Community Support Worker

Essex County Council; Harlow; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex County Council is seeking a Community Support Worker in Harlow to work in Adult Social Care. The role focuses on implementing care plans, safeguarding, and enabling independence for adults with complex needs.

You will collaborate with social workers, therapists and partner agencies to deliver tailored, person-centred support within a community setting. The role requires driving and mobility across the West Essex area, with a commitment to safeguarding and high professional standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in social care settings.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience building relationships with adults, families and carers.
• Experience of direct activity-based work with adults.
• Knowledge of relevant social care legislation and policy guidance.
• Proven ability to work with partner and external agencies.
• Desirable: First Aid certificate.
• Desirable: Sign Language knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Support social workers and occupational therapists to implement and monitor care plans.
• Maintain high professional standards and contribute to service improvements.
• Highlight safeguarding issues and implement protective plans.
• Build strong relationships with clients, families and carers to enable independence.
• Collaborate across the service and with external agencies to achieve outcomes.
• Provide information and advice about accessing third-party agency support.
• Attend meetings, case conferences and relevant reviews to provide information and evidence.
• Meet annual performance targets within the management framework.

Skills

Social care experience

CPD

Relationship building

Direct work with adults

Legislation knowledge

Partnerships with external agencies

First Aid certificate

Sign Language knowledge

Education

NVQ/BTEC Level 3

Job description

About The Role

Community Support Worker

Permanent, Full Time

£26,284 to £33,256 per annum

Location: Harlow

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 3rd November 2026

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

ECC Adult Social Care, through effective practice, is moving towards a transformational shift from a focus on long‑term care support, to a model with four key principles: prevention; early intervention; enablement and safeguarding. We support Adults over 65 years, who have complex outcomes to be met due to living with a severe and enduring mental illness. We cover all the PCN’s and the 6 neighbourhood teams in West Essex, from the tip of Waltham Cross north up to Saffron Walden. We also border and joint work not only with mental health and LA partners in Essex, but also with LB of Redbridge, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. We work with adults and carers to meet their person‑centred outcomes and aim to maximise their independence, explore their options, rights, and community connections to have a better later life. This is done through the assessment, support planning and support plan review processes; ensuring the adults and carers are safeguarded where needed, and promote advocacy where required, We deliver seamless partnership services with our EPUT Mental Health Community Health Teams and the Severe Dementia and Frailty Services across all 6 neighbourhoods in West Essex. This included joint visits, attending their MDTs and LOS meeting, S117 reviews, ward rounds and discharge planning meetings. Our practitioners also link in with the Mental Health inpatients wards for 3 acute Hospitals across Essex, we also take reviews from other West neighbourhood teams or referrals directly from the inpatient wards. We also work very closely with the MH Intensive Support Team (IST) and Care home Liaison to ensure admission avoidance, promoting community independent living and ensuring adults and carers are safe, with any 1:1 social care cost being appropriate and time limited.

Accountabilities

• This role supports social workers and occupational therapists to implement and monitor care plans, which deliver interventions for vulnerable adults.
• Responsible for maintaining high standards of professional practice which contribute to continuous improvement across the service and delivering the four key principles.
• Responsible for highlighting issues and implementing plans to safeguard a vulnerable adult.
• Building strong, effective relationships with clients, families and carers providing practical advice, support and, where necessary, acting as an advocate. Enabling vulnerable adults to live healthily and independently.
• Work collaboratively across the service, with internal and external professional partner agencies to deliver joint objectives and ensure improved outcomes for vulnerable adults.
• Provides information and advice in relation to involvement/accessing of third‑party agencies relevant to the needs of the client (e.g., benefits agencies, immigration, and housing).
• Attends meetings, reviews, case conferences and court hearings to provide information, insight, and evidence.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Experience within a social care setting, an NVQ/BTEC Level 3 or equivalent is desirable.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Experience of building strong, effective relationships with adults, their families, and carers in times of challenge and crisis.
• Experience of undertaking direct, activity‑based work with adults.
• Knowledge of legislative and policy guidance applicable within Social Care settings.
• Proven track record of building working relationships with partners and external agencies.
• A certificate in First Aid and/or knowledge of Sign Language is desirable in this role.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Adult Social Care

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 are dedicated to making a positive difference for residents, communities and businesses across the county. 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, Greater Essex was 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.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

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.

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