Newly Qualified Social Worker - ASYE

Bracknell Forest Council; Bracknell; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking local authority dedicated to improving children's lives. As a newly qualified social worker, you'll receive comprehensive support through our ASYE programme, allowing you to develop your skills and confidence in a nurturing environment. You'll work within a nationally recognized practice model, focusing on relationship-based practice to empower families. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the community while enjoying a supportive and inclusive workplace culture. If you're passionate about social work and eager to contribute to positive change, we invite you to apply and be part of our dedicated team.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

Life insurance cover

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Career development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounted gym membership

Qualifications

• Experience in social work with a focus on children and families.
• Ability to build relationships and provide support effectively.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain effective relationships with children and families.
• Carry out assessments and develop care plans.
• Collaborate with multi-agency teams for effective support.

Skills

Relationship Building

Evidence-Based Support

Assessment Skills

Care Planning

Collaboration

Education

Social Work Qualification

Job description

£43,764 - £46,085 inclusive of 4% retention payment, London Weighting and Essential Car User Allowance (retention payment payable annually after 1 year's service)

Location:

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full Time

Hours: 37 hours per week.

DBS Check:

Closing Date: 09/05/2025 at 23:59

Reference: People/25/309810

At Bracknell Children’s Social Care we have a strong commitment to offering newly qualified social workers the best start in their social work career.

We are looking for enthusiastic, confident and reliable practitioners who can build trusted relationships with children and young people and provide stability and ambition during their time working with us.

About you...

You will be joining a small, welcoming and friendly Local Authority. Our leadership team know that it is essential for social workers to have a secure physical and psychological base from which to be the best workers they can be. We are proud of our connected and inclusive culture, with a strong focus on wellbeing, which will provide you with a strong sense of belonging.

As part of our in-house Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) programme, you will receive comprehensive support and valuable opportunities to grow and develop in your role.

The children and young people we work with have told us they want social workers to:

• be friendly, fun and energetic
• listen respectfully, take action and stick to deadlines
• keep promises, be accessible and on time

We champion relationship-based practice and value spending quality time with children and families.

If you have chosen social work as your profession and are passionate about making a real difference in children’s lives, join us and help build a service that empowers families and creates lasting change for children.

About the team...

Bracknell Forest Council have a nationally recognised practice model – the ‘Family Safeguarding Model’. Working collaboratively with families to keep them together, where it is safe to do so, is at the heart of the embedded Family Safeguarding Model - an approach which is underpinned by Motivational Interviewing (MI). This ensures families, children and young people feel empowered, and enables parents to make the positive changes needed, to achieve improved outcomes for their children and their own wellbeing.

We are graded by Ofsted as “Outstanding”.

In June 2022 Ofsted identified during our inspection that “Children receive the right support at the right time”.

Inspectors concluded that social workers and other frontline practitioners benefit from manageable caseloads, good training and powerful and highly reflective supervision that ensures children are at the heart of decision making.

• Social workers receive regular supervision from their managers. Caseloads are manageable and allow workers to have time to spend with children.
• Social workers are very positive about working in Bracknell Forest.

Everything we do in Children’s Social Care is about improving the life chances of Bracknell’s children, put simply, we change lives for the better.

ASYE Programme for Newly Qualified Social Workers

We provide a structured standalone Assessed and Supported Year in Employment programme; during your first year in employment, we will help you to develop your skills, knowledge and professional confidence to be the best social worker you can be.

The support we offer newly qualified Social Workers during the ASYE programme includes:

• A structured academy and shadowing induction which will also include a buddy
• Monthly reflective practice groups
• Learning Workshops, linked to Skills for Care
• Regular one to ones facilitated by our inhouse experienced humanistic counsellor
• An inhouse Practice Educator Level 2 qualified assessor
• An experienced Worked Based Supervisor
• Regular reflective supervision, personal and group supervision
• Using collaborative conversations to allocate work
• A supported and steady transition to child protection work
• Personalised professional development plans
• Time for protected development activity
• Full access to our Research in Practice and Making Research Count membership

During our recent Skills for Care Quality Assurance visit our newly qualified Social Workers shared their experience of:

• Receiving regular reflective supervision
• An appreciation of the training and learning opportunities offered to them
• Feeling well supported by their team
• Helpful professional development plans which identify goals and the trajectory they needed to follow to achieve them

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain effective relationships with children and families.
• Provide evidence-based support that has a positive impact on the lives of children and families.
• Carry out assessments to identify needs and risks.
• Develop care plans that promote the well-being and safety of children and families.
• Work with other social workers, professionals and multi-agency teams.
• Seek support and advice from colleagues and with your supervisor set clear goals and actions plans as part of individual and group case supervision.
• Stay up to date with legislation and statutory guidance to inform your practice.

Benefits:

• 28 days* increasing to 33 days* after 3 years’ continuous service.
• The opportunity to buy up to 10 additional days* annual leave per year and sell 5 days.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme for an electric car at a fixed monthly cost (subject to eligibility).
• An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks.
• Life insurance cover (linked to the pension scheme)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits such as annual leave entitlements, occupational maternity/paternity leave, and more. (Terms and Conditions apply – please refer to candidate pack for more information.)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• A great office location next to travel links and Bracknell Forest’s thriving town centre.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Sports and Social Club.
• Discounted leisure centre and gym membership.
• Reimbursement for Social Work England registration fees.

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.

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 [e-mail]. We will work with you to support you throughout the process.

Interview date

Interviews will be held on 22nd May 2025 and 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:

At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion. At Bracknell Forest Council, we are always learning, ambitious and inclusive. Please see our candidate pack for more details.

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 a 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.

Social Work England registration fees can be claimed back from the Council.

We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.

Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.

No agencies please.

Bracknell Forest Council – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

How to apply

Please apply online via the link provided.

Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.