Social Worker - Family Safeguarding
Please apply online via the link provided.
Please include a personal statement with your CV specifying why you are applying for this vacancy.
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Social Worker to join our Family Safeguarding Team, to make a difference to the lives of children and young people. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills and expertise in a supportive and dynamic environment.
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.
About you…
You will be a qualified and experienced Social Worker with a background in child in need, child protection, and care proceedings. You are reliable and motivated, with a genuine passion for making a difference in the lives of children and young people.
You excel at building trusted and respectful relationships with children, families, support networks, and partner agencies, always ensuring that children’s voices are heard. You bring in-depth knowledge of safeguarding practices, legal powers, and statutory duties, underpinned by a strong understanding of relevant legislation, policies, and procedures.
You will be confident in managing complex cases, maintaining accurate records, and producing high-quality assessments and reports within tight deadlines. Above all, you are a committed professional who approaches every case with empathy, integrity, and a drive to create positive outcomes for children and their families.
About the team…
The Family Safeguarding Team is a stable and established multi-agency group of talented professionals who work collaboratively with specialist practitioners in domestic abuse, mental health, and substance misuse as part of our embedded family safeguarding approach. Dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families, the team strives to keep families together whenever it is safe to do so. With a strong focus on providing both high support and high challenge, the team enables you to deliver your best to the families who need it most.
The team focuses on longer term intervention, following transfer from our front door we undertake statutory social work interventions, including child in need, child protection, CLA and court proceedings.
Read more about our culture and what our staff say Children's social care culture | Bracknell Forest Council.
Key responsibilities…
- Develop and implement effective safeguarding plans to protect children from harm.
- To work alongside other professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
- To manage a caseload of Child in Need, Child Protection, Care Proceedings and Children Looked After.
- To take part in the team duty system responding to concerns as and when they arise.
- To make effective use of time and be able to prioritise workload, ensuring timeliness in visiting, report writing and other deadlines.
- To participate in regular reflective supervision and be able to set clear goals and intervention strategies.
- To develop and maintain accurate case records and comply with the department's policies, procedures and guidelines including data protection and GDPR.
- To contribute to service development and learning of others.
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.
Interview date
Shortlisting will be done on a weekly basis, and interviews will be arranged a minimum of 7 days after this for suitable applicants.
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:
Maggie Mandecka - Team Manager – Maggie.Mandecka@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
Sharlie Horsted - Team Manager – Sharlie.Horsted@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.
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
- £46,783 - £48,873 per year