Nicky O'Shaughnessy - Working for Essex

Nicky started in her current post of Director for Local Delivery, North, in February 2015. Nicky had previously been the Director for Mid Essex, for 3.5 years.

Nicky qualified as a social worker in 1989, having completed a 4 year combined social studies honours degree and CQSW.

She has worked in 2 Local Authorities before moving to Essex.

Nicky has had a long and varied career in Essex having had 14 different roles in her 26 years working for the Council – some roles involved working for other parts of the council.

In her career, she has worked across a wide spectrum of services and areas including, early help, managing the ‘front door’, children in need, child protection, children in care, care leavers, Fostering, Youth Offending Service and Agency Decision Maker for Adoption.

Nicky is proud to be a social worker and is passionate about social work and contributing to improving the lives of the children and families we work with. Nicky is a Practice Educator and a qualified leadership coach and mentor. She also has trained as a peer reviewer. Nicky chairs 2 of the Eastern Region Forums and is a great believer in collaboration and joining up opportunities to support, learn and develop.

Nicky’s role as Director for Local Delivery include the leadership of the North Quadrant which covers the areas of Colchester and Tending. Apart from the statutory social work responsibilities each of the quadrant Directors hold, Nicky also has the countywide strategic lead for the following areas:-

  • Offending Service
  • Solutions
  • and Families Hub
  • and Intervention Workstream
  • Abuse
  • Harms
  • Children and Child Exploitation
  • Violence and Vulnerability.