Upavon
Job Summary
Defence Children Services (DCS) has a vacancy for an Educational Psychologist (EP) to join our Headquarters’ team, based in Upavon. You will play a vital role in supporting and improving the educational outcomes of approximately 5000 children and young people in Service Families. This is a dynamic and exciting role providing the opportunity to work with our overseas locations and work with the wider Defence community.
The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. As such using data to aid understanding of our workforce is vital.
Defence Children Services (DCS) is a Defence delivery organisation, subordinated under Army Regional Command. Our Vision is that we Educate the Child – Support the Family – Defend the Nation. HQ DCS is UK based at Trenchard Lines, Upavon and has forward deployed staff all over the world. DCS is responsible for the education and care of children of accompanied Se vice and Defence entitled personnel in MOD schools and settings; provides advice and guidance in respect of education for service families in the United Kingdom and the wider world.
All our activities are crafted to meet the effective education needs of our children and families, mitigating the challenges of mobility and promoting the positive opportunities of Service life. Your contribution to this is essential and invaluable.
As a DCS Educational Psychologist you will make a huge difference to Defence and Service families by delivering high-quality applied Educational Psychology to the service community. Educational Psychologists (EPs) focus on improving outcomes and the lived experience for children, young people and families through the application of specialist child development, systems and research knowledge and skills. EPs provide specialist psychological consultation/assessment/intervention to support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and social emotional needs. We operate at a systems level, offering advice and consultation to promote effective pedagogy, positive mental health and psychological well being a. You will work across organisations and work to solve complex problems within school systems, local Commands and communities.
Job Description
The successful candidate will work effectively to support the two DCS Senior Educational Psychologists based in Upavon, Wilts, the wider DCS and DCS schools and settings.
DCS Educational Psychologists work in partnership with education settings (early years settings, primary and secondary schools), families, and other practitioners to help children to have a successful experience of education by supporting inclusive practice and interventions to support learning and social/emotional development.
For children with significant SEND, EPs play an important role in providing statutory-comparable and non-statutory support to the child, their parents/carers and the education setting. This support can take a variety of forms based on direct and/or indirect involvement with the child. EPs help the education setting to review the existing support that is in place, offer advice about teaching approaches, interventions and appropriate adaptations that might be needed to support the child’s progress through the application of psychology to consultation, assessment, advice and interventions.
Provide consultation, assessment and specialist advice to parents/carers, staff in schools and settings and other professionals at an individual, group and organisational level to support inclusion.
Provide expert advice about children’s special educational needs and their supportability in different overseas locations.
To provide advice as part of the Service Children’s Assessment of Need (statutory comparable to Educational Health and Care Plans in England) and contribute to annual reviews.
To provide training to staff in schools, settings and DCS on aspects of educational psychology and special educational needs.
To contribute to the development of DCS strategy, initiatives and projects according to service priorities
To contribute to multi-disciplinary activities within DCS and wider partners. This will include, but not limited to, working with other professionals on complex cases, projects and supporting schools and settings with critical incidents.
To provide timely, high quality, reports and records of psychological advice and analysis.
To carry out responsibilities within the relevant legislation, the policies and procedures of the DCS and in line with relevant professional standards.
Please be aware this role involves extensive travel including driving overseas as it will be covering our Rest of World team.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com
The successful candidate will work effectively to support the two DCS Senior Educational Psychologists based in Upavon, Wilts, the wider DCS and DCS schools and settings.
DCS Educational Psychologists work in partnership with education settings (early years settings, primary and secondary schools), families, and other practitioners to help children to have a successful experience of education by supporting inclusive practice and interventions to support learning and social/emotional development.
For children with significant SEND, EPs play an important role in providing statutory-comparable and non-statutory support to the child, their parents/carers and the education setting. This support can take a variety of forms based on direct and/or indirect involvement with the child. EPs help the education setting to review the existing support that is in place, offer advice about teaching approaches, interventions and appropriate adaptations that might be needed to support the child’s progress through the application of psychology to consultation, assessment, advice and interventions.
Provide consultation, assessment and specialist advice to parents/carers, staff in schools and settings and other professionals at an individual, group and organisational level to support inclusion.
Provide expert advice about children’s special educational needs and their supportability in different overseas locations.
To provide advice as part of the Service Children’s Assessment of Need (statutory comparable to Educational Health and Care Plans in England) and contribute to annual reviews.
To provide training to staff in schools, settings and DCS on aspects of educational psychology and special educational needs.
To contribute to the development of DCS strategy, initiatives and projects according to service priorities
To contribute to multi-disciplinary activities within DCS and wider partners. This will include, but not limited to, working with other professionals on complex cases, projects and supporting schools and settings with critical incidents.
To provide timely, high quality, reports and records of psychological advice and analysis.
To carry out responsibilities within the relevant legislation, the policies and procedures of the DCS and in line with relevant professional standards.
Please be aware this role involves extensive travel including driving overseas as it will be covering our Rest of World team.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com
Person specification
In your personal statement, please provide evidence of how you demonstrate:
Essential
Ability to apply psychological skills, knowledge and understanding at an organisational, group and individual level to bring about change for the benefit of children and young people.
Knowledge of, and ability to apply up to date techniques and strategies for psychological assessment.
Ability to communicate effectively with a range of people and in a range of contexts.
Ability to work together with children, parents and other professionals.
Awareness of current legislation and developments relevant to the role of the educational psychologist.
Able to work independently and prioritise effectively within service frameworks.
Able to provide evidence of recent direct personal experience working with individual children/young people (0-18) with a range of special educational needs.
Able and willing to travel independently to overseas locations.
Able to make effective use of ICT.
Commitment to continuing professional development.
Desirable
Specialist knowledge/experience/interest in a particular area of educational psychology.
Previous successful experience in the support of children, families, and staff at times of critical incidents, as well as bereavement support.
Experience in a UK Local Authority or similar organisation.
Successful involvement in projects as an EP in a Local Authority or similar organisation.
Experience and understanding of working in the military context.
Licences
Full UK Drivers License
Qualifications
A degree in psychology that confers the Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society
A post-graduate qualification in Educational Psychology
Current HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist
Current Full UK driver’s license
Evidence of qualifications will be required at interview. Equivalent qualifications will not be accepted. Candidates enrolled in the final year of a three year Educational Psychology doctoral programme are eligible to apply but must be qualified and registered with the HCPC before appointment.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Managing a Quality Service
* Delivering at Pace
Alongside your salary of £49,092, Ministry of Defence contributes £14,221 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.
Other Benefits For Army Civil Servants Include
* 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
* Highly competitive pension scheme.
* Personal and professional development of skills.
* Alternative working patterns for many roles.
* Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
* Enhanced parental and adoption leave.
* 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities.
* Learning and Development.
We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.
A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.
Discover My Benefits
Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/
This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Selection Criteria
At sift you will be assessed on:
Experience
* Candidates will be required to provide a CV, details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.
* Candidates will be expected to provide a Personal Statement (up to 1000 words) detailing how they meet the criteria in the Person Specification detailed above.
At interview you will be assessed against the above along with the following:
Behaviours
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Managing a Quality Service
* Delivering at Pace
When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.
The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.
The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The surveyis voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups
* UK nationals
* nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
* nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
* individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
* Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
* Name : Rachel Ingram
* Email : Rachel.Ingram106@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk
Further information
Please see Further Information document attached. #J-18808-Ljbffr