Job Description

Liquid Personnel is recruiting for experienced Family Court Advisers to join a service based in Chelmsford, Essex. This is a temporary assignment offering a hybrid working arrangement, combining home working, office attendance, and direct visits with children and families across Essex.

About the Role.

As a Family Court Adviser, you will provide advanced social work support to children, families, and the courts within family proceedings. You will ensure that the child's welfare, safety, and best interests remain central to all decision-making processes.

The role involves assessing risk, analysing complex family situations, advising courts on child protection and welfare matters, and undertaking direct work with children and families. You will prepare professional reports and recommendations that support informed court decisions and positive outcomes for children.

This position will involve working across a range of family court work, including:

• Work After First Hearing (WAFH) involving detailed assessments, direct work with children and families, report writing, and ongoing recommendations to the court.
• Public Law cases where local authorities have intervened due to safeguarding concerns or risk of significant harm to a child, acting as a Children's Guardian throughout care proceedings.
• Private Law cases involving disputes between parents or carers regarding child arrangements, where you will assess welfare concerns and provide safeguarding advice focused on the child's needs.

Responsibilities

• Undertake comprehensive assessments of children and families involved in court proceedings.
• Provide independent analysis and recommendations to the court.
• Represent the child's wishes, feelings, and best interests throughout proceedings.
• Complete reports, risk assessments, and case records to a high professional standard.
• Work directly with children and families to understand and evaluate their circumstances.
• Analyse complex safeguarding concerns and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Liaise effectively with courts, legal representatives, local authorities, and partner agencies.
• Manage a caseload of sensitive and potentially high-conflict cases.
• Ensure all work complies with statutory requirements, safeguarding legislation, and professional standards.

Qualification and Experience Requirements

• Recognised Social Work qualification.
• Minimum of 3 years post-qualifying experience working with children and families.
• Strong knowledge of child protection, safeguarding, and family court processes.
• Excellent assessment and analytical skills.
• Strong report writing and communication abilities.
• Effective negotiation and case management skills.
• Good IT and record-keeping skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage complex, sensitive situations professionally.

Benefits

• Competitive hourly rates:
• £26.11 per hour PAYE
• Hybrid working arrangement:
• 2 days remote working
• 1 to 2 days office-based in Essex
• 1 to 2 days visiting children and families across Essex
• Full-time role, 37 hours per week.
• Immediate opportunity within an established family court service.

Apply today to be considered for this rewarding opportunity.

Why Liquid Personnel?

• Free DBS and compliance service
• Twice weekly payroll and ‘Faster Pay’ service, getting you paid more quickly
• Access to exclusive roles that aren’t available from other agencies
• Free access to Liquid’s exclusive social work training and CPD portal
• Your own dedicated consultant with extensive social work knowledge
• Access to a wide selection of social work positions across the UK
• “Refer a Friend” bonus – get £500 for each social worker you refer who we successfully place*
• “Find your own job” bonus – get £250 for bringing your own position to us *

Liquid Personnel is an equal opportunities employer. Liquid Personnel Ltd is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. * Terms and conditions apply to our bonus schemes.

Reasonable Adjustments:

If you consider yourself to have a disability or require any reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please highlight this at the earliest opportunity by contacting our team. With this information, we will provide appropriate support to you throughout the process and into your work placement.

We are unable to support or accept applications from candidates who are residents within the Red or Amber list of the Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Workforce Support and Safeguard List.

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