Social Worker - Assessment & Intervention Mid Essex

Permanent, Full Time £37,185 to £50,081 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Operational field-based worker

In line with our Skills and Capability Framework, for an experienced Social Worker the basic salary is between £37,185 per annum and £50,081 per annum with 9 entry points across the range.

Essex County Council understands how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children's Social Care. We have therefore developed a nine-day working fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children’s services.

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.

Assessment and Intervention (A&I)

These teams are the gateway through which children, young people, parents/carers and other agencies gain access to Children and Families services. Assessment and Intervention undertakes incoming assessments and short-term intervention work with families; working with children from pre-birth up to a child’s 18th birthday.

They focus on children in need (CIN) and their families, offering three months' intervention. They also deal with S47 child protection enquiries and work jointly with the police and other partners in assessing immediate risk for children that come to our attention. A&I primarily transfer cases into Family Support and Protection Teams should families require longer-term intervention, or if the children become subject to a child protection plan or come into care of the local authority. If following an assessment and brief intervention the family do not require a social work service, they could be stepped down to Family Solutions as part of our Early Help Offer.

Managing a defined caseload, the social worker is responsible for working effectively with children, young people and families/carers to achieve positive change and improved outcomes. This includes enquiry, assessment, purposeful intervention through direct work and review in relation to Child Protection, Child in Need and Children Looked After; achieving permanency through care for Children in Care.

What you will need

• Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent and registration with Social Work England as a registered Social Worker.
• Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards e.g. Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS).
• Demonstrate an ability in the application of social work knowledge, using emotional intelligence, analytical skills and act with confidence in challenging social and family situations.
• A good working knowledge and ability to use information technology and related systems e.g. Word, social work case recording systems.
• Required to work flexibly as required, very occasionally including evenings and weekends.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.