Senior Social Worker - Duty and Assessment

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Please apply online via the link provided.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Social Worker in our Duty and Assessment team, on full-time, permanent basis.

If you are passionate about supporting families in making positive changes and share our commitment to helping to keep more children safely at home with their families, then this could be the role for you.

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

About you...

You must have a current Social Work England registration and at least three years post qualifying experience within Children’s Social Care that includes child protection. To succeed in this role, you will have an in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and thresholds. Strong experience in multi-agency working, along with excellent skills in assessment, analysis and recording, as well as the confidence to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and lead in complex situations, are also essential for this role.

You will role model and champion good social work practice, be able to evidence relevant continued professional development and will support others in sharing your knowledge and experience to contribute to inclusive culture.

About the team...

The Duty and Assessment team acts as the front door for Children’s Social Care and carries out short term work. Working alongside and directly with children, young people, and their families.

We are a small, welcoming, and friendly local authority. Our leadership team knows that it is essential for social workers to have a secure physical and psychological base from which to be the best practitioners they can be. We are proud of our connected and inclusive culture, with a strong focus on wellbeing, which will provide you with a strong sense of belonging.

We are Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding,’ with Ofsted recognising that at Bracknell Forest Council, “Children who need help and protection in Bracknell Forest receive a consistently high quality service”

Inspectors concluded that social workers and other frontline practitioners benefit from manageable caseloads, good training and powerful and highly reflective supervision that ensures children are at the heart of decision making.

In November 2023 our Ofsted monitoring visit highlighted:

• Social workers receive regular supervision from their managers
• Caseloads are manageable and allow workers to have time to spend with children
• Social workers are very positive about working in Bracknell Forest
• Staff feel valued and that they can progress in their social work career. They feel well supported by managers and leaders

Everything we do in Children’s Social Care is about improving the life chances of Bracknell’s children, put simply, we change lives for the better.

Because we’re Bracknell Forest: a great place to learn and develop your practice.

You can read what our team have to say about working at Bracknell Forest via this link: Children's social care jobs | Bracknell Forest Council

Key responsibilities...

• To carry out needs led child focused assessments which include outcome focused plans.
• To work alongside other professionals and partner agencies in assessing children in need and undertake child protection enquiries.
• To be the allocated Social Worker for duty caseload of single assessments under S17 and S47 investigations, with some short-term work.
• To take part in the duty system responding to child protection concerns.
• To develop and maintain accurate case records and comply with the department's policies, procedures and guidelines including data protection and GDPR.
• To participate in regular reflective supervision and be able to set clear goals and intervention strategies.

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). This approach empowers families, children, and young people, enabling parents to make positive changes that lead to improved outcomes for their children and enhance their own wellbeing.

Our benefits...

• 28 days* annual leave increasing to 33 days* after 3 years’ continuous service.
• The opportunity to buy up to 10 additional days* annual leave per year and sell 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice for an electric car at a fixed monthly cost (subject to eligibility).
• An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks.
• Local government pension scheme.
• Life insurance cover (linked to the pension scheme)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits such as annual leave entitlements, occupational maternity/paternity leave, and more. (Terms and Conditions apply – please refer to candidate pack for more information.)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• A great office location next to travel links and Bracknell Forest’s thriving town centre.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Sports and Social Club.
• Staff dental and health plans.
• Discounted leisure centre and gym membership.
• Supermarket discount.

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.

Interview date

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 23rd July

Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet the team and experience our work environment.

We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised 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:

Donna Barber

Team Manager

Donna.barber@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Or:

Helen Gore

Principal Social Worker

Helen.gore@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion. At Bracknell Forest Council, we are always learning, ambitious and inclusive. Please see our candidate pack for more details.

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.

Social Work England registration fees can be claimed back from the Council.

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.