Social Worker, Family Worker (Link Role) - West Essex, Harlow

We're recruiting for Social Workers (Link Family Workers) to join our high-performing Family Solutions team based in West Essex. This is a fantastic opportunity to work within a service described by Ofsted as "exceptional", delivering early help to families facing multiple and complex challenges. Family Solutions is part of Essex's Children & Families service, working holistically with disadvantaged families to help them make meaningful and lasting changes. You'll be part of a supportive, multi-disciplinary team that values collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.

The Opportunity

As a Social Worker (Family Worker), your role will be varied, impactful, and deeply rewarding and you will:

• Act as a source of advice and support for colleagues, including joint visits and joint working on complex cases.
• Support the team to build positive and constructive working relationships with colleagues in statutory children's services.
• Manage your own caseload and assess safeguarding risks.
• Work in partnership with the team manager and practice supervisor to review referrals and support threshold decisions as required by the team.
• Build strong, trusting relationships with families to promote positive change.
• Provide practical and specialist advice.
• Facilitate complex family meetings and coordinate additional support services.
• Offer emotional and practical support in homes and community settings.
• Work closely with your manager or senior social worker through regular supervision.
• Support the further integration of Family Solutions and Children Social Care as part of the Family First Partnership Programme.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for supporting manager and practice supervisor to undertake screenings of new contacts, understanding threshold.
• Responsible for determining the direction and actions required in order to progress cases forward on a day-to-day basis.
• Responsible for acting as a source of advice, guidance and support to colleagues in relation to complex cases.
• Responsible for undertaking holistic assessments of family needs to help create intervention plans.
• Responsible for facilitating complex family meetings, managing the potentially competing views of families and professionals.
• Responsible for undertaking individual and group programmes of work to enable children and families to develop their skills.
• Responsible for providing specific practical, personal and emotional support to families in their homes or other settings.
• Responsible for actively participating in regular supervision in order to review work and ensure effective interventions for families.
• Responsible for ensuring that the principles of effective practice are fully embedded in service delivery.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England, and post-ASYE.
• Recent experience in frontline children's services, experience of completing assessment and managing CIN and/or CP Cases.
• At least three years' experience post qualifying.
• Hold or be willing to work towards Practice Educator Qualification.
• A strong commitment to uphold the standards and values of the social work profession.
• Evidence of continuing professional development with good knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Significant practical experience of working with families with multiple and complex needs.
• Effective communication skills, good problem solving and assessment skills.
• Experience of applying a solution focused approach and providing practical advice and support to families.
• Ability to work in partnership with others to maximise outcomes for families.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and to use supervision appropriately.

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. A driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

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. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs. At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

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.