We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.
The Coventry Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) Support Service exists to deliver the aspirational challenge set to us by young people with SEND and their families: ‘To Lift the Cloud of Limitation and enable them to enjoy an ordinary life’.
We are a creative, connected and forward-thinking service. Together with our families and partners in schools, settings, the NHS and third sector, we have driven change that has pushed us to the cutting edge of SEND. This includes embedding co-production across all areas of service delivery, investing in our SEND workforce, and pioneering new initiatives such as the award-nominated 'Together We Can' partnership group to engage Early Years children and their families and 'My Support Plan', a family-centred approach to understanding children's strengths and needs and tailoring their support.
When Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) completed a Local Area inspection of Coventry in October 2019, they commended our “genuine passion and commitment to get things right for children and young people with SEND and their families”; our respect for the “lived experiences of children and young people with SEND and their parents” and the “strong partnership between school settings and education service providers, with a high level of buy-back of specialist services”.
Coventry’s Educational Psychology Team play a key role in maintaining the quality of our local SEND provision. Our respected EPs work within a strong and committed team with a vibrant mix of Qualified, Trainee and Assistant EPs, Complex Communication Specialists and a Clinical Psychologist.
Excellent relationships exist with schools and a strong traded offer, enabling us to engage in creative, early-intervention work.
Our ValuesIn line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.
Our Values are:
Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.
What is the job role?Educational Psychologist – permanent, Soulbury Scale A 4 – 7 plus possible 3 SPA points and 1 additional responsibility point.
Due to an increase in school-commissioned and statutory work, we have an exciting opportunity to join our friendly, dynamic and highly supportive team which provides a high-quality service to the children and young people of Coventry. The successful candidate will be joining a creative, skilled team which is highly valued by schools in the city. You will benefit from a senior leadership team which is committed to promoting the well-being of staff and practising in ways which are equitable, anti-racist and culturally responsive.
Also of benefit is a high-quality supervision offer including supervision sessions on offer weekly and provided by a clinical psychologist. Coventry EPS has an excellent CPD offer too, including fortnightly training from external and internal speakers.
Support is provided by an excellent business services team and access to top quality technology, including the latest iPads, touch screen laptops and mobile phones.
We invite applications from EPs who would like to work on a part-time basis or as an associate EP.
Within our team men, are currently under-represented across our management team, as a result we would like to encourage men to apply for this post. This does not prevent any other applicants with a protected characteristic or a non-protected characteristic from applying.
This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for an individual who brings a commitment to inclusivity and understanding of diverse backgrounds and perspectives
If you are an Educational Psychologist, or a Trainee Educational Psychologist in your final year of training, and you:
enjoy using consultation and solution focussed approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and families;
recognise the importance of monitoring progress toward jointly-agreed outcomes;
have an interest in applying cutting-edge research;
have a desire to effect change by working within and across whole school systems, and would like to work for a forward-thinking council, within which the views of psychologists are respected and applied,
then we would love to hear from you.
In return, we can offer:
a varied and inclusive programme of research opportunities, which have, in recent years included exploring positive experiences of primary-aged children during the COVID pandemic;
a strong and committed team with a vibrant mix of qualified EPs, Trainee EPs, Complex Communication Specialist Practitioners, and a Clinical Psychologist;
support from an excellent business services team and access to top quality technology, including the latest iPads, touch screen laptops and mobile phones;
flexible ‘agile working’ options (including working from home) and access to a new modern workspace in the City Centre, available for meetings and individual working;
opportunities to work closely and collaboratively with specialist teachers and health professionals who share our common goal of improving outcomes for children, young people and families;
a high quality supervision and CPD offer, including fortnightly CPD sessions; and
access to the highly regarded Local Government Pension Scheme;
For an informal conversation, please contact Dr Juliet Whitehead, Acting Principal Educational Psychologist (Joint) or Dr Raj Pahil, Acting Principal Educational Psychologist (Joint). Further details of the post can be found on our website at www.coventry.gov.uk
Interview Dates: Wednesday 27th November 2024
About CoventryCoventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.
We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.
At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.
To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.
If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies
