Senior Social Worker - Family Safeguarding (plus Welcome Payment of £7,000) in Bracknell

£49,918 - £53,048 per year inclusive of London Weighting and Essential Car User Allowance. Plus a one-off Welcome Payment of £7,000 subject to T&Cs and an annual 4% Retention Payment after 2 years.

Location:

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full Time

Hours: 37 hours per week.

DBS Check:

Closing Date: 01/03/2026 at 23:59

Reference: People/26/330337

Bracknell Forest's Children Social Care team are proud to have achieved an Outstanding in all areas grading in December 2025. Not only did we maintain our outstanding judgement but inspectors also recognised that since the last inspection in 2022, Bracknell Forest has sustained and strengthened exceptional services for children and families.

Ofsted described practitioners as “effusive about working in Bracknell”, who value our strong child‑focused ethos, relational practice model, manageable workloads and high‑quality training and supervision. Staff shared with inspectors that they appreciate leaders’ visibility, approachability and unwavering commitment to children, all factors that underpin their decision to continue their careers in Bracknell Forest.

“Leaders have established a highly effective Social Work Academy that provides tailored support to practitioners at every stage of their career”. This commitment to development and learning has contributed to Bracknell Forest's secure reputation as an ‘employer of choice’ for social workers.

You will need to be registered with Social Work England and have at least three years’ post‑qualifying experience in Children’s Social Care, that includes child protection, public law outline and care proceedings. You will be passionate about relational social work and dedicated to joining our embedded culture and ethos of bettering vulnerable children’s lives. You will be committed to understanding the lived experiences of children, acting as a fierce advocate on their behalf and providing the support needed to improve their childhood experiences.

To thrive in this role, you will bring an in‑depth understanding of the relevant legislation, guidance, policies and thresholds that underpin safeguarding. You will also have strong experience of effective multi‑agency working, building partnerships and co‑producing needs‑led safety plans for children and young people. With excellent recording skills, you will have the ability to produce high‑quality assessments, reports and court statements.

As a Senior Social Worker, you will role‑model and champion high‑quality practice. You will also demonstrate a strong commitment to your own continued professional development and use your knowledge and experience to support colleagues, helping to foster our inclusive and collaborative culture.

If you would like an informal chat or a tour of the office before submitting your application, please contact helen.gore@bracknell-forest.gov.uk and we will be happy to arrange a suitable time.

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‑step help to parents to improve home conditions and strengthen parenting capacity. When risks escalated our conscientious managers take decisive action, with focus on the lived experience of children. Permanence planning meetings secure “timely decision‑making, enabling children to thrive”. “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.

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 support and mentor less experienced colleagues including newly qualified Social Workers, Family Workers and Social Work Students.

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.

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.

Salary: In addition to the salary quoted, this role attracts a one‑off Welcome Payment of £7,000 and an annual Retention Payment of 4% of annual salary after 2 years, subject to terms and conditions.

At Bracknell Forest Council 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.

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.

Want to ask us a question? For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

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.

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.