Essex County Council
Senior Practitioner – Children with Disabilities, West Essex
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Senior Practitioner – Children with Disabilities, West Essex
Senior Practitioner - Children with Disabilities, West Essex
About the Role
Type & Details
- Secondment Opportunity / Fixed term contract
- Duration: 12 months
- Employment Type: Full Time
- Hourly Requirement: 37 hours per week
- Salary Range: £48,205 to £57,988 per annum
- Location: Harlow
- Working Style: Fixed-base worker
- Closing Date: 12th July 2026
Our Approach
Essex County Council emphasizes flexibility, wellbeing, and innovative thinking in their Children’s Social Care team, offering a nine-day working fortnight for full-time frontline social workers. This role focuses on creating meaningful change by shielding children from neglect and abuse while fostering growth and resilience for children, young adults, and families.
The team supports Children and Young People with Disabilities across Basildon, Chelmsford, Colchester, and Harlow, operating through four key areas:
- The 0–15 Social Care team
- The 16–25 Social Care team
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Preparing for Adulthood (PFA)
The Opportunity
As a Senior Practitioner with Children with Disabilities, you'll contribute expertise by:
- Supporting and guiding new and experienced staff while acting as a subject-matter expert in professional social work practice.
- Reviewing child plans and covering for the Team Manager as needed.
- Leading practice development and making critical decisions that shape the service.
The role demands a combination of qualifications, experience, and passion for driving positive change in children’s wellbeing.
Responsibilities
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Key Responsibilities
- Lead mentoring activities for social work students, newly qualified, and experienced staff.
- Overseeing child plans, ensuring compliance with legislation and guidance.
- Representing the team in training, governance, root cause analysis, and community engagement.
- Collaborating with multi-agency professionals, families, and carers to improve outcomes.
- Promoting relationship-building to enhance safeguarding and support provision.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential Criteria
Must hold:
- A recognized social work qualification (e.g., diploma/degree/master’s in social work, CQSW, CSS, or equivalent).
- Current Social Work England (SWE) registration.
With experience in:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) aligned to professional frameworks.
- Multi-agency working and stakeholder relationship management.
- Strategic decision-making to mitigate risks while delivering value-for-money interventions.
- Significant social work experience with a deep understanding of relevant laws/guidelines.
Benefits of Experience
- Proven ability to mentor and train teams effectively.
- Experience in chairing high-stakes meetings (e.g., regarding vulnerable families).
Why Essex?
Need to Knows
- Top-tier productivity among UK local authorities (Ranked top three in the IMPOWER Index).
- Transformational change with a focus on cost efficiency and quality service delivery.
- Extended devolution plans (project towards a Mayoral Combined County Authority by 2026).
Employee Experience
- Flexible working options and innovative policies.
- Support for unpaid carers and balanced career development.
- Section 27 of the Carers Act 2004 aligned empirical practice.
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Community Commitment
Essex County Council is a Disability Confident Leader, actively promoting neurodiverse inclusion at every stage of recruitment, including:
- Scheming interviews for disabled applicants meeting minimum criteria.
- Dedicated support for veterans and care leavers.
- Reasonable adjustments available throughout processes.
About Us
Core Values & Policies
- Essex’s dedication to being consistent, transparent, and resilient in safeguarding efforts.
- Adherence to the Nolan Principles and Essex’s Code of Conduct for ethical integrity.
Mandatory Commitment
- Full county and wider area mobility, including emergency capabilities (driving requirements essential—licence and/or alternative transport flexibility accepted).
- DBS update service registration obligation for approved positions.
Further Engagement
Join The Essex Talent Community for insights into new opportunities, news, and updates from the council.
How to Apply
Queries? Contact resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk. Follow Essex County Council on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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