Assistant educational psychologists

Assistant Educational Psychologists

Fixed Term, Full Time

£35,228 per annum

Location: Essex

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 18th January 2026

Are you a psychology graduate ready to take the next step toward a career in Educational Psychology? Would you like to be part of a welcoming, skilled, and forward-thinking team that's passionate about making a difference for children and young people?

We're currently recruiting Assistant Educational Psychologists to join our Educational Psychology Service in Essex on a two-year fixed-term contract or secondment basis. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain meaningful experience in a professional setting, working alongside qualified Educational Psychologists and contributing to early intervention and psychological support across schools and other educational environments.

The Opportunity

Essex County Council's Educational Psychology Service is committed to promoting the wellbeing, learning, and development of children and young people. We work collaboratively with schools, families, and other professionals to provide psychological advice, assessment, and intervention. Our team values evidence-informed practice, continuous improvement, and professional development.

As an Assistant Educational Psychologist, you'll work under the supervision of qualified Educational Psychologists and be line-managed by a Deputy Principal Educational Psychologist. This role is designed to help you develop the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to progress to a doctoral training programme in Educational Psychology.

You'll contribute to early intervention work in schools and other settings, supporting the delivery of psychological services and helping to improve outcomes for children and young people aged 0-25.

Please note, to be considered for the role you must have a psychology degree (2:1 ('upper second') or above) or have completed an approved conversion course ora Master's degree, accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) BPS > Accredited Courses and be eligible for the British Psychological Society (BPS) Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).

In joining our dynamic team at Essex County Council, you will be based in one of our four quadrants:

* North: Colchester and surrounding areas
* Mid: Chelmsford and surrounding areas
* West: Harlow and surrounding areas
* South: Basildon and surrounding areas

This role is designated as an 'Anywhere Worker' position. As an Anywhere Worker, the role will involve a combination of remote and office-based working. There will be an expectation for you to attend a set office based approximately 2 to 3 days per week in addition to 'as and when' there is a business need. There may also be a requirement to attend schools and other Essex County Council offices during the fixed term contract.

To read more about our business area, please visit Education

What Will You Be Doing?

The Assistant Educational Psychologist role will contribute to delivering early intervention work in schools and other settings.

* Supporting Psychological Services: Assist qualified Educational Psychologists with assessments, consultations, training, and interventions.
* Early Intervention: Help deliver early support in schools and other settings to promote positive outcomes.
* Professional Development: Participate in supervision and training to build your competence and prepare for future doctoral study.
* Collaborative Working: Work with colleagues across teams and services to meet shared objectives.
* Safeguarding: Follow Essex's safeguarding procedures to ensure the welfare of children and young people.
* Data & Compliance: Adhere to secure data handling, governance, and health and safety standards.
* Assessment & Reporting: Gather information through direct work with children and staff, contribute to Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments, and write accessible reports.
* Research & Interventions: Support the planning and delivery of evidence-based interventions and contribute to research activities.
* Service Development: Play a role in shaping and improving the Educational Psychology Service.

What Our Assistant Educational Psychologists Say

"It is a privilege to work as an Assistant EP for ECC. I am part of a network of professionals supporting children and young people to make the best of their lives here in Essex. My peers, colleagues and managers encourage me to develop my application of psychology through a programme of high-quality professional development, shadowing opportunities and supervision."

"Being an Assistant EP is a varied role with time in different provisions, offering training, supporting assessments, and utilising skills to help staff reflect on their own practice. I am supported, encouraged and mentored by several highly skilled Educational Psychologists offering us access to up-to-date research which supports me to adapt my thinking and be a part of work that offers a safe space to challenge attitudes to SEN and inclusion."

The Experience You Will Bring

* You must have a psychology degree (2:1 ('upper second') or above) or have completed an approved conversion course or a Master's degree, accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) BPS > Accredited Courses AND
* Be eligible for the British Psychological Society (BPS) Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
* Experience of working with children within an education setting.
* Experience that demonstrates a desire to apply psychology working with children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN)/Disability.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to maintain high ethical standards both personally and professionally; shows integrity and is reliable and trustworthy.
* Ability to build strong working relationships which are collaborative in nature and engender delivery.
* Knowledge and understanding of SEN and other legislation which impacts upon children and young people.
* Evidence of the ability to be self-driven and autonomous to develop within role and enhance skills, knowledge and experience

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Benefits

Essex County Council are proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. ECC benefits include.

* Healthy work life balance, flexible and hybrid working options.
* Wide range of learning and development opportunities.
* IT equipment and home-working equipment supplied.
* 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + choice to buy extra.
* Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme.
* Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
* Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with LifeWorks.
* Up to 4 days per year Volunteering leave.

What Are the Next Steps?

If you would like to submit an application, hit the APPLY button now! When completing your application, please remember to include.

* A supporting statement with your application. Applications submitted without a supporting statement will be closed without consideration.
* Details of your degree and relevant work experience within either your supporting statement or your CV as we may not be able to consider your application if these details aren't readily available.
* Your preferred location of work (i.e. North Essex, Mid Essex, West Essex or South Essex). Please note, you can select more than one location to apply for.

The interview process will consist of two stages. Candidates who meet the essential requirements of the role will invite to complete a short one-way video interview; this is the first stage. The second stage will consist of face-to-face interviews which will be held in March 2026.

If you are interested in finding out more about this role or require further information, we would love to hear from you. Please email: Resourcing.Team@essex.gov.uk

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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