Social Worker - Kinship Carer and Special Guardian Assessor
| Posting date: | 20 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £39,152 to £44,075 per year |
| Additional salary information: | plus £8,000 Market Supplement |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 30 November 2025 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | DOC0019 |
Summary
x2 Full-time, Permanent
Work location: Civic Centre, Reading (hybrid working available in-line with RBC agreed expectations and service needs)
Reading Borough Council (RBC) Children’s Services are improving outcomes for Reading's children, young people and families. Our responsibility is to deliver quality children's services, early help, education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services in the borough.
We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including 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 Kinship team within Reading Borough Council’s Kinship & Permanence Service.
Our Kinship & Permanence Service sits within our Children’s Social Care Service. The Service, brings together a number of our permanency services, including, but not limited to:
Permanency Planning for all Children Looked After aged up to 14 years.
Family finding for children with Care Plans of permanent fostering.
The assessment of Connected Carers and Special Guardians.
The registration of Private Foster Carers and monitoring and supporting private fostering arrangements.
Supervision of and support to Connected Carers.
The provision of Special Guardianship Support Services.
The management of the Kinship Service’s Permanence Allowance Scheme.
Liaison with our RAA and the day-to-day management of our RAA contract.
The provision of support and advise to social workers and managers across the local authority, with regards to achieving and maintaining permanent placements for Children Looked After.
The completion of Life Books and setting up of contact arrangement for adopted children.
The post holder’s case load will focus on completing Viability, Regulation 24, Private Fostering and full assessments of prospective Kinship Carers and prospective Special Guardians, for children and young people who are in the care of Reading Borough Council.
Additionally, you will provide 1:1 support to Regulation 24 Carers who are looking after children who are in the care of Reading Borough Council and complete the assessment and registration process in respect of new Private Fostering arrangements.
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
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
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 30th November 2025
Interview Date: Week commencing 8th or 15th December 2025
Interview Process: Face to face at The Civic Office, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU
Work location: Civic Centre, Reading (hybrid working available in-line with RBC agreed expectations and service needs)
Reading Borough Council (RBC) Children’s Services are improving outcomes for Reading's children, young people and families. Our responsibility is to deliver quality children's services, early help, education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services in the borough.
We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including 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 Kinship team within Reading Borough Council’s Kinship & Permanence Service.
Our Kinship & Permanence Service sits within our Children’s Social Care Service. The Service, brings together a number of our permanency services, including, but not limited to:
Permanency Planning for all Children Looked After aged up to 14 years.
Family finding for children with Care Plans of permanent fostering.
The assessment of Connected Carers and Special Guardians.
The registration of Private Foster Carers and monitoring and supporting private fostering arrangements.
Supervision of and support to Connected Carers.
The provision of Special Guardianship Support Services.
The management of the Kinship Service’s Permanence Allowance Scheme.
Liaison with our RAA and the day-to-day management of our RAA contract.
The provision of support and advise to social workers and managers across the local authority, with regards to achieving and maintaining permanent placements for Children Looked After.
The completion of Life Books and setting up of contact arrangement for adopted children.
The post holder’s case load will focus on completing Viability, Regulation 24, Private Fostering and full assessments of prospective Kinship Carers and prospective Special Guardians, for children and young people who are in the care of Reading Borough Council.
Additionally, you will provide 1:1 support to Regulation 24 Carers who are looking after children who are in the care of Reading Borough Council and complete the assessment and registration process in respect of new Private Fostering arrangements.
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
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
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 30th November 2025
Interview Date: Week commencing 8th or 15th December 2025
Interview Process: Face to face at The Civic Office, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU
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.