Consultant Social Work Practitioner

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

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.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Front Door Access team, which is called Children’s Single Point of Contact (CSPoA). We are the first recipients of all contacts and referrals to Children’s Social Care, Early Help and our Partnership Hub. We provide high quality information, advice, and intervention to our partners and members of the public.

Through the Children’s Single Point of Access (CSPoA), we are committed to delivering a seamless, multi-agency approach that provides the right help at the right time, reducing risk and preventing escalation of need.

Our operational framework is built on a foundation of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. By fostering strong partnerships with schools, health professionals, social care teams, and the voluntary sector, we strive to create a coordinated system of support that is responsive, inclusive, and child centred.

We are committed to a practice model that is child-focused, and trauma informed. We are currently evolving the service to develop a more interventionalist practice model, that alongside our incredible Family Help service and Partnership Outreach team, we can provide help and support to reduce escalation.

Our social work practice with children and families is important, and we make a difference to the families we have contact with. It can be both incredibly challenging and hugely rewarding, especially when are able to intervene from the second you pick up the phone. If this appeals to you, we want to hear from you.

Through group and one-to-one supervision, you will drive high quality and child focused practice – with high challenge and high support.

About you

• Have a thorough understanding of current legislation and the West Berkshire Safeguarding Children Procedure and Practice Guidance and be committed to relational practice, with a focus on intervention, not just 'screening' and 'information gathering'. A robust and focused approach on analysis and providing help at the right time.
• Supporting Creative and Dynamic solutions to how we can support families with Early Help Services.
• Support the Team Manager in decision-making and providing quality and effective training, oversight and supervision to social workers.
• Can work in a multi-disciplinary environment and steer a service that will have competing demands and expectations from other agencies.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations to recognise and build on families’ strengths to create change.
• Skilled in supporting social workers and managers in analysing information and understanding families’ experiences and contexts to ensure they receive the right services within the right framework.
• Experience of Managing Social Work Assistants, Early Help Practitioners and…