Job Description

Senior Practitioner - Children and Young People with Disabilities, Mid Essex
Fixed Term, Full Time
46,574 to 56,027 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style:
Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of up to 8 months.
The Service consists of the Children with Disabilities Teams, Young People with Disabilities Teams, Child and Family Support Services Teams, Preparation for Adulthood Advisors Teams, Occupational Therapy Teams and a Core Service Development support team. This is an exciting and vibrant service which is in an ongoing phase of service improvement and development to enhance positive outcomes for children and young people with disabilities (from birth up to age 25) and their families and embracing the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) reforms.
The Children with Disabilities Team works with young people and their families from the age of 0 - 16 years.
We are currently looking for a Senior Practitioner to work in the Young People with Disabilities Mid team, based in County Hall, Chelmsford and working in the mid Essex geographical area.
Working to the Children Act 1989 and 2004, Children and Families Act 2014, Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, including all other relevant legislation pertinent to supporting children, young people and adults with Disabilities within the remit of Social Care.
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The Role
The Senior Practitioner role requires leadership in the team, providing both support and mentoring to newly qualified or less experienced staff, overseeing Duty, compiling reports for Team manager and wider service as required and deputising for the Team Manager when needed. They will oversee the review of some child in need plans particularly prior to closure and will have responsibility to lead in a practice area. There will be good opportunities for own professional development and for being part of developing the team and service. There is an ethos of openness to the development of new ideas, particularly to reinforce our relationship-based focus, with service users, within the staff group and with partner agencies.
The successful candidate will be expected to bring developed social work skills and high standards of practice to their own caseload as well as providing modelling, advice and support to colleagues. They 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.
Senior Practitioner accountabilities:

• Manage complex caseloads for children and young people with disabilities, providing assessments, advice, and support.

• Provide integrated services to help families meet needs and support transitions to adulthood.
• Monitor unmet needs and develop support networks.
• Assist team manager with team management, including chairing meetings, supervising team members, and deputising as needed.
• Commit to service development projects.
• Maintain records, produce reports, and participate in meetings and reviews.
• Build relationships with other teams and agencies to plan and implement support.
• Offer advice and advocacy for service users.
• Seek training and development opportunities.
• Undertake additional duties as required by the team manager.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Provide specialist advice and professional expertise for social workers, contributing to practice standards and key principles.
• Assess complex social care needs and support vulnerable adults to ensure safety and promote independence.
• Work within statutory legal frameworks, policies, and guidelines, determining thresholds for intervention.
• Manage complex caseloads, maintaining accurate data, reports, and presentations.
• Participate in case conferences, court attendance, meetings, and statutory reviews, leading when necessary.
• Conduct assessments and plan responses to safeguard vulnerable adults.
• Build strong working relationships across the Council, with partners, and voluntary agencies.
• Demonstrate significant social work experience and understanding of relevant legislation, regulations, and guidance.
• Mentor newly qualified and experienced staff, providing expertise in professional practice.
• Chair meetings involving clients, family members, and multi-agency professionals.
• Develop relationships with partners, agencies, and the community to achieve joint objectives.
• Understand the financial implications of care packages.
• Make clear decisions to highlight and limit risks associated with intervention.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Diploma in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
• Social Work England Registration as a registered social worker
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• IT/Word Processing Skills
• Evidence of recent practice at an experienced social worker level, supported by comprehensive working knowledge and experience within the field of practice in Children Services
• Preferably with 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.
• Experience in planning activities and programmes for children, young people, and parents.
• Experience of Court work in relation to Child Care matters and an understanding of the legal process.
• Detailed knowledge of current legislation pertinent to Child Protection (e.g., CA1989, CJA1991), Guidance and Regulations.
• Knowledge and understanding of child development, relating theory and practice.

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 . 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 ) 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 , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
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
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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