Adults Social Worker - Mid Essex (Various Teams)

We're an adult social care service that wants to see citizens of Essex have as much choice and control over the way they live their lives as possible. We think everyone should have the chance to live a full and fulfilling life with people they love and care about, doing things that matter to them and living in a place they can call home. We're determined that with the right support, everyone can maintain or achieve some independence and we're proud to be working to make these ambitions a reality.

Our Social Workers work alongside people and their families and carers to help them think through what might help them get on with their lives in the way that works best for them. We do this within the framework of our statutory Care Act requirements. This means many of our conversations are framed as 'assessments', 'reviews', 'support planning' and 'safeguarding'. But our aim is always to listen and understand what matters to the person and then to work with them to think through how this might be achieved.

Take a look at our short video here to get a glimpse into the role and what it's like to be a Social Worker at Essex County Council.

About the Teams

Mid Essex is at the centre of our county covering the Chelmsford, Braintree, Maldon and surrounding areas. It is a diverse locality to work in, bordering all other areas of the county and you will have the opportunity to work closely with colleagues across Essex County Council. This is also one of our most connected areas of the county, with excellent travel links including direct trains to London.

We currently have several Social Worker opportunities across different teams within Mid Essex, this currently includes opportunities in the following teams:

Physical & Sensory Impairments Team

The Mid Essex Physical & Sensory Impairments team support people from eighteen years old with a wide range of conditions and difficulties including, Acquired Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke (CVA), Huntingdon's Disease and Fibromyalgia.

In our team share you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team. We aim to support adults, and their families, who have complex social care and support needs and are more vulnerable as a result of disability, exclusion, or diminished capacity. We aim to safeguard and protect the adults that we work with balancing independence, control and being able to live as independent and a fulfilling life as possible.

Neighbourhood Teams

We are seeking a passionate and experienced Social Workers to join our Mid Essex Neighbourhood Teams. These are exciting opportunities to be part of a locality based, strengths focused service that supports adults to remain independent, safe, and connected within their communities.

The teams work with people aged 18 and above across all specialisms, undertaking a wide range of duties under the Care Act 2014 from assessment, reviews, mental capacity assessments and adult safeguarding.

As a Social Worker in our Neighbourhood Team, you will:

• Undertake Care Act‑compliant assessments, reviews, and support planning.
• Work with adults with a range of needs, including older people, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health needs, and safeguarding concerns.
• Apply strengths‑based and person‑centred approaches to promote independence and wellbeing.
• Participate in safeguarding enquiries in line with Section 42 of the Care Act
• Work collaboratively with health colleagues, voluntary sector partners, and wider MDTs.
• Manage a varied caseload while maintaining professional standards and high‑quality practice.

Team preference can be discussed at interview.

Our teams are proud to offer hybrid working, with an expectation to be office based at our office in Chelmsford around 2 to 3 days per week depending on business need for collaborative team working and training.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Is a qualified Social Worker (post ASYE) with current Social Work England registration.
• Has a sound understanding of the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act, and safeguarding practice.
• Demonstrates strong assessment, risk management, and decision‑making skills
• Is confident working autonomously while contributing positively to a supportive team culture.
• Is committed to reflective practice, learning, and continuous professional development.
• Has experience of chairing meetings.
• Is able to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community.

Our Social Worker roles involve travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.

Sorry - we are unable to consider Newly Qualified Social Worker's for this role however you can register your interest for future NQSW opportunities in Mid Essex here.

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 Abbie.Mollison@essex.gov.uk.

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