Job summary
Would you like to join an outstanding authority, where you will be a valued member of a team, experience high quality training, supervision and a manageable workload? At Bracknell Forest, you will get the support you need, when you need it because; we value you and invest in you so that you flourish and have the tools, experiences, and support to do your job well!

Our Childrens Social Care service is proudly Outstanding in all areas (Ofsted, December 2025), with inspectors calling our practitioners effusive about working in Bracknell and praising our highly effective Social Work Academy.

We are a small, welcoming and friendly local authority where you will have the opportunity to build strong, positive and supportive working relationships with colleagues and peers with an embedded culture and ethos of bettering vulnerable childrens lives. You will experience leaders who are visible, approachable and a service who collectively has unwavering commitment to children.

Leaders have established a highly effective Social Work Academy that provides tailored support to practitioners at every stage of their career. This commitment to development and learning has contributed to Bracknell Forest's secure reputation as an employer of choice for social workers.

Main duties of the job

• Develop and implement effective safeguarding plans to protect children from harm.
• To work alongside other professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• To manage a caseload of Child in Need, Child Protection, Care Proceedings and Children Looked After.
• To take part in the team duty system responding to concerns as and when they arise.
• To make effective use of time and be able to prioritise workload, ensuring timeliness in visiting, report writing and other deadlines.
• To participate in regular reflective supervision and be able to set clear goals and intervention strategies.
• To develop and maintain accurate case records and comply with the department's policies, procedures and guidelines including data protection and GDPR.
• To support and mentor less experienced colleagues including newly qualified Social Workers, Family Workers and Social Work Students.

About us
About the team and childrens social care...

In December 2025, Ofsted concluded that since the last inspection, leaders, managers and practitioners have not only sustained outstanding services but have raised the bar even higher.

We use the Family Safeguarding Model in our approach to collaborate with families to keep them together, where it is safe to do so, supported by Motivational Interviewing (MI). December 2025 Ofsted recognised our model operates consistently and effectively and embraces a relational approach, with explicit commitment to understanding the culture and diverse needs of families.

Children experiencing neglect or domestic abuse receive exceptional and expert in-house specialist help. They work closely with the family safeguarding team and offer step-by-step help to parents to improve home conditions and strengthen parenting capacity.

When risks escalate our conscientious managers take decisive action, with focus on the lived experience of children. Permanence planning meetings secure timely decision-making, enabling children to thrive. Social Workers consider all permanence options for children, and contingency planning is in place so that children are offered the best permanence option.

We are a small, welcoming and friendly local authority where you will have the opportunity to build strong, positive and supportive working relationships with colleagues and peers.

Details
Date posted: 09 June 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £49,918 to £53,048 a year
one-off Welcome Payment £7,000; annual 4% Retention in 2 yrs
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: F0028-26-0016
Job locations: Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1JD, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities: Please have a look at the attached job description and person specification for a list of the job responsibilities, essential and desirable criteria.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Please have a look at the attached job description and person specification for a list of the job responsibilities, essential and desirable criteria.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Helen Gore, helen.gore@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Employer name
Bracknell Forest Council
Address
Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1JD, United Kingdom