Rethinking recruitment: Placing value in what matters to professionals

For years, Educational Psychologists have been considered gold dust: scarce on the ground and wanted by many!

We recognise that there is a national shortage of EPs and we feel responsible for ensuring our offer of employment is such that we can secure the best staff and, as a result, provide the highest quality of service to our schools.

During our most recent round of recruitment, Golden Thread Psychology has taken a more psychological approach to building its team, drawing upon the recently published research by Jackson & Woods (2025). Through inductive content analysis, Jackson & Woods (2025) propose key features that are linked to job satisfaction and staff retention within the helping professions. We have then taken these themed and adjusted our practice accordingly.

Level of Experience

• Protected supervision time to ensure that staff feel supported regardless of the point in their career

• Time allocation based upon experience, allowing for recognition that with experience comes an element of fluency and, therefore, efficiency

• Protected CPD time so staff are never stagnant in their career

• Opportunity to develop specialisms, benefiting both the individual staff member and Golden Thread Psychology as a whole

Workload Demands

• Golden Thread Psychology acts as a buffer between the EP and the stresses experienced by schools, supporting staff mental wellbeing

• Time allocation that takes into account limitations to service delivery (yes, we recognise that there's a 6 week period during the summer where it's simply not possible to complete a school visit!)

• Regular check-ins with staff so there's always an opportunity to discuss workload and capacity in an open, non-judgemental space

Working Relationships

• A company created to provide a safe, trusting and transparent service, where all EPs are treated respectfully and valued as individuals

• Collaboration around decisions, listening to the voices of staff at all opportunities

• Scheduled social events shaped around employees' preferences (watch out for yoga photos coming soon!)

• Celebration of local culture because we love where we're based

Leadership

• A company led by EPs, for the benefit of EPs as well as the community they serve - it's about our staff as much as it's about our schools

• Decisions based upon lived experience, with our director continuing to deliver services to schools

• Annual staff feedback sought through anonymised surveys

• Input from staff valued at every level of the organisation, whether you're an EP, Senior EP, Psychology Assistant or Business Support

Workplace Culture

• Core values of connection, clarity, curiosity and community, referred back to during every business decision to keep them alive

• Promotion of autonomy in practice, allowing staff to be the EP they want to be

Physical Environment

• Access to the most up-to-date technology, supporting the smooth delivery of services and helping the company promote a greener way of doing things

• Timely IT support with an IT Helpdesk available throughout the working day

• Newly renovated office space opposite the beautiful Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa

• Benefits package provided, offering a variety of different local and national discounts and special promotions

Would you like to hear more about working for Golden Thread Psychology?

Here is a video of our director, Dr Amy Such, describing the company values and the role of a Golden Thread Psychology maingrade EP.

To apply for the position, visit our vacancies page and download the application pack.

Deadline: the deadline for this position has now passed. However, we're always keen to hear from Educational Psychologists and aspiring Educational Psychologists so please feel free to get in touch if you'd like to know more about work opportunities within Golden Thread Psychology.