Do you have a passion for social work? Are you an experienced and inspiring Social Work practitioner with Child Protection experience? Are you committed to providing excellent services to vulnerable children and families?
We are Ofsted rated Good and aspire to work towards an Outstanding rating with Ofsted stating that West Berkshire Council has a 'strong, stable and child-focused leadership team that has continued to improve services for children and families in West Berkshire'.
We are looking for an experienced and dynamic children’s Social Work practitioner to join our Assessment & Family Help Service as a Social Worker. In this role you will champion the rights of our children and young people whilst ensuring children are safeguarded and completing Assessment of Needs.
We want Social Workers that bring a comprehensive knowledge and skill-base to their work with children, young people and families. You must be driven and ambitious, both for yourself and for children, young people and families. You must be an enthusiastic team player who understands the vital role of supportive teams.
As a Social Worker you will help us ensure that children receive the right care and support and you will contribute to the wider work of the service in improving outcomes for children and young people. You will be responsible for managing a caseload of Child Protection and Child in Need Assessments, provide continuous oversight of the assessments for the children concerned.
The ideal candidate would have the following skills and attributes
- You will hold a recognised Social Work qualification and registration with Social Work England.
- You will hold a current driving licence and have use of a car.
- You will need good organisational and planning skills.
- You will have experience of managing levels of risk within a workload of complex families.
- You will be able to demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations, guidance and policies.
- You will have excellent stakeholder management skills, being able to build effective relationships with colleagues, individuals and external organisations.
- You will have effective skills in managing conflict and disagreement.
Our Offer To You
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
- A golden hello payment of £3k after one year in post
- A retention payment of £2k after two years of service
- A further retention payment of £3k, plus a four-week paid sabbatical after three years service
- Flexible Working: West Berkshire has adopted a Hybrid Working Policy, which allows employees to split their time between attending the workplace and working remotely
- Social Work England registration fees reimbursed
- Dedicated employee wellbeing service with Employee Assistance Programme offering a great range of discounts at a variety of retailers, services and everyday spending.
- Regular and high-quality reflective supervision.
- Approachable and visible senior leadership
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Relocation package for individuals moving from outside a 30-mile radius (subject to eligibility)
- Blue Light card fees reimbursed
- We use the PeopleSafe App, a reliable tool offering real-time monitoring, emergency assistance, and peace of mind when lone working
- You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement starting at 29 days per annum, pro rata (plus public holidays) Rising by an additional 5 days after 5 years’ service.
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Join us at West Berkshire Council and make a positive impact in our community while advancing your career. Explore everything that a career with West Berkshire Council has to offer here: Working with Us
If you're interested in working with us and want to know more, we would love to hear from you. Do not hesitate to contact Liz Roles, Team Manager on
[email protected] or 01635 503190 for an informal chat about this role.
Equal Opportunities
The Council supports Equal Opportunity of employment and positively encourages applications from people who fall within any of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
How To Apply
Please now complete a short online application form. You will then be able to upload your CV.
This role has been identified as public facing in accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016; the requirement to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English applies.
West Berkshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all its staff and volunteers to share these values. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. This role involves regulated activity with children
. As such, appointment is subject to an
Enhanced DBS check with the relevant Barred List(s).
In this post you will be required to
maintain continuous registration with the DBS Update Service for the duration of your employment.
Due to West Berkshire Council’s size and scale, and limited number of social work vacancies, we are not currently able to accept applications from overseas social workers.
This privacy notice applies to job applicants applying for vacancies with West Berkshire Council https://info.westberks.gov.uk/pnapplications
AI in Applications
We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation.
However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected.
We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability