ESCA Workforce Development Lead - Childrens

About the role

ESCA Workforce Development Lead - Childrens

Fixed Term, Full Time

£38,035.00 to £44,747 Per Annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 27th July 2026

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months

The Role

Workforce development is an essential part of maintaining our outstanding OFSTED rating in Children’s Social Care. It is a critical time in the service with more change than we have seen in a generation. This role provides the opportunity to contribute to that change journey ensuring our staff are prepared for the future.

To read more about our business area, please visit:

Children & Families

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

The Opportunity

Essex County Council (ECC) is achieving transformational change across Adult Social Care and Children and Families Services, underpinned by delivery of high quality practice and a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion. The development of a professional, knowledgeable and skilled workforce is central to achieving practice improvement and driving change; delivered by a joint Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) service which meets the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of both professional areas.

The ESCA Workforce Development Lead will oversee key areas of strategic and practice importance, to enable ESCA to deliver against its vision. Supporting the development of a cohesive service across social care, responsible for providing, developing and commissioning a high quality training offer across complex and specialist programmes.

The role requires a thorough and in-depth understanding of adult learning theories and evidence of successful delivery and development of workforce projects and initiatives, that support workforce strategies. Excellent communication skills, with strong negotiation and influencing abilities will be key to success.

Accountabilities

Responsible for developing a Workforce Development strategy, related to specific areas of Social Care Practice, equipped to deliver consistently high quality, customer focussed services. Identify opportunities for development of the Social Care Academy to improve performance and promote best practice.

Lead on and manage the delivery of initiatives, ensuring that internal Continuing Professional Development programmes (either function specific or broader) and development planning, commissioning and delivery processes are integrated, to reflect commissioned outcomes and align with Partner programmes.

Develop and commission a range of blended learning and training opportunities, tailored to the individual needs of staff groups. Implement processes to ensure the commissioning of training providers support excellence in practice, represent value for money, work to agreed standards and include safeguarding practices.

Work collaboratively with external operational partners/stakeholders to ensure potential opportunities are maximised, through development of innovative approaches to implement an agreed and consistent framework of impact measures.

Responsible for ensuring compliance with National Minimum standards, regulations and statutory guidance, maintaining effective links with regulatory bodies to achieve requisite standards. Raise and address any issues in a timely and effective manner.

Measure and evaluate the impact of training and training transfer, on improving outcomes and developments in practice across social care. Deliver regular monitoring, reflection and review to ensure continued progress. Use accurate data and evidence to set and monitor priorities, which inform strategic planning of training and development initiatives.

Undertake financial monitoring and budgetary review of programmes of work undertaken.

Contribute to building capacity for workforce planning, to ensure effective developmental support is available through the creation of a range of initiatives including training opportunities, career development and flexible career pathways.

Review, analyse and evaluate workforce intelligence, establish robust processes for the sharing of data analysis and recommendations. Working closely with operational partners to support effective evidence based workforce planning.

Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to RQF level 6 (bachelor’s degree) or equivalent by experience.

Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge, aligned to any relevant Professional Competency/Capability frameworks or Knowledge and Skills Statements where required.

Evidence of successful delivery and development of workforce projects and initiatives that support the workforce strategy and capacity to work autonomously to achieve outcomes.

Experience of leading the development of strong relationships which are collaborative in nature, with partners, other agencies and the local community to achieve joint objectives.

Good leadership and behavioural skills with the ability to focus on results, supporting a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds to achieve strategic objectives.

An in-depth understanding of adult learning theories and how to apply them in practice to support the workforce to deliver more effective outcomes.

Excellent communication skills, with strong negotiation, influencing and problem-solving ability.
Ability to analyse, understand and present complex information effectively.

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.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

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.

licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

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 resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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ESCA Workforce Development Lead – Childrens