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

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Please apply online via the link provided.

Please include a personal statement with your CV specifying why you are applying for this vacancy.

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. To learn more about what it is like to work with us, take a look at our team's video. If you would like an informal chat or a tour of the office prior to submitting your application, please contact helen.gore@bracknell-forest.gov.uk to arrange a suitable time. Any successful internal candidate will be offered the position as a secondment and, in line with Section 8.1 of the Secondment Policy, must consult with their manager before applying. Search ‘secondment policy’ on the intranet for more information.

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. Learn what OFSTED say about us here.

Read more about our culture and what our staff say Children's social care culture | Bracknell Forest Council.

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.

Key responsibilities…

• 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.

Our benefits…

• 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.
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• 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. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• 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.

*(pro rata for part time)

Find out more about all our benefits or see the candidate pack.

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.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment...

Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive employer. This means that if you tell us on your application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Interview date

Interviews will be held on the 2nd or 4th December 2026.

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:

Sam Howard - Team Manager, Family Placement Team

Tel: 01344 351658

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.

No agencies please.