Senior Social Worker – Expert Court Assessment Service (ECAS) (Full Time

About this job

Senior Social Worker – ECAS (PO5)

Be part of something new. Shape better futures for children.

Senior Social Worker – Expert Court Assessment Service (ECAS)
Children’s Care & Support

We are recruiting to a new and exciting opportunity within our new Expert Court Assessment Service (ECAS) — a specialist, innovative service transforming how we support children and families through pre-proceedings and care proceedings.

This is a unique opportunity to join at the early stages of a new and ambitious service, working at the forefront of expert assessment, court practice and service development.

About the Role

As a Senior Social Worker in ECAS, you will act as a senior specialist practitioner, delivering and overseeing high-quality parenting and family assessments to inform court decision-making.

You will:

• Undertake and quality assure complex, court-ready parenting assessments
• Provide practice leadership, mentoring and professional challenge
• Present evidence within the Family Court
• Drive analytical, evidence-based and child-focused practice
• Contribute to service development and continuous improvement

Special requirements for this post

We welcome applications from qualified and experienced candidates. You will need to have a Social Work. You will need to hold a current SW England registration.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and a comprehensive screening process will be undertaken on successful applicants including an Enhanced Children’s Department of Barring Services check.

About you

Why Join ECAS Now?

• Be part of a brand-new, specialist assessment service
• Shape practice standards and assessment models from the outset
• Develop advanced expertise in court work and expert assessment
• Gain exposure to multi-agency and judicial working
• Progress into leadership or specialist roles

What We’re Looking For

• Qualified Social Worker with SWE registration
• Significant experience of court and assessment work
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills
• Ability to influence and improve practice

About us

Barking & Dagenham is changing. It Starts Here.

Think you know Barking and Dagenham? Think again. While this small corner of east London might have a reputation for needing development, scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find active communities and a place that consistently punches above its weight. The borough is changing – and changing for the better. And It Starts Here.

Yes, the borough has its challenges. But it’s on the cusp of something exciting. With one of the youngest populations in the country, ambitions are high and rightly so. 98% of our schools are rated Good or Outstanding and every year more of our talented teenagers get into Russell Group Universities and hotly sought after apprenticeship schemes.

We have award winning parks, centuries old manor houses full of relics and artifacts you can go and see, and the ruins of one of Anglo-Saxon England's most powerful and wealthiest religious sites. We’re even bringing beavers and white storks to the borough to help rewild the local landscape and boost biodiversity.

Over the past few years, we’ve been working hard to improve how we deliver services and support our community. From tackling inequality to making sure our services are the best they can be, we’re focused on what matters most to local people.

We’re creating the conditions for people to thrive - so everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, feel proud to call this place home, and be part of something bigger.

#ItStartsHere - with our streets, our schools, our neighbourhoods. And with your application to join our determined team who are passionate about doing what’s best for the future of Barking and Dagenham.

As an Investors in People Gold Award employer, we’re serious about supporting our staff. From flexible working, professional training and career development to wellbeing initiatives, we want our people to feel valued and supported in everything they do.

Additional Information

Make a Difference Where It Matters Most

Join us to help deliver high-quality assessments that support timely decisions and better outcomes for children.

If you like the sound of moving to an authority where social workers are truly valued, get in touch with us today for a confidential discussion about this post by emailing socialcarerecruitment@lbbd.gov.uk