Social Worker – Assessment & Intervention, North

Overview

Social Worker - Assessment & Intervention, North Essex

Permanent, Full Time

Location:

Colchester

Working Style:
Community-based worker

Salary: £34,902 to £50,081 per annum

Closing Date: 22 February 2026

This position is open to Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) and Experienced Social Workers. The starting salary for an NQSW is £34,902 per annum and this will rise to £37,185 per annum on successful completion of the ASYE programme.

Essex County Council recognises the importance of flexibility and wellbeing for colleagues in Children’s Social Care and has introduced a nine-day working fortnight for full-time frontline Social Workers within Children’s services. For more information, please follow the link provided in the original posting.

Assessment and Intervention (A&I) are the gateway through which children, young people, parents/carers and other agencies gain access to Children and Families services. A&I undertakes incoming assessments and short-term intervention work with families, working with children from pre-birth up to 18 years old. They focus on children in need (CIN) and their families, offering three months’ intervention. They also handle S47 child protection enquiries and work jointly with the police and other partners in assessing immediate risk.

A&I primarily transfers cases into Family Support and Protection Teams if longer-term intervention is needed, or if the child becomes subject to a child protection plan or enters care.

If, following assessment and brief intervention, the family does not require a social work service, they may be stepped down to Family Solutions as part of the Early Help Offer.

The Social Worker will manage a defined caseload and work effectively with children, young people and families/carers to achieve positive change and improved outcomes. This includes enquiry, assessment, purposeful intervention through direct work and review in relation to Child Protection, Child in Need and Children Looked After; with the aim of achieving permanency for Children in Care.

• Manage a defined caseload and work with children, young people and families to achieve positive outcomes.
• Conduct enquiries, assessments and purposeful interventions through direct work and case reviews.
• Work across Child Protection, Child in Need and Looked After Children pathways; support permanency planning.
• Coordinate with partner agencies and professionals; contribute to safeguarding and risk assessment processes.

• Diploma or degree in social work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent and registration with Social Work England as a Registered Social Worker.
• Demonstrable capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards (e.g., Professional Capability Framework (PCF), Knowledge & Skills Statement (KSS)).
• Ability to apply social work knowledge with emotional intelligence, analytical skills, and confidence in challenging social and family situations.
• Good working knowledge of information technology and related systems (e.g., Word, social work case recording systems).
• Flexibility to work as required, occasionally including evenings and weekends.

For more information about the business area, please visit:
Children & Families

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.

Essex County Council is committed to being a Disability Confident Leader and to interviewing all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements under the Job Interview Scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available during the process; veterans and care leavers meeting the minimum requirements will also be interviewed.

The role requires mobility across a wider operational area, including travel around Essex and beyond, with the ability to transport service users and belongings in emergencies. A driving licence and access to a car, or the ability to meet mobility requirements by other means, are essential.

DBS checks:
If required, you will need to register with the DBS update service (annual subscription; you or the employer are responsible for maintaining the subscription). Further information is available at the DBS Update Service site.

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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Queries about this role can be directed to  Follow us on social media and view further details on our careers page.

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