Social Worker - Children Looked After (maternity cover up to 12 months FTC, part time 22.5 hrs p/w)

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Please apply online via the link provided.

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

Join our dedicated Child Looked After (CLA) team within our Life Chances service as an experienced Social Worker, helping to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people. 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. This role is based at our Time Square offices in Bracknell. You will be required to travel regularly as our children in care can live within placements both inside and outside of the Bracknell area. You must be able to work flexibly and outside of core office hours when required on occasions. This role includes an expectation to work from our Time Square office a minimum of 1.5 days per week out of 3 days, alongside flexible working arrangements. This is a part-time, fixed-term position working 22.5 hours per week, offered as maternity cover for up to 12 months. To learn more about what it is like to work with us, take a look at our team's video. If you would like an informal chat or a tour of the office prior to submitting your application, please contact helen.gore@bracknell-forest.gov.uk to arrange a suitable time. 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 are a Social Worker who is reliable, organised and who can work successfully both as an individual and as part of a multi-agency network to ensure we achieve the best for our care experienced children and young people.

You will be supported to carry out your duties and responsibilities through training and development opportunities, access to reflective supervision regularly and with vast range of tools and expertise around you to build meaningful relationships and make lasting changes for families.

You must have current registration with Social Work England and have experience of working within the legal frameworks that support our work and, where applicable, have successfully completed your Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) within a statutory children’s social care setting.

About the team…

Practitioners in our CLA team have the time to get to know everyone they work with, receive excellent support from managers and colleagues across the department and expert guidance whenever they need it. The work we do is centred around making a difference to each individual child who is looked after, including as they approach and enter adulthood via our Leaving Care service that sits within our wider team. Social Workers work determinedly with our most vulnerable children and young people to achieve permanence in safe and secure ‘forever homes’.

Life journey work is an integral part of our service to ensure children understand their lived experiences and the decisions made for them as they grow.

Bracknell Forest Council Children’s Social Care were graded as Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2026. Learn what OFSTED say about us here.

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

Please note: Children's services are currently progressing its Families First transformation programme. This role may be subject to changes to its responsibilities, reporting arrangements and/or job description. Any proposed changes would be managed in accordance with the council's relevant consultation processes and policies.

Key responsibilities…

• To manage a case load of vulnerable care experienced children and provide effective assessment, case planning, interventions and family support to achieve better outcomes for them.
• Complete and implement care plans for children looked after with progress being seen in a timely manner, so that permanency is achieved for them.
• Work meaningfully with adolescents and effectively plan for their transition into adulthood with multi agency colleagues to identify their care needs early and enable successful transition into Adult Social Care services where required and our Leaving Care service.
• To work with other involved professionals and agencies to promote placement stability for children and young people.

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.

*(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.

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

Interviews will be held on the 18th and 19th November 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 or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

Gemma Hall, Team Manager on 01344 351262 or gemma.hall@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Carrie-Anne Beach, Assistant Team Manager on 01344 352497 or carrie-anne.beach@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.

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.

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.