Principal Educational Psychologist

We are looking for a Principal Educational Psychologist to lead  team of friendly, creative, solution focused colleagues that are passionate about inclusion and improving outcomes for children and young people. This is a newly defined role, and the successful candidate will join us at an exciting time as we move forward to embed national reform. 

We want Dorset to be the best place to be a child, where communities thrive, and families are supported to be the best they can be. We want our schools and settings to be inclusive for all our children and young people through thinking therapeutically, considering individual needs and the development of trusting relationships to enable our children and young people to flourish.  Through our link role we work in collaboration with specialist teachers, schools and settings to apply evidence-based practice to ensure all children belong.  

About Dorset Educational Psychologists 

Dorset Council Educational Psychologists (EPs) are creative, person and child centred and have excellent relationships with families, children and young people, education settings, social care and health colleagues as well as with each other. 

Every educational psychologist is provided with the opportunity to grow and develop expertise in specific areas of interest in alignment with Dorset Children Thrive priorities; these include EBSA, Neuroinclusive Education, Relational and Therapeutic approaches. Educational psychologists contribute to the Dorset Children Thrive model of delivering services locally by being part of the multidisciplinary teams in our four localities.   We have strong partnerships with specialist teachers, special schools, the Virtual School, social care and health colleagues and Dorset Parent Carer Council.   

Your leadership role  

The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the strategic vision for Educational Psychology (EP) practice and delivery of the service aligning it with the SEND and Inclusion Strategy and Education priorities. The successful postholder will play a key role in implementing reform alongside an enthusiastic leadership team. The full range of duties and details of the role are within the attached job description and context statement and include: 

•  Lead the strategic vision for Dorset Educational Psychology (EP) practice showing and offer in alignment with DfE legislation 
•  Promote early intervention, inclusion and strengths‑based practice  
•  Oversea the development, and supervision of the work of all psychologists and specialist teachers in localities contributing to the graduated approach offer - Dorset Graduated Approach
•  Strengthen partnerships with schools, Public Health, the NHS and locality services  sharing psychological insight across the system. 

We are looking for an experienced Educational Psychologist who is highly skilled in strengths based practice, is thoughtful and collaborative and committed to inclusion.   

You will have: : 

• an honours degree in psychology or equivalent, which confers Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society
• postgraduate qualification (MSc or Doctorate) in Educational Psychology,
• including registration with the HCPC
• evidence of relevant continuing professional development including Leadership course/s 
•  substantial experience as a Senior Educational Psychologist

This is a full time role at 37 hours per week.

Your centre of duty will be County Hall in Dorchester. There will be a hybrid approach to your work, which supports working from home and in the office. You may also be working in various locations across the county according to your work. 

Please contact Jo Smark-Richards, Service Manager (Virtual School) for an informal conversation about the role – [email protected]. 

Interviews will be held on Thursday 2nd April 2026, at County Hall in Dorchester

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

Please contact Jo Smark-Richards, Service Manager (Virtual School) for an informal conversation about the role – [email protected]. 

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.