Job Req ID: 17326

Mental Health Co-ordinator

Permanent, Full Time

From £45,217 to £54,395 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date: 16th July 2024 

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. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

Essex County Council understand how important flexibility and wellbeing is for our colleagues working across children's Social Care and that we need to think differently. We have therefore developed a nine-day working fortnight for full time frontline Social Workers within Children’s services.

The Opportunity

Children and Families service is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion; promoting 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.  

The Mental Health Coordinator will ensure an easy access and direct mental health service for children and young people, who are suffering emotional and mental health difficulties and for their families and carers. 

With an accredited professional qualification and evidence of excellent practice, participation in casework, recording and assessment.  Strong partnership working is essential for this role as it will operate in a multi-agency environment. 

Accountabilities

• Provide a specialist social work mental health assessment and treatment service for children, young people, their families and carers, using a range of therapeutic options.
• Assess children’s and young people’s suitability for services and take part in their planning and review processes.
• Work collaboratively with C&F colleagues to offer advice, support and consultation, in their work with children within the quadrant.
• Deliver advice, support and consultation in respect of social work issues, perspectives and frameworks, to other professionals.
• Initiate and support new and innovative ways of working, projects and groups to engage children, young people and their families in partnership with C&F colleagues, other front line professionals and third sector partners.
• Raise knowledge and awareness of children and young people’s mental health issues and preventative strategies across C&F
• Responsible for maintaining up to date records of activity on case files, produce reports, attend court and give verbal presentations as required.  Actively participate in case discussions, Strategy Meetings, Legal Case Discussions, Child Protection conferences and Statutory Reviews (as applicable).
• Build strong working relationships across the Council, members of other statutory and organisations and voluntary agencies.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Possesses an accredited degree or diploma level, professional qualification in at least one of the following; youth and community, social work, mental health nursing, occupational therapy, special educational needs and teaching, or probation. 
• Evidence of significant continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area, delivering assurance around practice and participation in casework, recording and supervision with current membership of Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) if appropriate.
• Significant experience of working in a recognised model of therapeutic intervention with children and families.
• Evidence of direct engagement with young people, with successful delivery of 1-1 and indirect interventions.
• Significant experience of building strong partnerships, which are collaborative and influential in their nature and engender delivery.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of vulnerability and safeguarding protocols.
• Experience of developing and delivering bespoke training and consultancy.
• Evidence of being a catalyst for change, early in young peoples’ lives.

To read more about us please visitChildren & Families

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

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.

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

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.

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

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