Social Worker - Family Placement Team (maternity cover up to 12 months FTC, part time 29.6 hrs p/w)

Join our dedicated Family Placement Team within our Children's Social Care service as an experienced Social Worker, helping to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people we support. This is a part-time, fixed-term position, working 29.6 hours per week over 4 days, offered as maternity cover for up to 12 months.

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 includes an expectation to work from our Time Square office a minimum of 2 - 3 days per week, alongside flexible working arrangements.

About you… As a Social Worker, you are an experienced practitioner who is talented, passionate and reliable. Current registration with Social Work England is essential as well as experience of working within the legal frameworks that support our work. You will have a sound knowledge of relevant child care legislation, good report writing and oral communication skills and the ability to work to court and fostering panel timescales. A strong communicator who values collaboration and works effectively with colleagues, carers and partner agencies, you are confident in undertaking assessments, presenting information clearly and making balanced, child-focused recommendations with experience in completing Form F, Special Guardianship and Connected Person assessments.

About the team… The Family Placement Team is a small, welcoming and highly supportive team where strong working relationships are key. We recognise that our work can be complex, so we prioritise peer support, open communication and shared problem-solving. We work closely with Children’s Social Workers and other professionals to ensure that vulnerable children receive the best possible care and support. Our team is responsible for assessing prospective foster carers, special guardians, connected persons and private foster carers, as well as contributing to foster carer recruitment and delivering training to support carers in their role. You will be part of a team that values quality practice and takes pride in ensuring children are placed locally with suitable carers whenever possible. With supportive managers, knowledgeable colleagues and dedicated administrative support, you will have the time and space to focus on meaningful work and build strong relationships with those you support.

Bracknell Forest Council Children’s Social Care were graded as Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2026. 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.

To supervise and support foster carers, liaising with Social Workers, senior practitioners and Family Workers to enable them to support foster carers and young people appropriately. To support the recruitment and assessment process of foster carers to enable more of our vulnerable children to be placed in local placements, near to their family and friends. To work with the child’s Social Worker to achieve permanence for the child, whether this be through long term fostering or special guardianship. This role will enable you to continually develop your skills and knowledge, as well as contribute to the ongoing improvement of the services and support we deliver.

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. 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. 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.

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.

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 an Enhanced and Barred Child Workforce 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. Bracknell Forest Council – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.