Senior Practitioner – Leaving & Aftercare Team, Mid Essex

Permanent, Full Time

£46,574 to £56,027 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Community-based worker

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It’s an exciting time to join us having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

*Essex County Council understand how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children’s Social Care and that we need to think differently. We have therefore developed a nine-day working fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children’s services.

The Opportunity

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people, and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers, and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

The Senior Practitioner manages a complex caseload and provides expert supervision and coaching for colleagues, to achieve positive change for children, young people, and families. The role deputises for the Team Manager, leading the team and management of duty services.

The role requires an experienced social work practitioner, able to manage higher levels of risk, mentor, supervise and advise staff, manage performance, and deliver improvements. Building strong working relationships with key partners and stakeholders is essential.

Mid Quadrant Leaving and Aftercare work within a pod system, one manager and two senior practitioners. The senior practitioners have specific roles which include management, both deputising, and taking the lead on a variety of tasks. The senior practitioners in Mid are provided with ongoing opportunities to develop their management skills whilst holding a small caseload, therefore experiencing a hybrid between management of the team and case management. Candidate requirements will be excellent organisational skills, good leadership skills and working in unison with the management team, team manager and other senior practitioner in post.

Accountabilities

• Assess, plan, review and provide support to a young person, family or carer with complex family or social care needs, taking full account of appropriate legal frameworks, policies, and guidance
• Assess family functioning, providing help and support, when relationship breakdown threatens to impair the health or well-being of young people/children at risk of abuse or neglect
• Work collaboratively, building effective working relationships with other professionals, internally and externally to help young people and families improve and gain control of their lives when safety or ability to participate in their community is restricted
• Carry out an assessment or enquiry and plan responses to safeguard a young person from abuse, neglect, and exploitation
• Arrange appropriate alternative care in collaboration with the placement team
• Promoting autonomy and development with young people who have complex needs.
• Maintain up to date, accurate and high- quality records of activity on cases. Participate in a range of planning and decision making forums including case discussions, Strategy Meetings, Legal Planning meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Statutory Reviews
• Act as Practice Educators for social work qualifying course students on practice placements (as appropriate) or Assessor for Newly Qualified Social Workers completing their ASYE
• Working with communities, families, and individuals to maximise or promote their personal strengths, social networks, and resources
• Hold a caseload of a level of complexity and provide case management, guidance, support and expert advice to social care staff, students, and newly qualified social workers, as and when required.
• Deputise for the manager when necessary
• Undertake 4 weekly supervisions of personal advisors
• Take the lead on an area of interest
• Present at panel and support other team members to present
• Work effectively in the pod system in place in Mid Leaving and Aftercare
• Evidence insightful practice with the YPs allocated to the team; engage in reflective discussions with team members to support ongoing development and understanding of the experiences of young people and how may affect their emotional, physical, and cognitive functioning
• Consider creative ways of working in order to provide bespoke support and resources to YPs, when required

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

• Diploma or Degree in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent
• Registration with Social Work England as Registered Social Worker
• Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards e.g., Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS) and Case recording
• Demonstrate ability in the application of SW knowledge, using emotional intelligence, analytical skills, and act with confidence in challenging social and family situations.

Desirable:

• A good working knowledge and ability to use information technology and related systems e.g., Word, SW case recording systems
• Required to work flexibly as required, including evenings and weekends if necessary.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone’s Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you. 

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR)) on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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