Head of Service (Hampshire Educational Psychology) HCC624939


Company:	Hampshire County Council
Salary:	£78,490 to £84,357 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Winchester, SO23 8UJ
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 4 days remote
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	16 Sept 2026
Closing date:	14 Oct 2026

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Summary

As Head of Service for Hampshire Educational Psychology, you'll lead one of the largest and most highly regarded educational psychology services in the country, shaping support for children, young people, families, schools and educational settings across Hampshire. This is a rare opportunity to influence strategic direction, drive innovation and ensure educational psychology continues to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those who rely on it.

Leading a service of around 70 staff and managing a budget of £6.5 million, you'll provide strategic, professional and operational leadership for Hampshire Educational Psychology. You'll ensure the delivery of high-quality statutory and traded services, whilst promoting evidence-informed practice and helping shape the future of inclusion and educational psychology across Hampshire.

A key focus of the role will be providing strategic leadership for Hampshire County Council's Experts at Hand offer as part of the Department for Education's SEND Reform Programme. Working with partners across education, health and social care, you'll help deliver lasting improvements in inclusion, early intervention and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

What you'll do:

• Provide strategic leadership for Hampshire Educational Psychology, ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality services.

• Drive innovation and champion evidence-informed practice to deliver service excellence.

• Lead one of Hampshire County Council's most significant SEND transformation programmes through the delivery of the Experts at Hand offer.

• Influence policy and practice across education, health and social care.

• Ensure statutory and traded services are delivered effectively, sustainably and to the highest professional standards.

• Build effective partnerships to develop a whole-system approach that strengthens inclusion, builds workforce capability and improves outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

• Champion the contribution of educational psychology locally, regionally and nationally.

What we're looking for:

• Honours Degree in Psychology recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS), a postgraduate qualification in Educational Psychology (Doctorate, MSc or equivalent) and HCPC registration.

• Significant experience as a practising Educational Psychologist, including senior leadership experience within educational psychology and multidisciplinary services.

• A proven track record of leading large-scale transformation, organisational change and service improvement.

• Experience of developing strategic partnerships and influencing policy and decision-making across education, health and social care.

• Experience managing substantial budgets and resources.

• A highly credible, visible and collaborative leader with excellent communication, influencing and strategic leadership skills.

• Passion for improving outcomes for children and young people, with a strong commitment to inclusion, innovation and continuous improvement.

Why join us?

• Play a pivotal role in delivering one of Hampshire’s most ambitious transformation programmes, helping to shape the future of educational psychology and SEND support at scale.

• Help create a more inclusive, responsive and ambitious future for children and young people across Hampshire.

• Work alongside talented professionals and partners across education, health and social care.

• Join a service with a strong culture of supervision, professional development, wellbeing and continuous learning.

• Access to Health Assured's comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme to support your physical and mental wellbeing, including 24/7 telephone support, a suite of online resources, and legal and financial advice.

• Competitive benefits package, including generous annual leave entitlement, occupational sick pay, and access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

To learn more about this role, please review our Candidate Pack available on our website. Please click on the Apply button for details.

Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role and therefore it is essential that you already have the right to work in the UK.

Other job titles you may be searching for may include: Head of Educational Psychology, Principal Educational Psychologist, Principal EP, Senior Educational Psychologist, Lead Educational Psychologist, Educational Psychology Service Manager, Educational Psychology Team Manager.

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