Family Worker (Link Role) - Working for Essex

About the role

Family Worker (Link Role)

Fixed Term, Full Time

£31,931 to £36,423 per annum

Location: Clacton on Sea

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: Thursday 24th of July at 11.59pm

Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of 12 months.

Interview Date. 8th August 2025

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 having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

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

The Opportunity

Family Solutions is a level 3 service in Essex County Council Children and Families. The Service works with families experiencing multiple and complex challenges and aims to empower families to make sustainable changes, improve outcomes, and reduce the need for statutory intervention. Using a whole-family approach, Family Solutions practitioners build strong, trusting relationships to help families identify their own goals and access the right support at the right time.

As a Family Worker (Link Role), you are the key point of contact for families, providing support and intervention and working with partners to co-ordinate support from other agencies. You will work intensively with families including in the community, using a strengths-based approach to help them overcome barriers and achieve positive outcomes for families.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout the area, working usually with families in the Tendring district with an office base in Clacton. The role also requires some flexibility working out of normal office hours when required to best meet the needs of the family.

Accountabilities

You will be responsible for carrying out holistic assessments with families to co-create family plans that reflect their strengths, needs, and aspirations. These plans will be outcome-focused and informed by the voices of the family, young people and children.
You will work collaboratively with families and partner agencies to agree on clear goals and actions including delivering interventions that support sustainable, positive change.
You’ll exercise sound judgment in managing risk, recognising when concerns need to be escalated.
You will chair Family Meetings and Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings, navigating differing perspectives to facilitate constructive dialogue and agree on achievable solutions.
You will provide practical and emotional support to families in their homes or community settings, delivering direct work and interventions including to enable children and families to develop their skills to resolve issues. Also providing information and supporting families to access support from other services. as part of an agreed support plan. Your work will focus on helping families achieve meaningful and sustainable outcomes, tailored to their individual goals.
Act as a source of advice, guidance, and support to colleagues in relation to the thematic role held, in order to support case discussions, mentor and signpost colleagues.
Actively engage in regular supervision to reflect on practice, review progress, and ensure effective, outcome-focused support for families.
Working collaboratively with staff and partners to ensure effective risk management in line with the Effective Support and Guidance document and SET child protection procedures.
Actively engage in annual appraisals where specific individual objectives are defined in line with the performance management framework.

What you will need:

Educated to degree level preferred but minimum NVQ level 4 or equivalent by experience in relevant thematic specialism i.e., Domestic Abuse, Substance Misuse, Education, Mental Health, and Parenting.
Significant practical experience of working with families with multiple and complex needs.
Evidence of continuing professional development and commitment to evidence-based practice
Knowledge of solution focussed approach and providing practical advice and support to families to enable them to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes.
Effective communication skills, good problem solving and assessment skills with a demonstrable track record of building and sustaining positive professional relationships with individuals and families with multiple and complex needs.
Ability to work in partnership with others to maximise outcomes for families in line with the Family Solutions operating principles.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to use supervision appropriately.

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 February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) 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.

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.

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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