Senior Practitioner – Woodlands Family Centre, West Essex in Harlow

Fixed Term, Full Time £48,205.00 to £57,988.00 Per Annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 9th July 2026

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months. We recognise that talented social workers develop at different rates, and we’re committed to supporting career progression. Where applicants demonstrate the right values, skills and potential, we may consider them for alternative opportunities within our Family Centre service, providing valuable experience and development to help prepare them for future Senior Practitioner roles.

The Family Centres provide interventions to bring about positive change within families, help adults provide positive parenting, and increase the resilience of children so that they can stay with their families where it’s safe to do so. The Family Centres support social workers in the court arena to strengthen child and family assessment and, where required, complete court‑directed parenting assessments. The Family Centres will also deliver a variety of group work sessions and bespoke direct work to vulnerable children and families. Essex Family Centre Service is responsible for managing a caseload of targeted intervention work to achieve positive and improved outcomes for children. The post holder is expected to maintain the highest possible standards of practice and to work in line with all policies and procedures.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Investigation, assessment, purposeful intervention and working to achieve positive change within families, enabling children to remain within their homes where safe.
• This is achieved through the Child Protection, Child in Need plan and by fostering permanency via care planning for Children in Care.

The Opportunity:

Excellent opportunity for a Social Worker/Senior Practitioner to gain experience in the family centre environment. Responsibilities include individualized, complex interventions including PLO and Court Assessments, Parent Assess/AIM/SORA, direct work with children/adults and the delivery of family system and group co‑facilitation with children.

Accountabilities:

• Manage complex cases, seek management support and access supervision as required.
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues and offer feedback to the team manager.
• Maintain an up‑to‑date record of activity on case files, produce reports, attend court and give verbal presentations as required; participate actively in case discussions, legal case discussions, Child Protection conferences, Statutory Reviews, etc.
• Represent ECC in court proceedings.
• Participate in quality assurance processes, such as case file audits and diagnostic exercises.
• Critically appraise the quality of own and others’ practice and challenge this within identified forums.
• Maintain an active interest and knowledge in legislation, policy changes, research findings and practice developments relevant to service delivery.
• Manage own professional development, including training and other development opportunities.
• Serve as an expert adviser and consultant for staff within Schools, Children and Families on professional issues relating to Child Protection situations (particularly Section 47 investigations) and assessments of risk to the child or young person.
• Ensure child protection plans are implemented and reviewed.
• Participate in and/or chair team meetings and deputise for the Team Manager in day‑to‑day running and supervision of the team when necessary.
• Perform any other duties commensurate with the grade that may, from time to time, be required.
• Occasionally undertake evening work and be available for very occasional weekend activities as required by the Schools, Children and Families Directorate.

The Experience You Will Bring:

• A recognised social work qualification (Diploma, degree, Masters in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent) with current registration with Social Work England as a registered social worker.
• Evidence of continuing professional development aligned to relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements.
• Significant experience of social work, demonstrating a comprehensive and up‑to‑date understanding of all relevant legislation, regulation and guidance.
• Experience of mentoring Social Work students and newly qualified or experienced Social Work staff, acting as a subject matter expert.
• Experience chairing meetings involving clients, family members or carers and other multi‑agency professionals.
• Develop strong relationships with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives and support children, young people and families.
• In‑depth understanding of delivering value‑for‑money interventions balanced against need.
• Proven track record of clear decision making to highlight and limit potential risks associated with intervention.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Serving 1.8 million residents, we are committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Flexible working options and a focus on innovation are available for those looking to develop their career or contribute to the community.

Employer Commitment:

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements. Please contact our recruiters for reasonable adjustments. We interview all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements of the role. All employees may need to be mobile across the county, travel beyond Essex and may require a DBS check. Where required, you will register with the DBS update service and maintain the subscription. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment.