Social Worker – Children in Care, South Essex
Permanent, Full Time*
£38,487 to £51,834 per annum
Location: Basildon
Working Style: Community-based worker
Closing Date: 15th July 2026
Basic salary range aligns with our Skills and Capability Framework. For an experienced Social Worker, salaries are between £38,487 and £51,834 per annum across nine salary bands.
* Essex County Council offers flexibility and wellbeing for frontline Social Workers, including a nine‑day working fortnight.
The Role
Children and Families is dedicated to supporting children, young people and their families. The role involves collaborating with partners to deliver early help, family support and effective social work interventions that build resilience, remove barriers, and enable children to look forward to a brighter future.
The Team
Children in Care (CIC) teams work with children and young people up to 18 who are in care. They ensure the child’s experience in care is positive and help prepare them for transition out of care or return to family. CIC teams handle cases from first hearing onwards, visit children in placement, develop permanency plans (including Special Guardianship Order and adoption), and conduct life‑story work to help children understand their situation.
Our team values high‑quality reflective supervision, informal support, and a systemic, strengths‑based, relationship‑based, trauma‑informed practice approach. The Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) provides training opportunities.
Responsibilities
Provide direct support and advocacy to children in care across Essex, ensuring their wellbeing and safety. Conduct case reviews, develop and implement permanency plans, maintain accurate case records, and collaborate with foster carers, placement providers and support agencies. Travel within the county to attend visits, transport service users, and respond to emergencies.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent.
- Registered with Social Work England as a Social Worker.
- Demonstrated capability in practice according to current professional standards (Professional Capability Framework, Knowledge & Skills Statement).
- Experience in case recording.
- Strong application of SW knowledge, emotional intelligence, analytical skills, and confidence in challenging social and family situations.
- Working knowledge of information technology and related systems (e.g., Word, social work case recording systems).
- Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as required.
- Valid driving licence and a car, or the ability to meet mobility requirements through other means.
Equal Opportunity & Disability
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We interview all disabled applicants under the Job Interview Scheme who meet the role’s minimum requirements, and we offer reasonable adjustments during the process.
ESCC also interviews veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements for the role.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. All employees and volunteers are expected to uphold this commitment and adhere to the code of conduct and Nolan principles.
Contact
Email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk
All information above reflects the role and responsibilities at the time of posting. The role will close on 15th July 2026.
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