Senior Social Worker - Adult Social Care Hospital Team (12 months maternity cover)

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• Candidate_Pack_-_People_Directorate_-_Aug_2026

Please apply online via the link provided.

Please include a personal statement with your CV specifying why you are applying for this vacancy.

Bring your social work expertise to a role where your decisions make a direct difference to residents and their families.

As aSenior Social Worker in the Hospital Team, you will support safe and timely discharge, help people regain independence wherever possible and work with health and social care partners to achieve the best outcomes for each person.

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 is a full-time, fixed-term maternity cover contract. 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.

If you would like an informal chat or a tour of the office prior to submitting your application, please contact katherine.wheeler@bracknell-forest.gov.uk to arrange a suitable time.

About you…

We are looking for an experienced and confident Senior Social Worker to join our team. You must be registered with Social Work England (SWE) and have the skills and experience to provide high-quality social work practice.

You will play a key role in supporting timely and safe hospital discharge, providing professional guidance and oversight, managing complex casework, and working collaboratively with health and social care partners.

You will be committed to achieving positive, person-centred outcomes and ensuring residents receive the right support at the right time.

About the team...

Our Adult Social Care service is made up of highly professional, supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary teams, all working together to make a real difference to the lives of our residents. We have a strong “can do” and “no wrong door” ethos, working as one service and going the extra mile to ensure people receive the right support, at the right time.

We work closely with our health and other partners to help people remain well and independent in their communities, avoiding hospital admission wherever possible. When hospital care is needed, we work together to ensure people receive the right support and can return home as quickly and safely as possible, with their needs, wishes and wellbeing at the heart of every decision.

Key responsibilities…

• Manage a caseload, organising and prioritising the workload effectively, with regular supervision and guidance.
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, connecting people and their families to their community and social networks enabling them to live within their own communities.
• To work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure people have the right care, at the right time in the right place.
• To take a strengths-based approach to support people to live the best life they can and reduce dependence on long term care.
• To support in delivering and maintaining high standards of performance across the service.
• To work within allocated resources as set out in our scheme of delegation
• To take an evidence-based approach to practice.
• Take an active part in your own supervision and appraisal in accordance with the departmental supervision policy and council's appraisal policy.
• Take responsibility for your own learning, including mandatory and recommended training.
• To lead on specific areas of work as required.

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 Social Work England 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.

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.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment...

Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive employer. This means that if you tell us on your application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Interview Date

Shortlisting will be carried out on a regular basis, and successfully shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview at a mutually convenient time.

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 or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

Leena Chand, Community Services Manager: Leena.chand@bracknell-forest.gov.uk or 01344 355468.

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.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience of working within the current Social Care System and Framework.

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.