About The Role
Senior Practitioner - Separated Migrant Children’s Hub, Harlow
Permanent, Full Time
£46,574 to £56,027
Location: Harlow
Working Style: Community-based worker
Closing Date: 11th September 2025
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.
The Senior Practitioner within the Separated Migrant Children’s Hub plays a vital role in supporting separated migrant children who arrive in Essex. This includes conducting initial needs assessments upon arrival and arranging appropriate placements that reflect the young person’s individual needs and circumstances.
Where a young person’s age is uncertain, the team may undertake a Merton-compliant age assessment—after allowing time for rest and recuperation. Experience in completing age assessments is beneficial, though full training will be provided. The role also involves supporting children through the asylum process, including securing legal representation and attending Home Office appointments.
In addition to their immigration status, these young people are also Looked After Children (LAC), and the Senior Practitioner ensures that statutory responsibilities are met in accordance with children’s social care legislation and best practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership & Case Oversight: Manage complex cases and provide guidance to colleagues on the unique needs of separated migrant children, including trauma, cultural identity, and immigration status.
- Assessment & Planning: Lead on needs assessments and age assessments, ensuring compliance with legal frameworks and safeguarding protocols.
- Safeguarding & Permanency: Deliver purposeful interventions under Child Protection, Child in Need, and LAC frameworks, with a focus on achieving permanency where appropriate and feasible under Home Office decisions.
- Multi-Agency Collaboration: Work closely with legal representatives, the Home Office, Immigration services, Health, Education, and accommodation providers to ensure holistic care planning.
- Supervision & Support: Participate in and lead group supervision, mentor junior staff, and contribute to reflective practice across the team.
- Quality Assurance: Uphold high standards of practice, contribute to service development, and ensure statutory requirements are met, including care proceedings and pathway planning for post-16 young people.
To read more about our business area, please visit: Children & Families
Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video
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.
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
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