Safeguarding Practitioner (Adult Safeguarding Hub)

Wokingham-Borough-Council; Wokingham; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Employee assistance programme

Free onsite gym

Car salary sacrifice

Cycle to work

Local & lifestyle discounts

Move through menopause course

Sports & social activities

Job summary

Wokingham Borough Council is seeking a Safeguarding Practitioner to join its adult social care team on a full-time, permanent basis at Shute End, Wokingham. You will play a vital role in ensuring adults get the right help at the right time.

Responsibilities include responding to safeguarding concerns, leading Section 42 enquiries, supporting quality assurance, and contributing to learning and improvement. You will have a Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy qualification, strong

Qualifications

• Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy qualification or equivalent safeguarding experience.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proven direct work with adult safeguarding issues.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to handle sensitive information.
• Full EU driving licence with daily access to a car.

Responsibilities

• Respond to Adult Safeguarding concerns, assess risk and complete initial assessments.
• Lead Section 42 enquiries, coordinating those carried out by providers or partners.
• Support quality assurance work, including provider visits and assurance activity.
• Take part in organisational abuse enquiries and contribute to learning and improvement.
• Work proactively and support partnership projects in line with local strategies.
• Help deliver safeguarding training and workshops.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Adult safeguarding experience

Organisational skills

Confidentiality

Education

Social Work degree

Nursing degree

Occupational Therapy degree

Job description

Employer: Wokingham Borough Council
Salary: £44,253 - £50,909 Per Annum, Plus Benefits
Location: Shute End, Wokingham
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Hours: 37 hours per week.
DBS Check: Enhanced
Closing Date: 08/11/2026 at 23:00
Reference: 712218

We have an excellent opportunity available for a Safeguarding Practitioners to join our award winning adult social care team at Wokingham Borough Council, on a full time, permanent basis.

As a Safeguarding Practitioner, you’ll play a vital role in making sure adults in our borough get the right help at the right time. You’ll work proactively and respond quickly when concerns are raised, helping people stay safe and supporting positive outcomes for everyone involved.

This is a chance to use your skills, safeguarding expertise and person‑centred approach to make a real difference in the lives of adults who need support.

It’s also a great time to join us! Our service was recently recognised as one of the highest performing in the country after a CQC inspection. Wokingham Borough Council is part of the Social Care Future movement, which champions a vision where everyone can live in a place they love, connected to the people and activities that matter most — whatever their age, health or disability.

Our hybrid working model gives you the flexibility to balance home working within person meetings and visits.

Here is what Rebecca, our Team Manager, has to say:

“I am proud to be part of the adult safeguarding hub. We are a supportive and collaborative team committed to high‑quality safeguarding practice. We value learning, reflection and kindness, and we welcome applicants who want to work in a team where support and making a difference truly matter.”

Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including:

Generous Annual Leaveentitlement of 30 days (rising by 5 days after 5 years of continued local government service), plus bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme(actual contribution details to follow)

Employee Assistance Programme

Free Onsite Gym(located at Shute End, Wokingham)

Salary Sacrifice Schemes– includingCarandCycle to Work

Local & Lifestyle Discounts– savings on shopping, entertainment, restaurants, and more

Move through Menopause Course

Sports & Social Group Activities –

And more!

Key responsibilities

• Respond to Adult Safeguarding concerns as they come in, applying thresholds, assessing risk and completing Initial Assessments where needed.
• Lead Section 42 enquiries, coordinating those carried out by providers or partners, and undertaking more complex enquiries yourself when required.
• Support quality assurance work, including provider visits and assurance activity linked to safeguarding concerns.
• Take part in organisational abuse enquiries and contribute to wider learning and improvement.
• Work proactively and preventatively, including supporting partnership projects in line with local and West of Berkshire strategies.
• Help deliver safeguarding training and workshops, appropriate to your experience and knowledge.

Candidate requirements

• Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy qualification or other profession/statutory agency role providing significant experience of working with vulnerable adults in a safeguarding context.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to effectively engage all stakeholders.
• Evidenced experience of direct work with Adult Safeguarding issues.
• Organisational skills to enable proactiveness and a responsive service.
• Ability to handle highly sensitive information with a sound understanding of confidentiality and information sharing protocols.
• Full EU driving license (and access to daily use of a car)

Our area:

Wokingham Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside.

We’re home to a range of high performing schools, a host of international businesses and an incredible community. We have a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life.

Wokingham Borough Council has committed to becoming a Marmot borough to embed prevention, early intervention and address inequalities in all aspects of our work. This is especially important given the significant and continued growth of our Borough and the diversity of its residents.

Interview date: TBC

Please note that application will be reviewed on a rolling basis and you may be invited to interview before the closing date.

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.

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually.

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.