Principal Educational Psychologist
Job Summary
Working Pattern:
Full time
Advert Start Date:
29/09/2026
Advert End Date:
31/10/2026 23:59
Salary:
Soulbury Scale B Points Range 9-12 + up to 3 SPA points ££71,364 to £75,627 + up to 3 SPA’s
Employment Location:
Bunny Hill / Agile
Further Information
Principal Educational Psychologist
Salary: Soulbury Scale B Points Range 9-12 + up to 3 SPA points £71,364 to £75,627 + up to 3 SPA’s
Working Pattern: 37 hours per week (flexible patterns will be considered)
Location: Bunny Hill / Agile
Join our Team
Together for Children Sunderland is on a transformative journey to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people in Sunderland. We are an outstanding Ofsted-rated Children’s service, if you’re committed to helping children, families, and our community thrive and have the skills to support our mission, we would love to hear from you. You can learn more about us here: Together for Children.
Our inclusive workplace culture promotes collaboration, co-production and excellence. Sunderland is recognised for its outstanding services and strengths. Sunderland Local Area Partnership has a clear strategic vision for Child and Young People with Specialist Educational needs and Disabilities which aligns with the core principles of SEND Reform legislation and which espouses early identification of need, integrated multi-agency working to achieve improved life chances for children and young people.
Together for Children frameworks enable strong partnership working across education health and care agencies incorporating a strong focus on transition to support young people to work towards achieving positive outcomes in employment independence health and community inclusion.
About the role
Together for Children Sunderland is seeking an experienced, ambitious and values-led Principal Educational Psychologist to provide strategic leadership for our Educational Psychology Service at a key point in its development. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a growing service, strengthen evidence-based practice, and make a lasting difference to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Sunderland.
We are rebuilding and expanding the Educational Psychology Service and are looking for a skilled leader who can establish robust systems, inspire professional practice and contribute directly to Sunderland’s SEND and Inclusion priorities. Working closely with the Strategic Lead SEND and wider partners across education, health and care, you will lead service transformation, oversee statutory and traded service delivery, and support the development of innovative approaches aligned to national SEND reform.
As Principal Educational Psychologist, you will provide strategic direction and professional leadership for a committed team, ensuring high-quality psychological advice, consultation, assessment, intervention and training. You will lead change across the service, support effective supervision and professional development, and ensure the service remains responsive, sustainable and focused on improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. We will also carry out an online internet search for information that is publicly available online that might suggest that you are not fit to work with children or young people.
We are looking for someone who can:
- Lead and develop a high-quality Educational Psychology Service for children and young people aged 0–25.
- Translate national SEND reform and local inclusion priorities into effective practice.
- Provide professional leadership, supervision and support to educational psychologists and business support staff.
- Strengthen statutory advice, traded services, systemic interventions and multi-agency working.
- Build strong partnerships with schools, families, universities and wider stakeholders to support service development and longer-term workforce planning.
What we offer
You will join an inclusive, collaborative organisation with a strong commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people. We offer hybrid and flexible working arrangements, opportunities for professional development, supportive supervision, and the chance to play a significant role in shaping the future of educational psychology practice in Sunderland.
We want you to apply if you:
- Hold a relevant postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology, be eligible for BPS chartered membership, and have active HCPC registration.
- You will bring substantial experience of senior educational psychology practice, strong leadership skills, and a clear commitment to co-production, inclusion, safeguarding and achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Karen Watson, Principal Educational Psychologist, or Pamela Robertson, Strategic Lead SEND.
Why work with us?
- Make a difference: Our work matters. The work we do is incredibly rewarding. Join us and make a difference in the lives of our children, families, and community.
- Inclusion: Thrive in our diverse and inclusive culture and be part of our employee networks, including Accessibility, LGBTQ+, Racial Equality, Armed Forces and Menopause.
- Work-Life Balance: We offer a hybrid model of working with agile and flexible working arrangements, including part-time opportunities, flexible hours, and the possibility of remote work arrangements.
- Professional Development: Advance your career with our comprehensive induction, supervision, peer support, and supportive environment.
- Be part of a happier, healthier workforce: Benefit from our wide range of wellbeing activities and employee assistance programmes.
- Attractive Salary, Benefits and Rewards: for additional information please follow this link Together for Children Benefits and rewards ·
- What our team think: About Us
We value diversity and strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including but not limited to various ages, disabilities, neurodiverse individuals, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, beliefs, races, and ethnicities. We aim for our team to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.
We are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. Please reach out to our EDI Lead inclusion@togetherforchildren.org.uk or peoplesupport@togetherforchildren.org.uk so we can discuss any adjustments or support we can provide during the recruitment process or within the workplace.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked-after young person, are care experienced, or are a veteran.
Are you ready to make a difference?