Senior Practitioner - Leaving & Aftercare, North Essex, Colchester

Interviews will be held W/C 25th May 2026. 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 Leaving and Aftercare Team supports care‑experienced young people from age 16 to 25 as they prepare for independence, including children looked after, in residential, foster care, semi-independent accommodation or Supported lodgings. The team works alongside young people and partner agencies to provide advice, advocacy and practical support around housing, education, employment, health and emotional wellbeing. We are committed to promoting positive outcomes, stability and aspiration, ensuring young people feel supported to achieve their goals and thrive as young adults.

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 and advise staff, manage performance and deliver improvements. Building strong working relationships with key partners and stakeholders is essential.

North Quadrant Leaving and Aftercare work within a pod system, two managers 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 North are provided with ongoing opportunities to develop their management skills whilst holding a 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 managers and other senior practitioners in post.

Role Specific Accountabilities: Assess, plan, review and provide support to a young person, family or carer with complex family or social care needs, taking full responsibility for the delivery of high-quality services.