Mental Health Practitioner

Mental Health Practitioner

Fixed Term, Full Time

£46,574 up to £56,027 per annum

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 19th November 2025

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity until February 2028

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 2^nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

To read more about our business area, please visit:

Children & Families

The Team

The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) comprises of subject matter experts specialising in housing, domestic abuse, education, drug and alcohol support, youth work and mental health for adults and children.

MDT workers bring specialist knowledge and therapeutic insight. Their expertise is instrumental in re-engaging families, restoring hope, and fostering sustainable change. This team’s work is not only impactful — it’s transformative.

We are seeking an experienced, motivated and passionate individual to join our team. Being led by the Team Manager, you will be working to create the conditions for sustainable change with families.

The MDT team is situated within frontline social work teams where the referrals come from. The interventions from MDT are delivered within the community or in the families’ homes.

We want you to be a part of our vision and making this a reality. If you have the drive, creativity and enthusiasm to enhance and improve the lives of Children and Families, we want to hear from you.

Role Description

Children and Families service 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.  

The Mental Health Coordinator will ensure easy access and direct mental health services for children and young people who are suffering emotional and mental health difficulties and for their families and carers. 

With an accredited professional qualification and evidence of excellent practice, participation in casework, recording and assessment.  Strong partnership work is essential for this role as it will operate in a multi-agency environment. 

Accountabilities

• Provide a specialist social work mental health assessment and treatment service for children, young people, their families and carers, using a range of therapeutic options.
• Assess children and young people’s suitability for services and take part in their planning and review processes.
• Work collaboratively with C&F colleagues to offer advice, support and consultation, in their work with children within the quadrant.
• Deliver advice, support and consultation in respect of social work issues, perspectives and frameworks, to other professionals.
• Initiate and support new and innovative ways of working, projects and groups to engage children, young people and their families in partnership with C&F colleagues, other front-line professionals and third-sector partners.
• Raise knowledge and awareness of children and young people’s mental health issues and preventative strategies across C&F colleagues.
• Responsible for maintaining up to date records of activity on case files, producing reports, attending court, and giving verbal presentations as required.  Actively participate in case discussions, Strategy Meetings, Legal Case Discussions, Child Protection Conferences and Statutory Reviews (as applicable).
• Build strong working relationships across the Council, members of other statutory and organisations and voluntary agencies.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Possesses an accredited degree or diploma level, professional qualification in at least one of the following; youth and community, social work, mental health nursing, occupational therapy, special educational needs and teaching, or probation.  
• Evidence of significant continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, delivering assurance around practice and participation in casework, recording and supervision with current membership of Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) if appropriate.
• Significant experience of working in a recognised model of therapeutic intervention with children and families.
• Evidence of direct engagement with young people, with successful delivery of 1-1 and indirect interventions. 
• Significant experience of building strong partnerships, which are collaborative and influential in their nature and engender delivery. 
• Deep knowledge and understanding of vulnerability and safeguarding protocols. 
• Experience of developing and delivering bespoke training and consultancy. 
• Evidence of being a catalyst for change, early in young peoples’ lives. 

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 or Jamielea.wallis@Essex.gov.uk

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