Senior Social Worker - Assessment Team; plus

£49,918 - £53,048 per year inclusive of London Weighting and Essential Car User Allowance. Plus a one-off Welcome Payment of £7,000 subject to T&Cs and an annual 4% Retention Payment after 2 years

Contract:

Permanent

Hours:

37 hours per week.

Closing Date: 01/03/2026 at 23:59

Reference: People/26/330531

We are looking for a Senior Social Worker to join our Assessment Team on a full‑time, permanent basis.

Bracknell Forest's Children’s Social Care team are proud to have achieved an Outstanding in all areas grading in December 2025. Not only did we maintain our Outstanding judgement but inspectors also recognised that “since the last inspection in 2022, Bracknell Forest has sustained and strengthened exceptional services for children and families”.

Ofsted described practitioners as “effusive about working in Bracknell'” who value our strong child‑focused ethos, relational practice model, manageable workloads and high‑quality training and supervision.

Staff shared with inspectors that they appreciate leaders’ visibility, approachability and unwavering commitment to children, all factors that underpin their decision to continue their careers in Bracknell Forest.

“Leaders have established a highly effective Social Work Academy that provides tailored support to practitioners at every stage of their career”. This commitment to development and learning has contributed to Bracknell Forest’s secure reputation as ‘employer of choice’ for social workers.

You will need to be registered with Social Work England and have at least three years’ post‑qualifying experience in Children’s Social Care, including child protection work.

You will have solid experience in completing comprehensive assessments of children's needs which are timely and detailed and take account of children’s unique characteristics, including their culture, ethnicity, religion and any disabilities.

You will be passionate about relational social work and committed in joining our embedded culture and ethos of bettering vulnerable children’s lives.

To thrive in this role, you will bring a solid understanding of the key legislation, guidance, local policies and thresholds. You will be comfortable working closely with a range of partners and confident in your ability to assess situations, analyse information and record your work clearly. This is a fast‑paced role, so being able to stay calm, organised and proactive, especially when leading on complex situations, will really help you succeed.

As a Senior Social Worker, you will role‑model and champion high‑quality practice. You will 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.

If you would like an informal chat or a tour of the office prior to submitting your application, please contact helen. to arrange a suitable time.

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”.

The Assessment Team is the front door to Children’s Social Care and carries out short‑term, meaningful work directly with children, young people and their families. You will be part of a busy, supportive service that makes a real difference from the very first point of contact.

We work closely with our partners in MASH, where inspectors recognised that “the multi‑agency safeguarding hub (MASH) delivers a prompt, thorough response and receives good‑quality multi‑agency referral information”. This strong partnership working ensures children receive timely and well‑informed interventions.

Our managers are highly committed to supporting the work of all social workers. Ofsted highlighted that managers provide “timely and consistent oversight” and offer the right guidance so staff clearly understand next steps. They were described as “confident and proficient” and noted to “understand risk exceptionally well”.

This means you will be part of a team that is “responsive to children’s experiences and prioritises safety planning”. Child protection strategy…