Senior Practitioner - Family Support & Protection - West Essex

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 fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children's services.

Join Our Team: Making a Difference in Families' Lives

At Family Support & Protection (FS&P), we are on a mission to create lasting positive change in the lives of families facing complex and long-term challenges. We understand that some situations require more than just a quick fix, and that's where our dedicated team comes in. If you are a seasoned social work practitioner looking for a role that truly makes an impact, keep reading.

The Role:

As a Senior Practitioner at FS&P, you'll be at the heart of our efforts to help children, young people, and families thrive. You'll manage a caseload filled with complex cases, providing expert guidance and supervision to your colleagues. In the absence of the Team Manager, you'll step up to lead the team and oversee duty services, ensuring our mission is carried out effectively.

Your role goes beyond everyday social work. You'll handle higher levels of risk, mentor and advise your fellow team members, monitor performance, and drive continuous improvements. Building strong partnerships with key stakeholders is not just encouraged; it's essential.

What You'll Do: Your Responsibilities

• You'll be the go-to source of expert advice and professional supervision for social workers, contributing to the development of practice standards.
• You'll assess complex social care needs and develop support plans for vulnerable individuals, children, and families.
• Operating within the statutory legal framework, you'll determine when the threshold for statutory intervention has been reached.
• Managing a demanding caseload will be your daily routine, all while maintaining accurate and timely records, reports, and presentations.
• Your presence will be felt in various case conferences, court sessions, meetings, and statutory reviews, as you take the lead when a social care perspective is needed.
• You'll conduct assessments and devise responses to safeguard and promote a child's welfare, intervening as needed based on the assessment.
• Building strong, effective working relationships within the Council, with partners, and voluntary agencies will be second nature to you, as it's crucial for helping people start life on the right foot and age gracefully.
• You'll bring your expertise to the table, leading in particular areas of practice and contributing to their development.

What We're Looking For: Your Experience

• You hold a recognised social work qualification, whether it's a diploma, degree, or Masters in social work. Plus, you're currently registered with Social Work England as a registered social worker.
• Evidence of continuous professional development is a must, aligned with relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• You've got significant experience in social work, showcasing a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulations, and guidance.
• Mentoring is in your DNA, as you've guided both Social Work students and newly qualified/experienced Social Work staff, being the subject matter expert in professional social work practice.
• Chairing meetings involving clients, family members, carers, and other multi-agency professionals? That's your forte.
• You've cultivated strong relationships with partners, agencies, and the local community, all with the aim of achieving shared objectives and creating a supportive framework for children, young people, and families.
• Your in-depth understanding of delivering value-for-money interventions, balanced against need, is a testament to your expertise.
• Your track record of clear decision-making speaks volumes about your ability to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with intervention.

Join Us at FS&P

If you're ready to be part of a dedicated team that's committed to making a real difference in the lives of families facing complex challenges, we want to hear from you. Together, we'll create lasting positive change and help build stronger, healthier communities. Come join us at FS&P, where your expertise and compassion will shine.

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.

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.

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.