ASYE Social Worker

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Please apply online via the link provided.

Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.

Brighter Futures for Children

ASYE Social Workers X 4

£43,412 per annum (includes £8,000 annual market supplement)

About us

Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.

We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Offending Service and traded services with schools.

Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives.

About the role

We are currently recruiting qualified social workers interested in our Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme. This role provides an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to work in partnership with children and their families; to support them to live in the care of their parents when safe to do so or support them to grow-up in a permanent home away from their families, when that is the best for them.

As a Newly Qualified Social Worker, you will hold a reduced caseload; the number of families you are working with will increase gradually with its complexity. You will be working in a trauma-informed, relationship- and strength-based way with a range of children and families supported through Children in Need, Child Protection and looked after Care Plans. One of the roles is in the Children and Young People with Disabilities team.

Responsibilities: 

• Undertake assessments and co-produce plans that set out outcome focused goals that positively intervene in children’s lives.

• To work in partnership with children and their families to address concerns that negatively impact on children’s lives and to find sustainable solutions that support children to remain at home, where safe to do so.

• To support children when they are not able to remain in their parents’ care and find alternative safe homes for them.

• Work within BFfC’s practice framework; that being trauma-informed, systemic, and attachment-aware.

• Work within BFfC’s policies, procedures and good practice guidelines to most effectively meet the needs of the children and families allocated to you.

• To develop and maintain positive working relationships with children, young people, families, and other professionals. 

• To keep up to date with contemporary issues in children’s social work, including legislation and evidence-based practice, and attend relevant training and development opportunities. 

• To work within a multi-professional network of partners to gather information relevant to a child’s welfare to inform assessments, care planning activities and jointly plan and deliver interventions. 

• Maintain and update a child’s electronic database to provide a clear understanding to a child as to their journey through statutory services. This will also refer to written reports and if required, give evidence in court about care proceedings. 

 
Essential Qualification/Experience: 

• Social Work Degree

• Registered with Social Work England 

lease note that to apply for these posts, you must meet the following criteria: 

• Anticipate the successful completion of your social work degree and subsequent Social Work England registration by 12thSeptember 25

• Have completed your social work degree within the last two years.

• Not have commenced or completed your ASYE elsewhere. 

 ASYEs will be offered:

• A diverse and reduced caseload and good quality reflective supervision by an external Practice Educator and work-based supervisor.  

• Monthly group supervision and fortnightly Action Learning Sets. 

• We are working with Buckinghamshire New University, which delivers the ASYE module, to enhance and consolidate your learning. 

• You’ll work in a friendly and collaborative environment where we are committed to delivering positive outcomes. 

• We work within BFfC’s Practice Principles that focus on relationship- and strength-based principles that is child-centred and focussing on the whole family that supports a child.

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution

• Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)

• Discounted Child Care (on site nursery)

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Season train ticket loans

• Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme

• A range of local shopping discounts

Inclusion and Diversity

We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.

Asking for Adjustments

Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.

If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.

Closing date: 5 September 2025

Interview date: 12 September 2025

In January 2025 the decision was made to bring Children’s Services (currently operating as Brighter Futures for Children Ltd (BFfC)) back in-house to Reading Borough Council (RBC).

All staff employed by BFfC on 30 September 2025 will transfer, via the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE), to the Council on 1 October 2025.

For new starters who BFfC confirms before 27 September 2025 their pre-employment checks are completed and a start date agreed will be issued with a BFfC contact and will transfer to RBC.

For new starters whose pre-employment checks have not been completed and / or a start date has not been agreed before 27 September, you will be issued with an RBC contract and your start date will not be before 6 October 2025.