Children and Families Support Worker - North Essex

About the role

Children and Families Support Worker - North Essex

Fixed Term, Full Time

£24,395 to £31,131 per annum

Location: North Essex

Please note that this is a fixed term / secondment contract opportunity until the 31st of March 2025, with the possible of an extension.

Internal applicants- Please read the guidance on secondment posts on the Intranet including the section on ‘Agreeing an Internal Move’ which explains the expectations for you and your Line Manager before you apply for this role.

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 Opportunity

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.

Support Workers work within frontline teams in conjunction with Qualified Social Workers to deliver bespoke, targeted intervention work, in accordance with the care plans, to vulnerable children and families. This also encompasses contact. This work will normally be time limited, with measurable impact and meet the assessed needs.

This particular role is part of a Department for Education (DfE) Designated Family Judge Trailblazer which is seeking to reduce the time children and families spend in court during care proceedings. The focus of this role will be working with families in the Pre-Proceedings stage of PLO supporting families to make the necessary changes and prevent the need for court proceedings. The successful candidate will be working in the North quadrant with families in PLO. The position will feed into the larger Trailblazer project which includes Southend, Thurrock and Suffolk and along with the other 4 Trailblazer projects will report to the DfE and set the focus of further work nationally.

Educated to Level 3 or with activity based alternative experience, in a social care setting, you will be passionate about engaging with and providing direct support in the community, building strong working relationships with partners to jointly deliver improved services.

Accountabilities

Responsible for supporting social workers and occupational therapists to implement and monitor care plans, and write reports where required, which deliver interventions for children and families.
Responsible for maintaining high standards of professional practice which contribute to continuous improvement across the service.
Responsible for highlighting issues and implementing plans to safeguard a child.
Building strong, effective relationships with the service users, providing practical advice and support, where necessary and deemed appropriate; enabling children and families to sustain change and function effectively within the community.
Work collaboratively across the service, with internal and external professional partner agencies, to ensure improved outcomes for children and families.
Provide information and advice in relation to involvement/accessing of third party agencies relevant to the needs of the service user (e.g. benefits agencies, immigration and housing).
Participate in meetings, reviews, case conferences and court hearings to provide information, insight and evidence.
Writing effective reports which could be used in professional meetings, forums and court.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

Educated to NVQ/BTEC Level 3 or equivalent experience.
Experience of building strong, effective relationships with children and families in times of challenge and crisis.
Experience of observing, facilitating, and reporting on contact.
Experience of undertaking direct, activity-based work with children and families where required.

Desirable:

Knowledge and understanding of the issues impacting children, young people and families, leading them to require support.
Knowledge of legislative and policy guidance applicable within Social Care settings.
Proven track record of working with partners and external agencies.
A certificate in First Aid and/or knowledge of Sign Language

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.

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

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.

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. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

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.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

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

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Children and Families Support Worker – North Essex