Bracknell Forest Council • Berkshire, South East England
About this role
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 be registered with Social Work England and have at least three years post qualifying experience in statutory Children’s Social Care, including 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.
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, 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”.
Please check our vacancy's page for a list of our staff 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.
To support and mentor less experienced colleagues including newly qualified Social Workers, Family Workers and Social Work Students.
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.
Want to ask us a question?
For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact
Maggie Mandecka, Team Manager - Children's Social Care
maggie.mandecka@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
or
Helen Gore, Principal Social Worker
helen.gore@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as part of our pre-employment checks process.
We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.