Family Support and Protection

The Family Support and Protection (FS&P) teams work with families that have long term complex issues, require more than three months intervention, and where children are subject to child protection or child in need plans or where children can no longer live at home and care proceedings need to be initiated. FS&P Social Workers are responsible for building on the relationships with families using systemic and strengths based social work approaches. Through this they work alongside families to achieve positive change within the context of managing risk. This work is varied and involves working with Public Law Outline (PLO), taking families into proceedings and first hearing only, Special Guardianship Order (SGO) assessments and Section 7 court reports, reviewing as well as updating assessments and plans for children subject to Children in Need (CIN), Child Protection (CP) or Looked After Children (LAC).

What you will need

Along with a diploma in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent, and Social Work England registration as a registered Social Worker, you will be expected to bring skill and high standards of social work to your own caseload, with a comprehensive working knowledge and experience within the field of practice in Children Services. You will have experience of planning activities and programmes for children, young people and parents, and strong evidence of your knowledge and understanding of child development, relating theory and practice.

You will have experience of court work in relation to Child Care matters and an understanding of the legal process, with knowledge of current legislation pertinent to Child Protection (e.g. CA1989, CJA1991), Guidance and Regulations.

Ideally, you will have experience of Child Protection work including section 47 investigations and assessments since the implementation of the Children’s Act 1989.Considerable, recent experience of communicating with children of all ages and working in partnership with parents and/or carers.

You will be committed to systemic, relationship based social work, providing effective, innovative interventions and with the ability to build good partnerships, both with our external partners and within the organisation.

In turn, we can offer you a highly competitive package that includes access to our desirable pension scheme, life assurance (of three times your salary), generous annual leave – plus the option to buy additional holiday. Optional benefits such as tax-free savings on childcare and discounted health and dental care are also available, and we will encourage you to develop your skills with ongoing training opportunities.

Crucially, we know that there is more to life than work. We are a motivated and enthusiastic team – but we want you to find an exceptional work/life balance. As such, you will be encouraged to make the most of our commitment to flexible working arrangements.

So, if you want a better quality of life – complemented by a high degree of job satisfaction – then we would be delighted to welcome you to our friendly and inclusive team.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wide 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 ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.