Senior Social Worker – Older Adult Mental Health
Essex County Council
Senior Social Worker - Older Adult Mental Health
Permanent, Full Time
£48,205 to £57,988 per annum
Location: Colchester
Working Style: Community-based worker
Closing Date: 15th June 2026
The Team
We are a committed team working with adults aged 65 years plus and their carers diagnosed with a functional or organic mental illness such as dementia, both in the community and developing discharge pathways from inpatient wards.
Our team works closely with mental health inpatient wards, advanced Dementia and Frailty Services and Social Care neighbourhood teams, managing the complexities of ongoing support and reablement for people who live with mental health needs. You will have the chance to support adults from the very start of their journey, to reviewing their goals and ambitions further into their social care journey ensuring that their assessed goals and outcomes to continue to promote independence and opportunities.
This role offers hybrid working, with an expectation to be office based around 2 to 3 days per week depending on business need for collaborative team working and training.
About the Role
As a Senior Social Worker in the team you will:
Provide Expert Guidance: As a highly skilled Social Worker you will foster a supportive environment and model best practice, offering specialist advice, and mentoring both newly qualified and experienced colleagues.
Assess and Support: You will manage a diverse and complex caseload, undertaking comprehensive assessments and creating person-centred care plans.
Ensure Compliance: You will support the people we work with to live full and fulfilling lives, within the framework of our statutory Care Act requirements, relevant legislation and organisational standards.
Manage Caseloads: We look to our Senior Social Workers to provide expert social work practice in complex situations, upholding the highest standards of professional practice.
Collaborate: The ability to collaborate and build strong relationships across the Council and with our partners helps shape solutions that are high-quality and promote independence.
Represent Adult Social Care: Confident in chairing multi-agency meetings, you will proactively take the lead to ensure a social care perspective is actively represented.
About You
To apply, you should be a qualified social worker with current Social Work England registration and be post-qualified 2 years with an in-depth knowledge of complex cases and The Care Act. You will be AMHP, BIA or PE qualified.
We require a proactive and passionate social worker who has a proven record of working complex cases and supporting other staff members. A worker who wants to develop and become part of the management Team.
You’ll bring significant experience of social work, modelling good practice and providing advice and guidance in complex situations. We’re also looking for your ability to mentor both newly-qualified and experienced team members. As, as a subject matter expert in relevant professional practice, you should have a comprehensive understanding of current legislation, regulations and guidance.
With experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members, carers and other multi-agency professionals, we’re looking for your ability to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community to provide a supportive framework for the people we work with.
You’ll also bring:
- Evidence of continuing professional development and capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards.
- An in-depth understanding of the financial implications of commissioned care packages.
- The ability to make clear decisions, to highlight and limit potential risks associated with intervention.
This role involves travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.
To read more about our business area, please visit: Adult Social Care
Why Join Us?
In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our Adult Social Care services as “Good” with a score of 73%
“The local authority had a good structure and processes in place to enable people to be supported successfully, and support people to remain independent and live healthy lives. The workforce was passionate about supporting people to achieve these outcomes and the local authority had good knowledge of their area, the people living there and the demographics.”
You can read the full report on the CQC website here.
Our teams are busy but warm, friendly and supportive. Our fabulous team managers will help you manage your workload and develop your practice.
We take your career just as seriously as you do, and we have a continuing professional development offer that’s second to none.
We welcome diversity because it makes us grow and we’re determined to become a fully inclusive and an anti-racist organisation.
What We Offer
We’ll support you to be your best and will offer:
- Ongoing opportunities for continuing professional development
- Flexible working options
- Employee wellbeing and counselling
- Lease Car scheme
- Life assurance of three times annual salary
- Local Government Pension Scheme. View Key Facts and FAQ’s about the LGPS.
- Volunteering leave
- 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising with service
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
- Employee Networks – communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC
- Payment of your Social Work England registration fees!
Whatever you want to achieve in your social work career, you can do it here.
*T&Cs Apply.
Apply now.
For more information contact Resourcing.Team@essex.gov.uk.
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
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
The Team
We are a committed team working with adults aged 65 years plus and their carers diagnosed with a functional or organic mental illness such as dementia, both in the community and developing discharge pathways from inpatient wards.
Our team works closely with mental health inpatient wards, advanced Dementia and Frailty Services and Social Care neighbourhood teams, managing the complexities of ongoing support and reablement for people who live with mental health needs. You will have the chance to support adults from the very start of their journey, to reviewing their goals and ambitions further into their social care journey ensuring that their assessed goals and outcomes to continue to promote independence and opportunities.
This role offers hybrid working, with an expectation to be office based around 2 to 3 days per week depending on business need for collaborative team working and training.
About the Role
As a Senior Social Worker in the team you will:
Provide Expert Guidance: As a highly skilled Social Worker you will foster a supportive environment and model best practice, offering specialist advice, and mentoring both newly qualified and experienced colleagues.
Assess and Support: You will manage a diverse and complex caseload, undertaking comprehensive assessments and creating person-centred care plans.
Ensure Compliance: You will support the people we work with to live full and fulfilling lives, within the framework of our statutory Care Act requirements, relevant legislation and organisational standards.
Manage Caseloads: We look to our Senior Social Workers to provide expert social work practice in complex situations, upholding the highest standards of professional practice.
Collaborate: The ability to collaborate and build strong relationships across the Council and with our partners helps shape solutions that are high-quality and promote independence.
Represent Adult Social Care: Confident in chairing multi-agency meetings, you will proactively take the lead to ensure a social care perspective is actively represented.
About You
To apply, you should be a qualified social worker with current Social Work England registration and be post-qualified 2 years with an in-depth knowledge of complex cases and The Care Act. You will be AMHP, BIA or PE qualified.
We require a proactive and passionate social worker who has a proven record of working complex cases and supporting other staff members. A worker who wants to develop and become part of the management Team.
You’ll bring significant experience of social work, modelling good practice and providing advice and guidance in complex situations. We’re also looking for your ability to mentor both newly-qualified and experienced team members. As, as a subject matter expert in relevant professional practice, you should have a comprehensive understanding of current legislation, regulations and guidance.
With experience of chairing meetings involving clients, family members, carers and other multi-agency professionals, we’re looking for your ability to develop strong relationships with partner agencies and the local community to provide a supportive framework for the people we work with.
You’ll also bring:
- Evidence of continuing professional development and capability of practice in accordance with current professional standards.
- An in-depth understanding of the financial implications of commissioned care packages.
- The ability to make clear decisions, to highlight and limit potential risks associated with intervention.
This role involves travelling around Essex. A driving licence and car - or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means - is essential.
To read more about our business area, please visit: Adult Social Care
Why Join Us?
In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our Adult Social Care services as “Good” with a score of 73%
“The local authority had a good structure and processes in place to enable people to be supported successfully, and support people to remain independent and live healthy lives. The workforce was passionate about supporting people to achieve these outcomes and the local authority had good knowledge of their area, the people living there and the demographics.”
You can read the full report on the CQC website here.
Our teams are busy but warm, friendly and supportive. Our fabulous team managers will help you manage your workload and develop your practice.
We take your career just as seriously as you do, and we have a continuing professional development offer that’s second to none.
We welcome diversity because it makes us grow and we’re determined to become a fully inclusive and an anti-racist organisation.
What We Offer
We’ll support you to be your best and will offer:
- Ongoing opportunities for continuing professional development
- Flexible working options
- Employee wellbeing and counselling
- Lease Car scheme
- Life assurance of three times annual salary
- Local Government Pension Scheme. View Key Facts and FAQ’s about the LGPS.
- Volunteering leave
- 27 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising with service
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - access to free and confidential information, support, and guidance from a team of highly qualified professionals.
- Employee Networks – communities to support you, connect you and help influence change at ECC
- Payment of your Social Work England registration fees!
Whatever you want to achieve in your social work career, you can do it here.
*T&Cs Apply.
Apply now.
For more information contact Resourcing.Team@essex.gov.uk.
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
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