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Senior Social Worker (Makesafe) (part time, 18.5 hours per week)

Senior Social Worker (Makesafe) (part time, 18.5 hours per week)

Bracknell Forest Council
locationBracknell, UK
remoteHybrid
ExpiresExpires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks
Social Work
Part time
£46,365 - £49,764 per year

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 looking for a Senior Social Worker to join our Permanency team at the ‘front door’ of Children’s Social Care to help children at risk of exploitation and support their recovery. This is a part time, permanent role.

To learn more about what it is like to work with us, take a look at our workforce video.

Read more about our culture and what our staff say Children's social care culture | Bracknell Forest Council

About you…

You must have current Social Work England registration and at least three years post qualifying experience within Children’s Social Care. To succeed in this role, you will have an in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and thresholds.

You will be enthusiastic, self-motivated and passionate about improving outcomes for children and their families. You will be an effective communicator who can engage with young people in crisis and work in partnership with others.

If you can demonstrate passion and drive to improving outcomes for children and to support families to stay together, and would like to be part of a hard-working, supportive and friendly team, we look forward to receiving your application.

About the team…

We are Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding,’ with Ofsted recognising that at Bracknell Forest Council, “Children who need help and protection in Bracknell Forest receive a consistently high-quality service”.

Inspectors concluded that social workers and other frontline practitioners benefit from manageable caseloads, good training and powerful and highly reflective supervision that ensures children are at the heart of decision making.

Bracknell Forest Council have an embedded nationally recognised practice model – the ‘Family Safeguarding Model’. Our model and our work are dynamic and impactful.

The Duty and Assessment Team acts as the front door for Children’s Social Care and carries out assessment and short-term work. We work alongside and directly with children, young people and their families. Our ‘front door’ colleagues know good beginnings have a better chance of making good endings.

We are a small, welcoming and friendly local authority. We are proud of our connected and inclusive culture, with a strong focus on wellbeing, which provides our workforce with a strong sense of belonging.

Our leadership team is visible, available and approachable.

Everything we do in Children’s Social Care is about improving the life chances of Bracknell’s children, put simply, we change lives for the better.

Key responsibilities…

  • To undertake child protection enquiries and single assessments (for children for whom vulnerability to exploitation has been identified) and exploitation screening tools for children open to the Duty and Assessment team, and to support colleagues in the team to do the same.
  • To undertake short programmes of preventative work with children at risk of exploitation whilst subject to assessment.
  • To co-ordinate Return (from Missing) Conversations for children open to the Duty and Assessment team, keeping updated records of missing children for reporting purposes.

Our benefits…

  • 28 days* annual leave increasing to 33 days* after 3 years’ continuous service.
  • The opportunity to buy up to 10 additional days* annual leave per year and sell 5 days.
  • Flexible working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
  • Electric vehicle salary sacrifice for an electric car at a fixed monthly cost (subject to eligibility).
  • An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks.
  • Local government pension scheme.
  • Life insurance cover (linked to the pension scheme)
  • Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
  • Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits such as annual leave entitlements, occupational maternity/paternity leave, and more. (Terms and Conditions apply – please refer to candidate pack for more information.)
  • Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
  • A great office location next to travel links and Bracknell Forest’s thriving town centre.
  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
  • Sports and Social Club.
  • Staff dental and health plans.
  • Discounted leisure centre and gym membership.
  • Supermarket discount.

*(pro rata for part time)

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.

Interview date

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 13th August 2025.

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:

Donna Barber - Team Manager

Donna.barber@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion. At Bracknell Forest Council, we are always learning, ambitious and inclusive. Please see our candidate pack for more details.

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.

Social Work England registration fees can be claimed back from the Council.

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.

Salary range

  • £46,365 - £49,764 per year