ESCB Senior Communications Officer

About The Role
ESCB Senior Communications Officer
Fixed Term, Secondment Opportunity*, 6 months

Part Time, 18.5 hours per week (spread across a minimum of 3 days tbc)

£36,169 to £42,551 per annum FTE, pro rata: £18,084.50 to £21,275.50 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker**

Closing Date: 2nd November 2025

Interviews expected to be held 10th November 2025

• Individuals seeking secondments from external organisations also welcome.
• You'll be expected to attend in-person team meetings at County Hall, Chelmsford at least once a month (usually on a Tuesday), with occasional requirement to travel to other locations for team events or collaborative activities.

We're looking for a dynamic and experienced communications professional to lead and deliver impactful internal and external communications for the Essex Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB). This role plays a key part in supporting the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in Essex, helping to raise awareness, engage stakeholders, and promote the vital work of the Board.

As the communications lead, you will:

• Manage and develop content for the ESCB website.
• Drive engagement across social media platforms and lead awareness campaigns.
• Create and distribute bulletins and communications across the partnership.
• Build strong relationships with communications leads across partner organisations.

You will support the Essex Safeguarding Children Board Manager in delivering complex and politically sensitive communications that reflect and promote the Board's objectives.

The role is within the Essex Safeguarding Children Board Support Team which is hosted within Essex County Council Children and Families service. To read more about the Essex Safeguarding Children Board please visit

ECC Children and Families service is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting the development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

To read more about our business area, please visit Children & Families

Accountabilities
Supporting and advising the Essex Safeguarding Children Board on all public and professional communications and engagement related activity.

Responsible for managing events and conferences organised by the Board; working collaboratively with the colleagues to ensure effective delivery.

Responsible for managing media engagement, particularly with regard to the coordination of media activity around Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews.

Responsible for manging web-based and social media related activity

Responsible for managing stakeholder communications.

Work collaboratively to deliver effective communications functions for the Board.

Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level or equivalent by marketing/communications experience with evidence of continuing professional development and strong knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Excellent interpersonal, writing and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly and accurately to a variety of audiences, both internal and external.
• Proven project management experience in a multi-disciplinary field within marketing/communications, with strong research and initiative-taking skills.
• Previous experience of working in a political environment and an understanding of Local Government.
• Demonstrable understanding of communications channels including print, media and e-communications.
• Significant experience in an internal communications environment for a large multi-disciplinary organisation.
• Evidence of the ability to develop and sustain effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work at pace and under pressure.

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 February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR)) 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.

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.

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

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 or require anything further, please email

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