Risk in the Community Officer (North & Mid Essex) in Witham

Permanent, Full Time £33,049 up to £37,698 per annum

Location: Witham

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

The role covers the North and Mid of Essex. 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!

The Risk in the Community Officer will deliver targeted group/individual work activities working collaboratively with children and their families/carers who are at risk of harm outside the home. Officers will support the case holder and partnership around the child to assess and understand the factors that may increase a child’s vulnerability to Risk in the Community and how to effectively tackle this and reduce harm to the child. This is a complex area of safeguarding and as such the Risk in the Community Officer will be a subject matter expert, having a high level of awareness of the challenges, issues and factors linked to harm outside the home.

The role requires excellent interpersonal, communication skills and the ability to build strong partnerships with key partners and stakeholders. The Risk in the Community Officer will be an experienced practitioner working with children and families with a range of complex needs and with an ability to gain oversight in a quality assurance role to ensure the best outcomes for children and families. They will support staff to understand Risk in the Community and implement effective assessments and interventions.

The office is based in Witham. This role focuses on the North and Mid of Essex, you should also be mobile throughout the county of Essex and beyond.

Accountabilities:

• Use specialist skills in engagement with children and their parents/carers to build relationships and provide time limited intensive support where assessed as appropriate and gaining consent.
• Plan and facilitate relevant group work with children, focused on assessed themes that will increase their resilience and build a positive peer support network around them.
• Responsible for supporting the case holder and partnership around the child to understand the factors that may increase a child’s vulnerability to Risk in the Community to reduce harm to the child and support their understanding of this area of complex safeguarding.
• Provide group Risk in the Community training to professionals e.g. Foster Carers/ Social Workers/ Case Holders as a subject matter expert, on Risk in the Community in order to achieve quality and effective responses to children.
• Use specialist knowledge and experience to support the case holder to understand the push and pull factors that may be increasing a child’s vulnerability to Risk in the Community through dedicated case discussions.
• Support the Risk in the Community assessment, analysis and safety planning for the children open to MACE 1, including quality assurance around the case holders practice and decision making to ensure the best outcomes for children and adherence to the Risk in the Community processes as outlined by the Essex Safeguarding Children Board.
• Responsible for sharing and recording appropriate relevant information with the Case Holders/ Partners.
• Monitoring and reviewing outcomes for the child whilst working collaboratively and building strong partnerships with the multiagency network.
• Work collaboratively with statutory and voluntary partners by highlighting learning from the experiences of children, their families/carers to inform and improve service delivery.

Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework. A driving licence and access to a car is essential to undertake this role. This role also requires flexible working and can include some evening and weekend working.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Educated to NVQ/BTEC Level 5 or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in the relevant professional area.
• Awareness of the challenges and issues that can impact on exploited children, how exploitation/youth violence/harmful sexual behaviour occurs, and the partnership networks required to tackle this.
• Experience of engagement with young people and families delivering multiagency interventions, utilising strengths-based approaches to be a catalyst for change for children, caregivers and professionals.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to build strong professional working relationships with internal/ external partners including young people/families.
• Proven track record of quality assurance around practice and decision making to ensure the best outcomes for children.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to manage own workload under pressure and adapt quickly/effectively to changing circumstances/situations.
• Experience of identifying emerging trends, patterns and needs, through the use of data.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Children Act 1989 and the Children Leaving Care Act 2000 and Children and Social Work Act 2018.

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.

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. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. 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. 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.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.

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.