Essex County Council

Power Your Business with Solar Together! ☀️ Small businesses, it's time to take control of your energy costs! Join the Solar Together group-buying initiative to get high-quality solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging points at competitive prices. Generate your own clean energy and store unused power for later use 🔋 Register today for free and receive a personal recommendation with no obligation to proceed. Register today, at: https://lnkd.in/eQwhzDxY #SolarTogetherEssex

Devolution could bring many opportunities to Greater Essex, including improved local services, better transport links, and more tailored economic growth strategies. Decisions for Greater Essex could be made closer to home, impacting you and your community. Discover what devolution could mean for Greater Essex, visit: https://lnkd.in/eFRTGzys #GreaterEssexDevolution

Have you nominated for the Essex Teaching Awards 2025 yet? The Essex Teaching Awards gives the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the inspirational work of early years and childcare practitioners, teachers and school staff within Essex. There's lots of categories to choose from: Impact of digital innovation 💻 This award celebrates those who lead the way in using digital technology in education. They inspire colleagues, students, and the school community with their forward-thinking and adaptability. They actively seek out new technologies and practices to improve teaching and learning. Nominees can be individuals or teams. School partnership 🤝 This award celebrates a group of schools /colleges/early years settings/childminders that have collaborated on a project/piece of work that has: Had a positive impact on students Displayed innovation and creativity Demonstrated strong leadership and effective teamwork within the collaboration Ensured long-term sustainability of the collaboration Community involvement Promotes inclusivity and diversity within the collaboration Clear, measurable outcomes and achievements resulting from the collaboration. Further education team of the year 🌟 This award celebrates Further Education (FE) teams that work together professionally and set a great example for others. These teams achieve excellent results and continuously improve. An outstanding team truly makes a difference in the futures of its learners. To submit a nomination, visit: https://lnkd.in/eGt7YVfi Thank you for your support in showcasing the incredible work of our educators. #PeopleMakeUs

This Neurodiverse Celebration Week ♾️ We wanted to give a special shout out to all our ND colleagues and recognise just some of the ways we support and work to normalise all our differences to be a truly inclusive employer 🤝 Did you know that 15-20% of the UK population is neurodivergent? 🧐 Embracing neurodiversity isn’t just about inclusion—it’s about recognising and celebrating the unique strengths each person brings 💫 Our incredible volunteers in the ND working groups (within our Women’s Network and our Differently Adept Employee Network) help create a more inclusive and supportive workplace—where every voice is heard, valued, and empowered to thrive ☺️ One way we’re fostering this is through body doubling spaces, helping staff stay focused and complete a range of tasks—from daily admin to presentations, education assignments, and more. Sometimes, just working alongside others can make all the difference! 👩🏼💻 So, if you're apart of the ECC team already or you have recently joined, and want to find out more about the networks, head to our intranet, and if you're thinking of joining, know that you will be very welcome and in good company 🙂

The Essex Year of Opportunity aims to empower people of all ages to improve their skills, careers, and employability. This will be achieved by improving access to high-quality education, training, and employment, building on best practices, and scaling up current projects 🚀 We will also make targeted investments to close the current gaps between employment and education, enabling children, young people, and adults to fulfil their potential and discover the best path for them. Around 200 people attended a special event celebrating the Essex Year of Numbers and the launch of the Essex Year of Opportunity. Oli de Botton, Chief Executive Officer of The Careers & Enterprise Company gave a keynote speech emphasising the benefits that collaboration between education and businesses can have for young people. By working together, young people can gain vital skills and experiences, schools and colleges can access new ways of thinking, and employers can support their future workforce. #EssexYearOfOpportunity

The UK government is holding a consultation to seek views on a proposal to form a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Greater Essex - the area represented by Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, and Thurrock Council.  To have your say, visit: https://lnkd.in/e7ip4GGc The consultation will run until Sunday 13 April 2025.

Extraordinary Essex includes Educational Psychologists. Educational Psychologists support the learning, development and wellbeing of children and young people in school settings. Karen, a headteacher at Kings Road Primary School said “Educational psychologists are so valuable to us in school. "They bring expertise into the school, which even the most experienced teachers don’t have. They give us the opportunity to think differently about a child or a group of children”. To find out more about Extraordinary Essex, visit: https://lnkd.in/eSzWN-7V To keep up to date with all things happening across Essex, sign up to our Your Essex newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/exfDh6gQ #PeopleMakeUs

To celebrate World Social Work Day yesterday, we spoke to Michelle Hayden-Pepper Tanya Moore, our Principal Social Worker for Adult Social Care (ASC) and and Tanya Moore, our Principal Social Worker for Adult Social Care 🌟 They shared their inspiring journeys, the importance of social work and how the dedication and passion of social workers makes a profound impact on our communities. “With over 30 years in the field, including 28 as a qualified social worker, I have always been passionate about advocating for us. In my many different roles within social work, I’ve witnessed the numerous challenges children and families face, from intergenerational trauma to marginalisation within their communities. "My journey in social work has been incredibly rewarding, and I strongly recommend this career for its diversity and the unique challenges of working with children, young people, and families." Michelle. “In some ways, I think I’ve always been a social worker. Even when I was growing up, I was interested in people. I’d get upset when I saw people being treated badly and angry when I encountered unfairness. This core belief in the need for social justice is one I share with all social workers as we believe that everyone should have equal rights and opportunities." Tanya. Their stories remind us of the challenges faced and the incredible resilience shown by social workers. From advocating for equal rights to building strong, supportive relationships, their work is truly invaluable. Join us in celebrating the amazing contributions of social workers and their unwavering commitment to making the world a better place 💙 If you feel social work could be a career path for you, the application process is open for the Step up to Social Work programme. This 14-month programme is designed for people who want to become a social worker but do not have a degree in social work. This programme is a great way to get into child and family social work, as it involves a combination of academic study and hands-on work. Applications close on Tuesday 25 March. To find out more, visit: https://lnkd.in/efiJaM_P #SocialWorkDay #WorldSocialWorkDay

The introduction of a directly elected Mayor in Greater Essex would mean more direct communication with UK government ministers. The Mayor would play a crucial role in securing funding, making strategic decisions, and improving our infrastructure. Find out more by visiting: https://lnkd.in/eFRTGzys #GreaterEssexDevolution

On Thursday 20 March, our Essex Social Care Academy team will be holding a Moving Social Work conference with researchers from University of Durham who will help us think about how movement is core to effective prevention in social care. The conference is open to anyone interested in the impact of movement and its importance for prevention of escalating need. To book your space, visit: https://lnkd.in/exXbcYjb #WorldSocialWorkDay