Mental Health Co-Ordinator – Fostering

Mental Health Co-ordinator - Fostering

Permanent, Full Time

£43,477 to £52,302 per annum

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 10th April 2024

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 includes two team managers, three senior practitioners, supervising social workers and two outreach support workers. In the team we match children to families and provide continual support to the fostering families, working closely with other teams and colleagues. As a team we provide support/ guidance and participate in training of foster carers and facilitating support groups. You will inspire foster carers and young people to reach their full potential and be committed to the growth and development of the fostering service.

The Role

• Provide a specialist Mental Health assessment and treatment service for children, young people, their families and carers, using a range of therapeutic options. This post will also be involved in the assessment of fostering placement needs for both children and foster carers.

• Assess children’s and young people’s suitability for Mental Health and emotional wellbeing services and take part in their planning and review processes.

• Work collaboratively with C&F colleagues to offer advice, support and consultation, in their work with children and carers within the quadrant.

• 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 children and young people’s Mental Health issues and preventative strategies across C&F colleagues.

• Responsible for maintaining up-to-date records of activity on case files, produce reports, attend court 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 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

• Possesses an accredited degree or diploma level, professional qualification in at least one of the following: psychotherapy / Mental Health youth and community, social work, special educational needs and teaching, or probation.

• Evidence of significant continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, delivering assurance around practice and participation in casework, recording and supervision with current membership of relevant professional order / association.

• Significant experience of working in a recognised model of therapeutic intervention with children, adults and families.

• Evidence of direct engagement with young people and adults, with successful delivery of 1-1, group and indirect interventions.

• Understanding or interest/experience working with separated and migrant young people

• Significant experience of building strong partnerships, which are collaborative and influential in their nature and engender delivery.

• Deep knowledge and understanding of vulnerability and safeguarding protocols.

• 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 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? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career.

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.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

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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