Overview

Social Worker – Adoption Assessment, South Essex

Permanent, Full Time

£37,185 to £50,081 per annum

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Operational field-based worker

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.

Are you ready to play a vital role in shaping brighter futures for children and families? Join our passionate adoption team, where your skills and dedication will help guide prospective adopters through every step of their journey.

Adoption Assessment

As part of this role, you’ll assess individuals and families who are eager to adopt, offering expert guidance and heartfelt support as they prepare to welcome a child into their lives. You’ll be actively involved in matching children with adoptive families, working collaboratively with colleagues across Adopt East to ensure every placement is thoughtful, supported, and successful.

Together, we’ll provide ongoing support to children and their adopters post-placement, helping them thrive in their new family environment.

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

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

What You’ll Do:

  • Assess complex social care needs, offering crucial support to children and families.
  • Assess prospective adopters and consider their support needs for the task of adoption.
  • Support adopters with the family finding task, post placement.
  • Develop adoption support plans that empower families and build resilience.
  • Navigate the statutory legal framework, ensuring timely intervention when needed.
  • Collaborate with internal and external partners, stakeholders, and the voluntary sector to provide comprehensive support.
  • Champion a relational based approach, emphasising partnership working.
  • Communicate assessments and professional judgments clearly, both orally and in writing.
  • Work with families, communities, and individuals to support strategic aims and promote well-being.
  • Manage individual and shared targets within the performance management framework.

Your Experience:

  • A recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England.
  • Continued professional development aligned with relevant competency frameworks.
  • Experience in writing assessments, challenging social and family situations within a social work setting.
  • Strong communication skills with adults and children, building rapport with diverse groups.
  • Direct work experience with families, showcasing your ability to connect on a personal level.
  • Proven ability to manage competing demands, meeting required deadlines.
  • Establishing strong relationships with partners, agencies, and the local community.
  • Understanding the value-for-money delivery of interventions balanced against need.
  • Clear decision-making skills to highlight and mitigate potential risks associated with intervention.

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.

Interviews

Interviews are scheduled to take place on Thursday 13th November 2025 at County Hall, Chelmsford.

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 resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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