Senior Practitioner – AMHP Training Post EDS

Essex County Counci; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Working for Essex is seeking a Senior Practitioner for an AMHP Training Post within the Emergency Duty Service. The role involves responding to emergencies outside office hours across all client specialisms, with the aim of keeping service users safe.

Applicants should have a Social Work Degree, SW England registration, and be committed to completing the full AMHP programme. Prior experience with Children and Families and child protection is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Social Work Degree or equivalent and registered with Social Work England.
• Experience in direct work with Children and Families including child protection work.
• Must be AMHP or committed to undertaking the full AMHP Programme and qualifying under the 1983 Mental Health Act.

Responsibilities

• Receive and evaluate referrals and respond per Emergency Duty Service model.
• Undertake AMHP assessments under the Mental Health Act.
• Conduct risk assessments for children and young people.
• Provide advice and support to service users.
• Attend team meetings, court proceedings, and mental health tribunals.

Skills

AMHP training

Child protection experience

Vulnerable adults experience

Education

Social Work Degree or equivalent

Social Work England registration

Commitment to AMHP training

Job description

Senior Practitioner – AMHP Training Post EDS

Permanent,Full Time

£48,205 to £57,988 per annum

Location:Countywide

Working Style:Community-based worker

Closing date:11th 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.

The Role:

An excellent opportunity has arisen to be part of an innovative and proactive Out of Hours Emergency Duty Service that responds to Emergency situations outside of office Hours across all client Specialisms and where necessary will take action to keep service users safe.

We are inviting applications from experienced practitioners who may have relevant experience of working within mental health and/or Children’s Services and wish to complete the full AMHP training. To have additional experience of direct work with Children and Families will be an advantage.

The post holder will have a Social Work Degree or equivalent and be registered with Social Work England as a qualified Social Worker

Applicants must be committed to undertaking the full AMHP Programme at the earliest opportunity and qualify as an Approved Mental Health Professional under the 1983 Mental Health Act (as amended).

If you would like an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact David Smee, Team Manager, Children and Family Solutions, at [e-mail]. David would be pleased to arrange a conversation to answer any questions you may have about the role, team, or service.

Who are we?

We are the Emergency Duty Service, and we work outside of normal working hours, including at night, weekends, and bank holidays. The service comprises of a team of experienced Managers and Practitioners all of whom are qualified and experienced in all aspects of social work and we are all Approved Mental Health professionals to enable us to meet requests for emergency assessments under the Mental Health Act. We also have a team of experienced advisors who screen all calls and gather information and provide advice or re-redirect the calls to the Social Work team. We all work on a 7 days shift rota and respond to emergency situations outside of normal office hours for Essex and provide the same service to Southend Borough Council under contract. We have a small support team who work during office hours to ensure a smooth handover to day services and are the link with the wider organisation and partner agencies for any issues that arise during normal daytime hours.

To read more about us please visit:Adult Social Care & Children & Families

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

Accountabilities

• Receiving and evaluating referrals and ensuring an appropriate professional response consistent with the Emergency Duty Service Model
• Once AMHP qualified postholder will undertake assessments under the Mental Health Act
• Undertaking risk assessments for children and young people, with reference to Child Protection work under Section 47 of the Children Act.
• Giving advice and support to all service users as appropriate.
• Attending Team and other Directorate meetings arranged and where essential, attending court proceedings, case conference and Mental Health Tribunals
• Using information systems to carry out duties as required.
• Undertaking a workload consisting of the most complex and difficult emergency referrals involving work with the most vulnerable client groups.
• Bringing to bear the highest possible standard of practice ability and skills to work independently within the confines of directorate policy and procedure.
• Acting as a source of consultation for staff within their Service on professional and social work matters, within particular concern for the development of practice and professional development of other staff as determined by the Team Manager.
• Maintaining up to date knowledge of Directorate policies and procedures and of legislation or regulations set down by Central Government in respect of all client groups.
• Required to work a shift pattern on a rolling rota which includes evenings, nights, weekends, bank holidays including Christmas and New Year and all public holidays.
• Be available during daytime hours when required to do so.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Social Work Degree or equivalent and Social Work England registration as a qualified Social Worker.
• Preferably to have existing experience of direct work with Children and Families including experience of child protection investigation work.
• Applicants must either be qualified as an Approved Mental Health Professional under the 1983 Mental Health Act (as amended) or committed to undertaking the full AMHP Programme at the earliest opportunity and qualify as an Approved Mental Health Professional under the 1983 Mental Health Act (as amended). Please note: Priority will be given to applicants who have already successfully completed their Pre-AMHP training preferably within the last 2 years.
• Experience and knowledge of work with vulnerable adults.
• An ability to empower children and their carers to enable their full participation in work undertaken.
• Knowledge of current Community Care practice and multi-agency systems of Assessment and Care Management for Older People and vulnerable adults.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant policy and recent research findings across all client specialisms.
• A commitment to anti-oppressive behaviour, practice and management.
• The willingness and ability to work in an open manner as part of a team, with a commitment to sharing and working alongside staff in your own and other organisations whilst at the same time recognising own management responsibilities.
• An ability to approach your work and duties in a culture of flexibility.

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?

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.

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 [e-mail]

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