Family Worker (Link Role)
UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics
Occupation Type
Youth and community workers
Occupation Code Skill LevelMedium Skilled
Sponsorship EligibilityIneligible for Sponsorship
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.
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Description
About The Role
Family Worker (Link Role)
Permanent, Full Time
£31,931 to £36,423 per annum
Location: Harlow
Working Style: Community-based worker
Closing Date: Monday 6th April 2026 at 11.59pm
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.
Interview Date: 17th April 2026
To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families
Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video
The Opportunity
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 the 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.
Family Solutions was established across Essex to work holistically with families with multiple and complex needs to enable them to make significant changes and improvements to their lives. The Family Worker (Link Role) is a key role in the service providing advice and support with regard to their thematic area and coordinating the provision of support from other services.
The postholder will hold a caseload of complex families whilst additionally taking on a lead area of our work in Risk in the Community and modern day slavery.
The postholder will act as point of consultation to colleagues in this area and have extensive knowledge of exploitation and vulnerabilities. There is close supervision on offer and area specific training, but in the main the postholder will work with young people and their families alongside our partners, forming rapport and thinking creatively about how they can be helped to move away from medium to high risk associations and behaviours.
Family Worker (Link Role)
Permanent, Full Time
£31,931 to £36,423 per annum
Location: Harlow
Working Style: Community-based worker
Closing Date: Monday 6th April 2026 at 11.59pm
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.
Interview Date: 17th April 2026
To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families
Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video
The Opportunity
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 the 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.
Family Solutions was established across Essex to work holistically with families with multiple and complex needs to enable them to make significant changes and improvements to their lives. The Family Worker (Link Role) is a key role in the service providing advice and support with regard to their thematic area and coordinating the provision of support from other services.
The postholder will hold a caseload of complex families whilst additionally taking on a lead area of our work in Risk in the Community and modern day slavery.
The postholder will act as point of consultation to colleagues in this area and have extensive knowledge of exploitation and vulnerabilities. There is close supervision on offer and area specific training, but in the main the postholder will work with young people and their families alongside our partners, forming rapport and thinking creatively about how they can be helped to move away from medium to high risk associations and behaviours.
Accountabilities
- Responsible for determining the direction and actions required in order to progress cases forward on a day-to-day basis; recognising when key decisions regarding risks/concerns need to be referred to the Team Manager or Practice Supervisor.
- Responsible for acting as a source of advice, guidance, and support to colleagues in relation to the thematic role held, in order to support case discussions, mentor and guide colleagues.
- Responsible for undertaking holistic assessments of family needs to help create family intervention plans and identify how outcomes can be achieved that fully reflect the family and young person’s views and aspirations.
- Responsible for facilitating complex family meetings, managing the potentially competing views of families and professionals, in order to find achievable solutions.
- Responsible for undertaking individual and group programmes of work to enable children and families to develop their skills to resolve issues and problems themselves; providing information and empowering families to access other local services.
- Responsible for providing specific practical, personal, and emotional support to families in their homes or other settings as part of an agreed plan in order to achieve agreed and sustainable family outcomes.
- Responsible for actively participating in regular supervision in order to review work and ensure effective interventions for families.
- Responsible for ensuring that the principles of effective practice are fully embedded in service delivery. Working collaboratively with staff and partners to ensure effective risk management in line with the Effective Support and Guidance document and SET child protection procedures.
- Actively engage in annual appraisals where specific individual objectives are defined inline within the performance management framework.
- Educated to degree level preferred but minimum NVQ level 4 or equivalent by experience in relevant thematic specialism i.e., Domestic Abuse, Substance Misuse, Education, Mental Health, and Parenting. Please note that one post in each team requires the applicant to hold a social work qualification and be HCPC registered.
- Evidence of continuing professional development with good knowledge in relevant professional area and commitment to the principles of evidence-based practice.
- Significant practical experience of working with families with multiple and complex needs.
- Effective communication skills, good problem solving and assessment skills with a demonstrable track record of building and sustaining positive professional relationships with individuals and families with multiple and complex needs.
- Experience of applying a solution focused approach and providing practical advice and support to families to enable them to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes.
- Ability to work in partnership with others to maximise outcomes for families in line with the Family Solutions operating principles.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to use supervision appropriately.
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.
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 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
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