Play Therapist (part time 22.2 hours per week, maternity cover 12 months fixed term contract)
Please apply online via the link provided.
Please include a personal statement with your CV specifying why you are applying for this vacancy.
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Play Therapist to join our Children’s Social Care service on a fixed-term maternity cover basis, working 22.2 hours per week.
This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact within our specialist Permanency/Life Chances service, supporting children and young people who have experienced trauma, loss, disrupted attachments and complex emotional needs.
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.
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…
As a qualified and registered Play Therapist, you will bring substantial experience of working therapeutically with children and young people in complex systems. You will deliver both individual and group play therapy, undertake specialist assessments and contribute to a wider creative therapies offer across the department.
In addition to direct therapeutic work, you will play a key role in strengthening practice across the service by offering consultation, reflective spaces and training to social workers, family workers and carers.
We are looking for someone who combines strong clinical expertise with excellent communication and relationship-building skills and who is confident working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary environment. A reflective, child-centred and strengths-based approach aligned with relational practice is essential.
About the team…
At Bracknell Forest Council, we are proud to be a small, vibrant local authority with a strong reputation as an employer of choice. Our Children’s Social Care services are rated “Outstanding in all areas” by Ofsted, reflecting the exceptional impact of our relational, child-focused practice and our ongoing commitment to high-quality support.
Our team is passionate about placing children and families at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to delivering evidence-informed therapeutic interventions that improve outcomes and create lasting change for children and young people. Alongside this, we prioritise staff wellbeing, reflective practice and continuous professional development, ensuring you are supported to thrive in your role.
Joining our team means becoming part of a collaborative, forward-thinking service where your expertise will be valued and your contribution will make a real difference.
Key responsibilities…
- Deliver high‑quality play therapy to children and young people, individually and in groups, and with parents/carers where appropriate
- Carry out specialist therapeutic assessments, interventions and evaluations to improve outcomes for children and families
- Work collaboratively with social workers, family workers, foster carers and partner agencies
- Provide consultation, advice and reflective practice support to practitioners across Children’s Social Care
- Deliver training to staff, foster carers and Special Guardians
- Contribute to the development, evaluation and sustainability of the creative therapies offer
- Maintain high standards of recording, reporting and outcome measurement
- Uphold safeguarding responsibilities and promote the welfare of children and young people at all times
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).
- Reimbursement of HCPC registration
- 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.
*(pro rata for part time)
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 week commencing 18th May 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 ask us a question?
For an informal discussion about the role, or to arrange a visit, please contact:
Beth Patterson, Assistant Team Manager Permanency: Beth.Patterson@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
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.
Please note that this particular role is part-time and therefore does not meet the minimum requirements for sponsorship under current UK Visas and Immigration regulations. As such, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this position.
No agencies please.
Salary range
- £33,134 - £36,436 per year