Vacancy details

Would you like to join an outstanding authority, where you will be a valued member of a team, experience high quality training, supervision and a manageable workload?

At Bracknell Forest, you will get the support you need, when you need it because; we value you and invest in you so that you flourish and have the tools, experiences, and support to do your job well!

Our Children’s Social Care service is proudly Outstanding in all areas (Ofsted, December 2025), with inspectors calling our practitioners “effusive about working in Bracknell” and praising our highly effective Social Work Academy.

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 with an embedded culture and ethos of bettering vulnerable children’s lives. You will experience leaders who are visible, approachable and a service who collectively has unwavering commitment to children.

About you…

You will hold a recognised Social Work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. You will have successfully completed your ASYE and have experience of frontline social work which includes child in need and child protection.

You will be passionate about relational social work and committed in joining our embedded culture and ethos of bettering vulnerable children’s lives. You will be committed to understanding the lived experiences of children being a fierce advocate for children and providing the support required to better childhood experiences.

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.

To learn more about what it is like to work with us, take a look at our workforce video.

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-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.

Learn what OFSTED say about us here.

Our benefits…

• Welcome Payment £6,000 plus an annual Retention Payment of 4% after 2 years continuous service. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• 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.
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities. 
• 1 days paid volunteering leave a year.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Reimbursement of Social Work England registration.
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme. (subject to eligibility)
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club. 

Find out more about all our benefits

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 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 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: 

Maggie Mandecka, Team Manager, Maggie.Mandecka@bracknell-forest.gov.uk 

or

Helen Gore, Principal Social Worker, Helen.gore@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.

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.