Locum Child and Family Support Worker - Supervised Contact Team

Locum Child and Family Support Worker - Supervised Contact Team

Temporary (3 months), Full Time

Pay Rate: £13.47ph PAYE/£17.25ph Umbrella

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 21st 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. 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 primary role for a child and family support worker based within the Family Time (Supervised Contact Service is to supervise, support and facilitate contact primarily between children who are looked after by the local authority and their birth families. This may incorporate aspects of targeted intervention work which supports the overall assessment and case planning for the family. On occasions the post holder’s role may also include work within frontline teams to support the delivery of effective children’s Social Work. 

The post holder will undertake a range of activity directly with children, young people and families providing practical, personal and emotional support that meets the assessed needs and promotes improved health, physical, mental and social development and well-being. 

The role involves working collaboratively across other frontline services, including assessment and intervention; family support and protection; children in care; fostering; and children and young people with disabilities. The work can be complex, demanding and emotionally challenging and the post holder is required to work with dedication and resilience.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Undertake activity & interventions as agreed by the case holding social worker, which support the plan for the child, young person & family, including supervised contact activity.
• Build strong, effective relationships with the child, young person and family which support relationship and strengths based social work practice.  Maintain high standards of professionalism which contribute to the level of confidence in ECC Children’s Social Care Services.
• Liaise and work collaboratively with internal and external professional partner agencies as relevant to the case (e.g. Occupational Therapy, Schools, Health, Mental Health), to gather accurate information that informs assessment and decisions about the plan for the child.
• Provide information and advice in relation to involvement/accessing of third party agencies relevant to the needs of the child, young person & family (e.g. benefits agencies, immigration, housing), where necessary acting as an advocate
• Be a source of practical advice and support, enabling the child, young person & family to build their capability to sustain change and function effectively within the community.
• Attend meetings, reviews, case conferences and court hearings (as directed by the case holding social worker) to provide information, insight and evidence which builds a comprehensive and rounded understanding of the child’s needs.

• Responsible for highlighting issues and implementing plans to safeguard a child.

• Record work and activity in accordance with Family Operations policies & procedures, including case records on Mosaic.
• Work collaboratively with other Child & Family Support Workers, Social Workers and Managers to contribute to the overall work and success of the team, and to ensure improved outcomes for children.

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

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to RQF Level 3 (A Level/NVQ/BTEC) or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and in-depth knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Experience of building strong, effective relationships with children and families in times of challenge and crisis.
• Experience of undertaking direct, activity based and group work with children and families.
• Knowledge and understanding of the issues impacting children, young people and families, leading them to require support.
• Knowledge of Children’s Act 1989 and 2004 and other 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 is desirable in this role.

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.

Core working hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9am - 5:30pm

Friday 9am - 4:30pm

All staff are expected to work flexibly in accordance with service needs so occasional or ongoing evenings or weekends may be required. Hours are based on a 37 hour working week.

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.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will apply to this assignment and where a worker elects to provide their services through an intermediary (such as a personal services company) then income tax and primary national insurance contributions will be deducted at source from any payments made to the intermediary.

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 have queries on this role or require anything further, please email essexsharedservices@essex.gov.uk