Mental Health Co-ordinator, Kinship, post-order support team

Permanent, Part Time, 18.5 Hours Per Week

£24,102 to £28,994 Per Annum Pro-Rata

Location: Countywide, based in Chelmsford (County Hall)

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 21st July 2026

The role operates on a countywide basis, with regular office attendance at County Hall, Chelmsford, and other sites as business needs required. 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 the 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 team The Kinship post-order support team provides support to children and families with Special Guardianship Orders and Child Arrangement Orders. The focus is on family stability and positive outcomes for children and young people who live in these kinship arrangements. This is a multi-disciplinary county-wide team made up of social workers, support workers, permanency coordinators and mental health coordinators. The role The Mental Health Coordinator will provide assessment, therapeutic parenting support and direct therapeutic support for children and young people who are suffering emotional and mental health difficulties. They will support colleagues in taking a trauma informed approach and will facilitate practice development in the team. They will provide workshops and training for kinship carers.

The MHC will provide clinical consultation to workers in the post-order team and in the kinship assessment service. The successful candidate will have an accredited professional qualification and evidence of excellent skills in consultation, assessment, therapeutic practice and recording. Strong partnership working is essential for this role as it will operate in a multi-agency environment.

The successful candidate will work three days per week, with standard working days being Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Accountabilities

• Provide a specialist mental health assessment and treatment service for children, young people, their families and carers, using a range of therapeutic techniques. • Assess children and young people’s suitability for mental health and emotional wellbeing services and take part in their planning and review processes. • Work collaboratively with colleagues to offer advice, support and consultation, in their work with children and carers across the county. • Initiate and support new and innovative ways of working, projects and groups to engage carers, children, young people and their families in partnership with C&F colleagues, other frontline professionals and third sector partners. • Raise knowledge and awareness of the mental health issues and preventative strategies for kinship families across C&F colleagues. • Maintain up-to-date records of activity on case files, produce reports and give verbal presentations as required. Actively participate in case discussions, professionals’ meetings, team around the child / placement meetings, Strategy Meetings and statutory reviews (as applicable). • Build strong working relationships across the Council and with members of NHS CAMHS services, other statutory organisations and voluntary agencies. • Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework. Skills, Knowledge And Experience
• A degree level professional qualification in at least one of the following areas: psychology/ psychotherapy, social work, youth and community, mental health nursing or a level four qualification in counselling.
• Evidence of significant continuing professional development and training in therapeutic work with children and families.
• Current membership of relevant professional body / association such as BACP, HCPC, UKCP.
• Significant experience of working directly with children, parents/carers and families in a recognised model of therapeutic intervention in 1:1, dyadic and/or group interventions.
• Ability to have difficult conversations and address complex situations through reflective practice, supervision and consultation.
• Evidence of capacity to work systemically with professionals and family members.
• Understanding or interest/experience working with children in care, those who are care-experienced and those who live in kinship families.
• Experience of building strong partnerships, which are collaborative and influential.
• Knowledge and understanding of risk, safety planning and safeguarding protocols.
• Strong commitment to practising and promoting trauma-informed care.
• Experience of developing and delivering bespoke training and consultancy.
• Evidence of being a catalyst for change, early in young peoples’ lives.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

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

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 March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, 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.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

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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