Children and Families Advisor

CompanyEssex County Council

LocationColchester, England, United Kingdom

Posted At3/5/2026

UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics

Analytics are greyed out due to low classification confidence (40.0%).

Occupation Type

Welfare professionals not elsewhere classified.

Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled

Sponsorship Salary Threshold

£41,700 (£21.38 per hour)

Standard minimum applies

Above analytics are generated algorithmically based on job titles and may not always be the same as the company's job classification. You can also check detailed occupation eligibility, and salary criteria on our UK Visa Eligible Occupations & Salary Thresholds page.

Disclaimer: Hunt UK Visa Sponsors aggregates job listings from publicly available sources, such as search engines, to assist with your job hunting. We do not claim affiliation with Essex County Council. For the most up-to-date job details, please visit the official website by clicking "Apply Now."

Description

About The Role

Children and Families Advisor

Fixed Term, Full Time

£25,395 to £32,131 per annum

Location: Colchester

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: Thursday 12th March 2026 at 11.59pm

Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of 12 months.

Interview date: Friday 27th March 2026.

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 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

This vacancy can accommodate a newly qualified social worker.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

The Opportunity

This is a key role that ensures the `Single Point of Entry` is accessible by professionals, members of the public and families. Advisers will work with a team of senior staff to ensure that children and families receive a prompt and appropriate response to concerns and risks, making sure that all contact is dealt with safely and efficiently. You will respond to enquiries and Requests for Support via a range of sources including telephone calls and emails from professionals, members of the public and families.

You will proactively gather information and record in line with procedures and legislation to ensure that families in Essex receive the most appropriate level of support in a timely manner through either robust information, advice and guidance or onward progression to the appropriate team.

Accountabilities

Management team of the Children and Families Hub.
Understand the needs of your customers and deliver the best possible outcomes through exemplar behaviour in accordance with ECC’s Values and Core Organisational Behaviours.
Work flexibly and collaboratively across structural boundaries in support of key outcomes.
To contribute to development of organisational capability by taking ownership of your own training and development, including identifying and taking part in training and development activity and responding to feedback on performance.
Thinking creatively, challenging the norms, and constructively challenging those around them (including those more senior) to ensure continuous improvement and commercial astuteness, and inspire the same in colleagues.
Take responsibility for identifying and auctioning areas of risk including Health and Safety and Business Continuity.
Work as part of project or process teams as required under the new operating model, ensuring excellent cross functional output.
Taking personal responsibility for providing accurate Information, advice, and guidance either via telephone or email in line with the levels of need identified within the Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex guidance.

Working closely with other team members, seeking support and advice where required to identify risk and ensure children are safeguarded by prioritising referrals when necessary.

Ensuring that appropriate information is recorded accurately and is entered onto the appropriate system, taking advice where necessary, maintaining safe and lawful recording in accordance with the Data Protection legislation and ECC policy.

Gathering relevant information as required ensuring that the appropriate level of need is identified for families and completing records to ensure consideration for further referral onto a relevant team within the Children and Families Hub.

Acting as a link adviser to a thematic area of work or geographical area ensuring a good knowledge of local services available for the Children and Families Hub to include in the Directory of Services.

The duties of the post may be changed and/or varied to meet changing circumstances at the discretion of the Children and Families Hub management team therefore allowing for a flexible approach to workflow and demand.

The role is based in Essex House, Colchester; however, some travelling may be required to attend training, representing the team at meetings and liaising with both internal and external partners.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

A knowledge and understanding of current national and local safeguarding legislation and procedures including the Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex guidance, the Children`s Act and Working Together Guidance.
Good general level of education including English at GCSE grade A-C, or demonstrably equivalent abilities.
Experience of communicating by telephone and electronically recording information promptly and in adherence with data protection legislation.

Desirable:

Understanding of high-quality customer care and information provision and an appreciation of potential barriers and challenges for hard-to-reach groups.
High level of inter-personal, negotiation and communication skills, engaging at appropriate levels with a variety of audiences.

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) 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 daniel.warner@essex.gov.uk

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

Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours