Senior Support Worker, Colchester

Fixed Term, Full Time

£25,395 to £32,131 per annum

Location: Colchester

Closing Date: Sunday 1st February 2026 at 11:59PM

Location - DBIT North, Rowan House, Colchester

Full Time - 12 month secondment opportunity or 12 month fixed term contract

This is a 12 month secondment or fixed term contract opportunity.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It’s an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years.

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 Divisional Based Intervention (D-BIT) Service was established in 2012 and has a proven evidence base of improving outcomes for young people and their families, addressing areas of difficulty in the relationships that exist between family members, so that young people can continue to live safely within their homes and family networks.

D-BIT Core teams are secondary teams working within the Children and Families Service across the four quadrants. The teams work with children and young people, aged between 8 and 17, and their families where there are family relationship difficulties and there is a risk of the child or young person entering care due to relationship breakdown. We primarily use a Solution Focused intervention to support families to communicate with each other about how they want their relationships to be, building on family’s strengths, and what is already working well so that children and young people can continue to live safely within their homes and family networks. DBIT intervention seeks to enable families and their networks to strengthen their relationships and resources.

DBIT teams work with the whole family utilising a solution focused methodology to support them in developing and implementing sustainable, long-term solutions based on their own unique family context. Intervention is intensive and time limited and as a consequence caseloads are comparatively small and offer the opportunity for direct and frequent engagement at the heart of families. Evaluation from families and partners speaks to the positive outcomes from the work of the team/service.

This role with the D-BIT Service is Mon- Fri, and as a Senior Support worker joining the team you will work flexibly with children and their families, mostly within their homes and in their communities. We work with families at times that are helpful for them, most Solution Focused sessions therefore take place with families in their homes in the afternoons and early evenings. You may be required to undertake planned work on occasional Saturdays where it is a best fit for families.

As part of our work, to complement the family sessions, we facilitate activities within teams and across the whole DBIT Service to further strengthen the family relationships. As part of this there may be a requirement for an overnight stay.

This position is based in DBIT North in Colchester, with the expectation that you would support work in other quadrants in Essex as Business need requires.

Educated to Level 3 or with activity based alternative experience, in a social care setting, you will be passionate about engaging with and providing direct support in the community, building strong working relationships with partners to jointly deliver improved services.

This role with the D-BIT Service will require staff to work a basic 37-hour week (Mon - Fri) but also to be able to work flexibly, which will include some planned evening and occasional planned weekend work. You will be expected to be in the office a minimum of 3 days a week.

Accountabilities

• To undertake Solution Focused intervention with whole families, whilst working jointly with DBIT colleagues, in order to support families, stay together wherever possible and safe to do so.
• To liaise and maintain close links with other agencies/services working with a family ensuring consistency of approach and avoiding duplication of response.
• To record work and activity in accordance with the service's procedures and policies.
• To write reports for relevant meetings for families and as part of the DBIT intervention.
• To attend relevant meetings, including Child in Need meetings and Child Protection meetings in order to positively contribute to an overall understanding of the family and to help plan future intervention.
• To maintain high standards of professional practice and personal behaviour so as to develop confidence for the family and individual child/young person in the effectiveness and value of the social work service.
• To work collaboratively with DBIT colleagues, frontline Social Workers, Managers and other professionals so as to contribute to the overall work of the organisation and improved outcomes for children.
• To participate in professional supervision in accordance with Children and Families policy and DBIT supervision processes.
• To support and attend planned activities facilitated by the DBIT service for families, includes one residential activity per year where an overnight stay may be required.
• To attend training and development events as deemed necessary for the effective discharge of the role and an understanding of the wider work of the Children and Families Service.
• To work in line with ECC Equality and Diversity policy and procedures and Children and Families Anti-Racist strategy.
• To work flexibly as required by Business needs.
• Be committed to evidence-based practice.
• To undertake the role in accordance with Health and Safety and related policies.
• To undertake any other tasks which might from time to time be required within the overall grading and responsibility of the post.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

• Experience of working in a supportive relationship with children, young people and families.
• Ability to work in line with Essex Safeguarding Children's Board procedures.
• NVQ Level 3 - Caring for Children and Young People or equivalent qualification or work-based experience.
• Knowledge of Child Development.

Desirable:

• Experience/Knowledge/Interest in the Solution Focused approach.
• Have an understanding of issues that can impact on children and families - e.g., poverty, disability and bereavement.
• Experience in planning activities for children, young people, and parents.
• First Aid Certificate.
• Food Hygiene qualification.

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.