Children and Young People with Disabilities Support Worker

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

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

The Opportunity 

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion; promoting the 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 purpose of this role is to work within frontline Children and Young People with Disabilities (CYPWD) teams to support the delivery of effective Childrens Social Work. The CYPWD team provides a comprehensive service offer to YPWD aged 0-25 and 16+ through delivery of outcome focused; timely, targeted work.

The post holder will undertake a range of activities directly with children, young people with additional needs, complex learning and /or physical disabilities, and Autism/ADHD. Support will be centered on managing behaviour, promoting communication, developing social and independence skills and understanding childrens wishes and feelings through direct work activities.   Work will also be undertaken with parents to support them in their caring role.

The work can be complex, demanding and emotionally challenging and the post holder will be required to work with dedication and resilience. 

Accountabilities 

• Deliver interventions which support parents/carers to learn, implement, and embed approaches to managing specific behaviour strategies including routines, relationships, puberty, management of inappropriate sexualised behaviour. This would also include bespoke programmes of work designed to respond to the needs identified within CIN, CIC and CP plans and working closely with social workers on specific time limited work such as keep safe work, social stories, and visual prompts/timetables.
• Provision of programmes of direct work with children and young people that support the individual to understand their ‘Life Story’ (as part of a care plan) including providing support for siblings of children with additional needs to enable them to understand their sibling relationships. This will entail using observational, direct work and other appropriate skills.
• Undertaking sleep assessments and subsequent programmes of work to promote wellbeing.
• Working collaboratively with Occupational Therapy colleagues, each service providing relevant early intervention support to the family to help them learn and implement new approaches to managing care/life at home.
• Work with children, young people, and whole families to promote appropriate forms of communication including PECS, Makaton, BSL and Communication Passports.
• Work with parents/care givers to develop existing parenting skills/capacity through teaching, mentoring and support and application of parenting programmes.
• Facilitation of Children in Care Engagement Days (including school holiday activities) where there are no family/carer alternatives assessed as being able to meet this need. For example: trips to the seaside with parents/carers present and involved.
• Exploration into external community services that would support needs of families. 

The service offer will include interventions which will take the specific needs of the 16+ client group into account:    

• Organised activitieswhich focus on independence skills such as cooking, low level support around behaviour and management, support with travel training, focused independence work to help equip young people to enter adulthood (money and budgeting, employment opportunities). 
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework. 

The Experience You Will Bring 

• Educated to NVQ/BTEC Level 3 or equivalent by experience. 
• Experience in areas such as Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, Substance Abuse, Parenting etc
• Substantial experience of working with and building strong, effective relationships with children, young people and families in times of challenge and/or crisis.
• Experience of undertaking direct, activity-based work with children, young people and families.
• Experience of using positive behaviour strategies (PBS)
• Knowledge of Children Act 1989 and 2004 and other legislative and policy guidance applicable within Childrens Social Care.

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.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email daniel.warner@essex.gov.uk

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