Social Worker, Family Worker (Link Role) – Mid Essex in Silver End

We’re recruiting Social Workers (Link Family Workers) to join our high‑performing Family Solutions team based in Witham, Mid 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.

Role Details

• Salary: £37,185 to £50,081 per annum
• Location: Silver End
• Working Style: Community‑based worker
• Closing Date: 29th January 2026

Responsibilities

• Act as a source of advice and support for colleagues, including joint visits and joint working on complex cases such as concerns around neglect.
• Support the team to build positive and constructive working relationships with statutory children’s services colleagues.
• 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.
• 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

• Support manager and practice supervisor to undertake screenings of new contacts and understand thresholds.
• Determine the direction and actions required to progress cases forward on a day‑to‑day basis, recognising when key decisions need to be referred to the Team Manager or Practice Supervisor.
• Act as a source of advice, guidance and support to colleagues in relation to complex cases, mentoring and guiding alternative qualified colleagues in best practice.
• Undertake holistic assessments of family needs, create intervention plans, and identify how outcomes can be achieved that fully reflect the family and young person’s views and aspirations.
• Facilitate complex family meetings, managing the potentially competing views of families and professionals to find achievable solutions.
• Undertake individual and group programmes of work to enable children and families to develop their skills to resolve issues and problems themselves.
• Provide specific practical, personal and emotional support to families in their homes or other settings as part of an agreed plan to achieve sustainable outcomes.
• Actively participate in regular supervision to review work and ensure effective interventions.
• Embed principles of effective practice in service delivery and collaborate with staff and partners to ensure effective risk management.
• Define specific individual and shared targets and objectives 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, completing assessment and managing CIN and/or CP cases.
• At least three years’ experience post‑qualifying.
• Willingness to work towards Practice Educator Qualification.
• Strong commitment to uphold the standards and values of the social work profession.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and commitment to evidence‑based practice.
• Significant practical experience working with families with multiple and complex needs.
• Effective communication, problem‑solving and assessment skills with a demonstrable track record of building and sustaining positive professional relationships.
• Experience of applying a solution‑focused approach and providing practical advice and support to families to enable them to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes.
• Ability to work in partnership with others to maximise outcomes for families in line with the Family Solutions operating principles.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and to use supervision appropriately.

Requirements

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 being able to do so in an emergency. A driving licence and a 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. With flexible working options, a focus on innovation, and a commitment to transformational change, Essex is the ideal place to develop your career or contribute to the community. Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and commits to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements. We also interview all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements. As part of employment, if your role requires a DBS check, you will be required to register with the DBS update service. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Contact

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk.