Locum Senior Social Worker, Assessment & Intervention

Locum Senior Social Worker, Assessment & Intervention

Temporary, Full Time

£233 PAYE / £299 Umbrella

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Operational field-based worker

Closing Date: 29th September 2026

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!

Join our Assessment & Intervention (A&I) teams, where we serve as the entry point for children, young individuals, parents, carers, and collaborating agencies seeking access to our transformative Children & Families services. In the heart of our mission lies the A&I team, dedicated to conducting initial assessments and delivering short-term interventions that make a positive difference in families' lives.

Your Mission: In the realm of Children and Families, we've cultivated a service that fosters the growth of social work, grounded in a culture of cooperation, honesty, and empathy. Our goal? To nurture the development and well-being of children, youth, and families, shielding them from neglect and harm. Through dynamic partnerships, we provide early assistance, family support, and impactful social work interventions, eradicating obstacles, and empowering the younger generation to envision a brighter future.

As a Senior Social Worker: Your role is pivotal. Managing intricate caseloads, you'll serve as a beacon of expertise, offering guidance and supervision to colleagues, all in pursuit of positive change for children, youth, and families. In the absence of the Team Manager, you'll step into leadership, overseeing the team and duty services.

What We Expect: You're an experienced social work practitioner, unafraid of handling heightened levels of risk. You're a mentor, guiding and advising peers, a performance manager, and an agent of improvement. Your knack for cultivating sturdy relationships with partners and stakeholders is indispensable.

Key Responsibilities:

• Guiding Expertise: providing counsel and professional supervision, shaping the practice standards that elevate our social workers.
• Navigating Complexity: You'll assess complex social care needs, devising supportive structures for vulnerable individuals, children, and families.
• Legally Sound: Working within statutory guidelines, you'll discern when intervention becomes a necessity, ensuring compliance with legal frameworks.
• Active Participation: in case conferences, court appearances, and reviews, particularly when a social care perspective is paramount.
• Safeguarding Champion: You'll assess and strategize to safeguard and advance a child's welfare, customizing interventions based on their needs.
• Unifying Forces: Your rapport with colleagues, partners, and voluntary agencies will unite efforts for an optimal start in life and graceful aging.
• Performance Excellence: You'll set and meet individual and collective targets, harmonising them within our performance management framework.

What You Bring:

• Qualification: A recognised social work qualification and Social Work England registration, you're equipped to make a significant impact.
• Lifelong Learning: Your commitment to ongoing professional development aligns with competency frameworks, demonstrating your dedication.
• Seasoned Experience: Your social work journey highlights a deep grasp of legislation, regulations, and guidance, giving you a nuanced perspective.
• Mentorship Prodigy: As an adept mentor, you've guided students and seasoned practitioners, showcasing your expertise in social work practice.
• Unified Collaborator: Your talent for forging partnerships, engaging agencies, and communities amplifies our collective impact on children, youth, and families.
• Decisive Navigator: You've proven your prowess in discerning potential risks and making clear decisions, steering interventions with finesse.

Join Us: Step into a role that beckons you to lead, mentor, and shape a future full of promise for our young generation. Together, we'll forge pathways to brighter horizons and stronger communities. 

To read more about us please visit: Children & Families

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

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.

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. 

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 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 courtney.jode@essex.gov.uk