About The Role
Social Worker – Family Support and Protection, West Essex (Permanent, Full Time).
£38,487 to £51,834 per annum. Location: Harlow. Working style: community‑based worker.
Have you ever been interested in how Family Support and Protection’s social work practice differs from other teams? 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 second outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.
Essex County Council understands how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children’s social care and has therefore developed a nine‑day working fortnight for full‑time frontline social workers within children’s services.
Family Support & Protection (FS&P)
Our FS&P teams work with families on Child in Need and Child Protection plans, focusing on creating sustainable, long‑term change. As an FS&P social worker, you’ll build positive, trusting relationships with families using systemic and strengths‑based approaches to social work.
The role is varied and rewarding, involving work under the Public Law Outline (PLO), court proceedings (including Section 7 reports), and when necessary, initiating care proceedings. You may also be involved in Special Guardianship Order (SGO) assessments.
We believe in supporting our social workers just as much as the families we serve. You’ll benefit from regular reflective supervision and access to ongoing CPD and training through the Essex Social Care Academy – a BASW‑accredited CPD provider. You’ll be encouraged to be creative and innovative in your direct work, helping families gain the insight, tools, and confidence they need to make lasting changes.
When we say goodbye to families, it’s because they’re ready equipped with the tools to thrive independently.
Accountabilities
- Conducting in‑depth assessments of complex social care needs and developing tailored support plans.
- Ensuring all interventions comply with statutory and legal frameworks.
- Collaborating with a wide range of professionals and agencies to deliver holistic support.
- Championing child‑centred approaches that promote early intervention, prevention and long‑term independence.
- Playing a key role in inter‑agency planning, contributing to case discussions and shaping interventions.
- Clearly communicating your assessments and professional judgments – both verbally and in written reports, including court documentation.
The Experience You Will Bring
- A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
- A commitment to ongoing professional development aligned with relevant competency frameworks.
- Experience navigating challenging social and family dynamics.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- A collaborative mindset, with the ability to build strong partnerships across communities and services.
- A clear understanding of how to balance cost‑effective interventions with the needs of families.
- Confidence in making sound decisions to manage and mitigate potential risks.
Requirements
You must be mobile throughout a wider operational area, including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, and be able to transport service users and their belongings, including in an emergency. A driving licence and a 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.
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.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC), if your role requires 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.
For queries on this role or to request any further information, email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk.
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