Senior Social Worker – Learning Disability & Autism in Harlow

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and experienced Social Worker to join an innovative and award-winning Learning Disability and Autism Team covering West Essex. The team strives to improve outcomes for people with learning disabilities and/or autism through the work we do. Working with community groups, family and carers you will ensure advocacy for people with learning disability and/or autism. We take a person-centred approach to practice and support adults with achieving their goals and ambitions, while also meeting their social care needs. This is achieved through direct work, multi-disciplinary approaches, collaboration and building local community links. Most notably the team hosted the learning disability festival, focusing on bringing visibility to individuals with learning disabilities, showcasing our commitment to partnership working and being creative in our roles. Joining a Learning Disability & Autism team at Essex means you will be working in a supportive and innovative environment enabling you to develop your own ideas to make meaningful changes to the adult's lives.

As a Senior Social Worker in the team you will:

• Provide Expert Guidance: As a highly skilled Social Worker you will foster a supportive environment and model best practice, offering specialist advice, and mentoring both newly qualified and experienced colleagues.
• Assess and Support: You will manage a diverse and complex caseload, undertaking comprehensive assessments and creating person-centred care plans.
• Ensure Compliance: You will support the people we work with to live full and fulfilling lives, within the framework of our statutory Care Act requirements, relevant legislation and organisational standards.
• Manage Caseloads: We look to our Senior Social Workers to provide expert social work practice in complex situations, upholding the highest standards of professional practice.
• Collaborate: The ability to collaborate and build strong relationships across the Council and with our partners helps shape solutions that are high-quality and promote independence.
• Represent Adult Social Care: Confident in chairing multi-agency meetings, you will proactively take the lead to ensure a social care perspective is actively represented.

About You

• Qualified Social Worker with current Social Work England registration.
• AMHP, BIA or Practice Educator qualified.
• Proactive and passionate Social Worker who has a proven record of working complex cases and supporting other staff members.
• Ability to mentor both newly-qualified and experienced team members and to provide advice and guidance in complex situations.
• Significant Adult Social Care experience with a comprehensive understanding of current legislation, regulations and guidance.
• Experience supporting adults with a Learning Disability and Autism.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards.
• An in-depth understanding of the financial implications of commissioned care packages.
• The ability to make clear decisions, to highlight and limit potential risks associated with intervention.
• Experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members, carers and other multi-agency professionals.
• A passionate social worker who wants to develop and become part of the management team.

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

Why Join Us?

In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our Adult Social Care services as “Good” with a score of 73%. “The local authority had a good structure and processes in place to enable people to be supported successfully, and support people to remain independent and live healthy lives. The workforce was passionate about supporting people to achieve these outcomes and the local authority had good knowledge of their area, the people living there and the demographics.”

Our teams are busy but warm, friendly and supportive. Our fabulous team managers will help you manage your workload and develop your practice. We take your career just as seriously as you do, and we have a continuing professional development offer that’s second to none. We welcome diversity because it makes us grow and we’re determined to become a fully inclusive and an anti-racist organisation.

What We Offer

• Ongoing opportunities for continuing professional development.
• Flexible working options.
• Employee wellbeing and counselling.
• Lease Car scheme.
• Life assurance of three times annual salary.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Volunteering leave.
• 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising with service.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
• Employee Networks – communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC.
• Payment of your Social Work England registration fees.

Whatever you want to achieve in your social work career, you can do it here.

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.

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) if your role requires 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.