Surrey County Council
Assistant Educational Psychologist - ELCI
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This position has a starting salary of £34,525 based on working 36 hours per week across 42 weeks per year (term-time, plus an additional 15 days per year), pro-rata to £37,265 (Soulbury AEP scale, point 2).
Following the overwhelmingly positive evaluation of the impact of the Enhanced Language and Communication initiative (ELCi) within schools in Surrey, we are now expanding our team and looking for Assistant Educational Psychologists to join us!
We have a number of opportunities available, based in the Guildford area for the west position and Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell for the East position. You will be able to express your preference in your application.
Our Offer to You
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
- Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
- A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
About The Role
This role offers a psychologically rich opportunity to work at the point where early development, learning environments, and adult understanding intersect. ELCi is an evidence-based approach which has been designed and implemented within Surrey. It aligns with the Department for Education’s SEND reforms outlined in “Every Child Achieving and Thriving”, particularly the “Experts at Hand” model. The initiative has been shown to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings to meet children’s needs earlier, more effectively, and inclusively.
Some children enter Reception with needs that are not yet fully understood, and this role is fundamentally about supporting others to notice, make sense of, and respond differently. You will be working in the early stages of children’s school lives, where patterns of communication, interaction, and emotional regulation are still emerging, and where adult interpretation plays a crucial role.
A central assumption of ELCi is that when adults feel more confident and psychologically informed, their environments become more attuned, and this benefits all children.
The ELCi Approach
The Enhanced Language and Communication Initiative is built on the principle of sustainable change through shared understanding. Rather than positioning expertise as something delivered to schools, the focus is on working alongside staff to develop confidence in whole-class, relational approaches that can be sustained beyond the life of the project.
Your role will contribute to this by helping school staff build their own capacity so that the thinking, and the strategies remain when the ELCi team steps back.
Working within the Team
You will join a small team, supported by an ELCi Coordinator and jointly led by an Educational Psychologist and a Speech and Language Therapist. Training and ongoing professional development will be provided to ensure that you can confidently support settings and make a real difference to children's lives. Ongoing supervision is integral to the role — not simply as a way of developing skills, but as a space to think psychologically about your work, your responses, and the systems you are part of.
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Your Role in Practice
You will spend time in Reception classrooms, working alongside teaching staff in a way that blends observation, modelling, discussion, and reflection. Your work will focus on supporting the adults in class to include children who experience differences in social communication, interaction, and/or emotional regulation through implementation of whole class approaches. Your impact will be seen in shifts in how adults understand and respond to need. By supporting staff to think differently, you will help create classroom environments where more children feel understood, regulated, and able to engage in learning.
As an Assistant Educational Psychologist you will:
- Assess social communication and emotional regulation supports in Reception classes using a SCERTS framework
- Deliver weekly classroom input, supporting staff to develop emotionally attuned and communication-friendly learning whole-class environments
- Model strategies in situ, helping staff to see how approaches translate into everyday interactions
- Engage in shared problem-solving, supporting staff to think about children’s needs in a nuanced and balanced way
- Support the development of meaningful targets, and reflective cycles of monitoring and review
- Offer information, advice, and signposting in a way that builds confidence and maintains professional respect
- Engage actively in supervision, using it as a reflective space to develop your psychological thinking and professional identity
- Contribute to project development, including evaluation and data interpretation
- Support the analysis of data and producing written reports
This Role Would Be Particularly Suited To:
- Someone who is developing their identity as a psychologist and is curious about the underlying processes that shape children’s behaviour and learning
- You will enjoy working collaboratively, value different perspectives, and have a natural ability to notice patterns across children, adults and their environments
- The role is ideal for someone who is comfortable with uncertainty and sees it as an opportunity for reflection and deeper understanding
- You will value relational approaches, recognising that meaningful change happens through people and relationships, not just through strategies and interventions
- You will be motivated by helping others grow in confidence and understanding, while also being committed to developing not only your professional skills but also your psychological ways of thinking and being in practice
Your Application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your CV and personal statement will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
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- Good honours degree in Psychology (or conversion)
- Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBS) with the British Psychological Society
- A minimum of two years experience of working with children and young people with additional/special educational needs within an educational setting
- Ability to work independently and flexibly
- A passion and enthusiasm for applying psychology to bring about positive outcomes for children with additional needs and disabilities
- Experience and knowledge of evidence based psychological frameworks and approaches
Surrey has both urban and rural areas and as part of this role, you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel to schools within a designated area most days of the week. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.
An enhanced DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children’s and Adults’ Barred List checks will be required for this role.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 20/09/2026 with interviews to follow.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey Handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.
We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Fiona Hewin on fiona.hewin@surreycc.gov.uk.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council
Our Commitment
We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.
Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.
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