To thrive in this role, you will bring an understanding of the relevant legislation, guidance, policies and thresholds that underpin safeguarding. You will have experience of effective multi-agency working, building partnerships and co-producing needs-led safety plans for children and young people. You will be able to demonstrate your analytical skills, ability to assess information, identify actions and record timely accurate information.

About the team and children’s social care

In December 2025, Ofsted concluded that “since the last inspection, leaders, managers and practitioners have not only sustained outstanding services but have raised the bar even higher”.

We use the Family Safeguarding Model in our approach to collaborate with families to keep them together, where it is safe to do so, supported by Motivational Interviewing (MI). December 2025 Ofsted recognised our model “operates consistently and effectively” and “embraces a relational approach, with explicit commitment to understanding the culture and diverse needs of families”.

Children experiencing neglect or domestic abuse receive exceptional and expert in-house specialist help. They work closely with the family safeguarding team and offer step-by-step help to parents to improve home conditions and strengthen parenting capacity.

When risks escalate our conscientious managers take decisive action and with you with focus on the lived experience of children. Permanence planning meetings secure “timely decision-making, enabling children to thrive” and “Social workers consider all permanence options for children and contingency planning is in place so that children are offered the best permanence option”.

Social workers were recognised by inspectors as “committed to understanding the lived experiences of children and responding “to help them have improved home conditions and better childhood experiences”. Families are positive about their experiences with social workers, and we know practitioners are having a positive impact in supporting families.

We are a small, welcoming and friendly local authority where you will have the opportunity to build strong, positive and supportive working relationships with colleagues and peers. You will be a valued member of the team, where you will feel connected, appreciated, heard, accepted, included and supported.

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.

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 and we will work with you to support you throughout the process.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment...

Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be an inclusive employer. This means that if you have made us aware on the application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or you 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 take place on a weekly basis, and candidates who are successfully shortlisted will be offered an interview at least seven days later. Interviews will be held in person, giving you the opportunity to meet the team and get a real feel for our working environment.

We will be reviewing applications regularly and may close the advert early if we identify suitable candidates. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you 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.

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.

Equal Opportunities: Bracknell Forest Council – Working for Equality.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

How to apply

Please apply online via the link provided.

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