Early Help Professional (6 month fixed-term contract)

• Early_Help_Professional_-_JD_PS_May_2026
• Candidate_Pack_-_People_Directorate_-_May_2026

Please apply online via the link provided.

Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.

Join our dedicated Early Help team in Bracknell Forest Council, where every conversation, every intervention and every connection can help change a family’s future. Are you passionate about working with children, young people and families to provide the right support at the right time? We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Early Help Professional to help families build resilience, improve outcomes and achieve lasting positive change. At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service. This role includes an expectation to work from our Time Square office on agreed days with your manager, alongside flexible working arrangements. Any successful internal candidate will be offered the position as a secondment and, in line with Section 8.1 of the Secondment Policy, must consult with their manager before applying. Search ‘secondment policy’ on the intranet for more information.

About you...

You will build positive and engaging relationships with children, young people and families, responding to their needs with empathy, professionalism and a solution-focused approach. You will also have experience with working closely with partners across education, health, housing, social care and the voluntary sector, you will help ensure families receive the right support at the right time. A strong understanding of safeguarding, risk and vulnerable adults and children will be important, alongside the ability to maintain accurate case records and develop individual and family support plans in line with service standards, case recording protocols and GDPR requirements. You will be organised, collaborative and confident in managing complexity, while keeping the voices of children, young people and families at the centre of your work. Experience of working across agencies, contributing to multi-agency meetings and supporting positive outcomes for families will be key.

About the team...

Here in Bracknell Forest, everything we do is about changing families’ lives for the better. You will be part of the council’s Early Help department, that consists of multi-disciplinary teams, working with children, young people and families with a wide range of needs. We work closely with a range of partners including children’s social care, schools, housing and health providers and other community services. As part of our team, you will contribute to our ‘can do’ approach by being flexible, responsive and focused on the individual needs of each family you support. The role requires someone who can work confidently both independently and collaboratively, supporting colleagues and representing the service when needed.

Key responsibilities...

As an Early Help Professional, you will be responsible for:

• managing a caseload of families who may have complex and unique needs and linking them to a range of universal and targeted services, taking into account their individual and cultural experiences.
• undertaking and overseeing comprehensive family assessments and develop supportive interventions that reflect the needs identified, taking into account your duty to safeguard vulnerable adults and children.
• establishing and maintaining effective and collaborative working relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies.
• delivering programmes and group work where appropriate and co-ordinate a Team Around the Family approach that enables children, young people and families to be resilient and make positive life choices.
• working closely and creatively with the local communities, voluntary organisations, childcare and education provisions (0-19 years) and partner agencies to establish and connect to appropriate services for care and support.
• working within established procedures for handling and assessing information, notably confidentiality, safeguarding and health and safety, undertaking risk assessments where appropriate and ensuring appropriate and timely support packages.

Our benefits

• 28 days annual leave increasing to 33 days after 3 years’ continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme (subject to eligibility).
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club.

Find out more about all our benefits or see the candidate pack.

Our values

At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Find out more about reasonable adjustments.

Interview date

Interviews will be held on 25th June 2026.

Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet the team and experience our work environment.

We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible.

Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration.

Want to asks us a question?

For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

Emily Cannell or Laura Branchett, Hub Team Leaders on 01344 354382.

Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as part of our pre-employment checks process.

We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.

Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.

No agencies please