Social Worker - Children & Young People’s Disability Team
| Posting date: | 20 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £28,142 to £36,363 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 31 August 2025 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | BFC0880 |
Summary
Brighter Futures for Children
About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.
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.
About the role
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Supporting Families team.
As a Social Work Assistant, you will provide practical and social support for clients which includes supporting clients to make informed decisions, promoting the rights of vulnerable children & young people and encouraging their inclusion in the wider community.
The majority of work in this role will be supervising court ordered contact at the Contact Centre and in the community.
Responsibilities
You will manage a caseload of appropriate cases and/or carers, ensuring the safeguarding of children and young people. Responsibilities include coordinating support packages, completing statutory child in need visits, chairing reviews, and working directly with families based on assessments. You’ll support informed decision-making and contribute to service planning, while handling complex casework under supervision.
Additional duties include parenting assessments, contact observations for court, and maintaining accurate records using Reading Children’s Services systems. You’ll assist with appointments, supervised contact, and transition planning, while liaising with professionals across sectors. Upholding equal opportunities and engaging in ongoing training are also key aspects of the role.
The Social Worker Assistant is required to:
Good written and spoken English.
NVQ Level 3, or equivalent, or the willingness to undertake this training.
Knowledge of child development and parenting practice.
Experience of working with children and young people who need support.
Experience of working with families in a safeguarding context.
For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are 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:
Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
Discounted Child Care (on site nursery)
Cycle to work scheme.
Season train ticket loans
Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme
A range of local shopping discounts
Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.
Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.
Closing date: Sunday 31stAugust 2025
Interview date: To be confirmed
We look forward to hearing from you!
In January 2025 the decision was made to bring Children’s Services (currently operating as Brighter Futures for Children Ltd (BFfC)) back in-house to Reading Borough Council (RBC).
All staff employed by BFfC on 30 September 2025 will transfer, via the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE), to the Council on 1 October 2025.
For new starters who BFfC confirms before 27 September 2025 their pre-employment checks are completed and a start date agreed will be issued with a BFfC contact and will transfer to RBC.
For new starters whose pre-employment checks have not been completed and / or a start date has not been agreed before 27 September, you will be issued with an RBC contract and your start date will not be before 6 October 2025.
About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.
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.
About the role
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Supporting Families team.
As a Social Work Assistant, you will provide practical and social support for clients which includes supporting clients to make informed decisions, promoting the rights of vulnerable children & young people and encouraging their inclusion in the wider community.
The majority of work in this role will be supervising court ordered contact at the Contact Centre and in the community.
Responsibilities
You will manage a caseload of appropriate cases and/or carers, ensuring the safeguarding of children and young people. Responsibilities include coordinating support packages, completing statutory child in need visits, chairing reviews, and working directly with families based on assessments. You’ll support informed decision-making and contribute to service planning, while handling complex casework under supervision.
Additional duties include parenting assessments, contact observations for court, and maintaining accurate records using Reading Children’s Services systems. You’ll assist with appointments, supervised contact, and transition planning, while liaising with professionals across sectors. Upholding equal opportunities and engaging in ongoing training are also key aspects of the role.
The Social Worker Assistant is required to:
Good written and spoken English.
NVQ Level 3, or equivalent, or the willingness to undertake this training.
Knowledge of child development and parenting practice.
Experience of working with children and young people who need support.
Experience of working with families in a safeguarding context.
For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are 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:
Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
Discounted Child Care (on site nursery)
Cycle to work scheme.
Season train ticket loans
Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme
A range of local shopping discounts
Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.
Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.
Closing date: Sunday 31stAugust 2025
Interview date: To be confirmed
We look forward to hearing from you!
In January 2025 the decision was made to bring Children’s Services (currently operating as Brighter Futures for Children Ltd (BFfC)) back in-house to Reading Borough Council (RBC).
All staff employed by BFfC on 30 September 2025 will transfer, via the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE), to the Council on 1 October 2025.
For new starters who BFfC confirms before 27 September 2025 their pre-employment checks are completed and a start date agreed will be issued with a BFfC contact and will transfer to RBC.
For new starters whose pre-employment checks have not been completed and / or a start date has not been agreed before 27 September, you will be issued with an RBC contract and your start date will not be before 6 October 2025.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.