Family Support Worker - Post Adoption

Family Support Worker - Post Adoption

Fixed Term, Full Time

£26,284 - £33,256 Per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: Wednesday 17th June at 11:59pm

The role:

This is a 2 years fixed term role 

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We’re immensely proud of our flexible working options.

In ECC we are “Serious about Social Work”. Having recently won the Best Social Work Employer of the Year Award and been awarded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted this is an exciting time to join us. As if that wasn’t enough, Essex has also been announced as a Partner in Practice by the Department of Education, and the Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) is the only Local Authority team in the country to be accredited by BASW as a CPD provider. We have invested in our workforce and created a positive environment for our social workers to make a difference and achieve change for our most vulnerable children and families through direct relationship-based social work practice. We have supported our staff to have an understanding of systemic theoretical framework and models underpinning our interventions; to have access to the right tools, equipment and resources; and also the right supervision, training and learning opportunities they need to be strong practitioners.

Job purpose

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

Child and Family Support Workers within the Post Adoption Team Support the delivery of effective Children’s Social Work. One aspect of the work is undertaking direct work with adopted children. The aim of direct work is to help children understand their dual identity as an adopted child, supporting the attachment relationships with their adoptive parents and ensuring stability within the adoptive family, while also maintaining meaningful connections with birth family. The role also involves undertaking a range of other direct activities including individual and group work for adopted children and their families, Supporting contact arrangements between adopted children and their birth family members, providing practical, personal and emotional support that meets the assessed needs, as well as promoting health, physical, emotional and social development. Support workers are also responsible for planning, promoting and supporting the delivery of training events, and facilitating support groups and workshops for adopters across Essex and at times in partnership with colleagues across the Adopt East Region.

Educated to level 3 (NVQ or BTEC is desirable) or with activity based alternative experience, in a social care setting and experience of strong effective relationships.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Responsible for working closely with Social Workers within the service to plan promote and deliver activities and interventions, which support the plans for the children/young people and families.
• Build strong, effective relationships with children/young people and adopters which support relationship and strengths based social work practice.
• Maintain high standards of professionalism which contribute to the level of confidence in Children’s Social Care.
• Responsible for highlighting issues and implementing plans to safeguard a child.
• Liaise and work collaboratively with internal and external professional partner agencies including across the Adopt East, Regional Adoption Alliance.
• Contributes to meetings, (Team Around the Family Meetings, Child in Need Meetings and any other professional network meetings) to provide information which builds understanding of the child’s needs.
• Record work and activity in accordance with Children & Families policies and procedures, including case records on Mosaic.
• Engage in individual and group supervision with managers and practice leads.
• Work collaboratively across the service, with internal and external professional partner agencies to contribute to the overall work and success of the team and ensure improved outcomes for children and families.
• Deliver support in accordance with the plan, as agreed by the case holding Social Worker where appropriate, this will normally be time limited, with measurable impact.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
• Ability to work flexibly including occasional evenings and weekends

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Educated to RQF 3 level (A Level/NVQ/BTEC) or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.

• Experience of building strong, effective relationships with children and families,delivering training and facilitating group sessions.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build strong partnerships which are influential and collaborative in their nature, to deliver joint outcomes.

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to coordinate projects and manage logistical demands.

• Knowledge of Children’s Act 1989 and 2004 and other legislative and policy guidance applicable within Social Care settings.

Qualification certificates should be brought to interview.

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.

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 proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found on https://www.workingforessex.com/benefits

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.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

If you have any queries regarding this role, or require anything further, please contact the Team Manager of the Essex Post Adoption Team on 033301 30984

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

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 March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, 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) 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 sandra.middleton@essex.gov.uk

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page.

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