your application without delay.

Cheshire East Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults across the Borough. As such, any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings that are 'not protected' as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 (as amended in 2013) relating to the non-disclosure of spent convictions do not apply to this job. You must therefore, disclose whether you have any previous convictions where prompted to do so within the application process.

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date then it is likely that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion, however please do not be discouraged from applying again.

For any technical enquiries please email

Please quote job reference number in all correspondence.