Consultant Social Work Practitioner

Reading Borough Council; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement

Flexible working opportunities

Modern working environment

Life Assurance - 3x salary

On-site day nursery

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice

Job summary

Reading Borough Council in Reading invites applications for an Assistant Team Manager within the Children’s Single Point of Contact (CSPoA). You will help lead multi-agency information, advice and intervention for Children’s Social Care and Early Help, ensuring timely and child-centred responses.

The role requires a trauma-informed, relational practice approach, with supervision responsibilities and the ability to coordinate with schools, health professionals and partners.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of current safeguarding legislation and local procedures.
• Commitment to relational, child-centred practice with timely intervention.
• Ability to support and train social workers and practice staff.
• Experience working with multiple agencies in a busy, dynamic environment.
• Capability to analyse information and translate it into effective action.

Responsibilities

• Drive high-quality, child-focused practice with strong supervision.
• Support the Team Manager in decision-making and training delivery.
• Coordinate with schools, health professionals and voluntary sector.
• Manage and mentor social work assistants and early help practitioners.

Skills

Legislation knowledge

Safeguarding procedures

Relational practice

Multi-disciplinary collaboration

Training & supervision

Job description

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

Job details

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 Business Support Staff.
• Passionate and energised to take on the requirements and vision of the improvement plan.
• Able to cultivate and nurture positive working relationships, and to respectfully challenge. Confident to steer others to ensure the best outcome for the child is always a priority.
• Embracing change with the ability to inspire and take a team through a period of transformation.
• Curious! Creative! Ambitious!

Children’s Single Point of Contact is a non-case holding team; however, the service is multi-agency and linked with other partner agencies that attend the office. We offer and promote hybrid working patterns but have an essential requirement that the Assistant Team Manager will be present in the office a minimum three days a week, on an agreed basis with the Service Manager and Team Manager.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place. Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years' service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

Closing Date: Sunday 8th November 2026