Social Worker - Together for Families
| Posting date: | 15 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £47,152 to £52,075 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Includes an £8,000 market Supplement |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 01 February 2026 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | DOC0031 |
Summary
“We are going places — join us on the journey of possibility.”
Champion Children. Empower Families. Shape Brighter Futures.
Do you have a passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of children?
Are you looking for a place where you can truly shape the life chances of children and young people?
Are you a committed social worker ready to bring your energy, purpose and creativity to a team driven by doing what’s right for families?
If yes, then join us in Reading, where our Together for Families teams plays a vital role in safeguarding children and supporting families when they need us most. The work of the Together for Families teams spans child in need, child protection, and court work, and through a varied caseload you will be actively encouraged and supported to develop your professional skills.
We are implementing the Family Safeguarding Model and Motivational Interviewing focusing on strengths, relationships and purposeful partnership with families. We believe that with the right support, families can overcome challenges and thrive — and you will be central to that journey.
Our framework is built on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, with children firmly at the centre of everything we do. By fostering strong partnerships with schools, health professionals, social care teams and the voluntary sector, we strive for a coordinated, responsive and inclusive system of support.
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
You will need to be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England. As a Social Worker in our Together for Families Team, you will:
Hold and manage a varied and dynamic caseload with reflective supervision and strong professional support
Undertake child-centred, timely assessments using the Family Safeguarding practice model, supporting families at Children in Need, Child Protection and where required into court.
Make ongoing assessments of allocated cases to reflect individual circumstances including assessment of risk, and the need to ensure that service users are protected from significant harm.
Prepare and present reports as necessary to facilitate decision making about service users and to provide effective quality assurance and chair CIN and Core group meetings
Work directly with children, young people and families to identify strengths, understand risk and shape effective intervention plans and deliver evidence-based interventions in response to identified needs as required.
Collaborate with partner agencies to ensure families receive the right help at the right time
Work closely with colleagues in legal, attending PLO meetings and give evidence in court.
Make sound, evidence-based decisions that support children’s safety, wellbeing and long-term outcomes
You will report directly to a Team Manager, receive regular individual and group supervision, and be supported to develop your skills and confidence at every stage of your career.
Why Join Reading’s Together for Families Team?
Based in the city centre’s Civic Offices, our Assessment Team works closely with the Single Point of Access service, guided by a shared ethos: getting it right first time and keeping children at the centre.
This is a dynamic, city-wide service where social workers operate in a fast-paced environment with:
High levels of support
Regular reflective supervision
Visible, approachable managers
Agile working for greater flexibility
We are a vibrant, motivated service with genuine energy and ambition. We value curiosity, creativity and relationship-based practice — and we make space for social workers to do their very best work.
Closing Date: Sunday 1st February 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed
Champion Children. Empower Families. Shape Brighter Futures.
Do you have a passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of children?
Are you looking for a place where you can truly shape the life chances of children and young people?
Are you a committed social worker ready to bring your energy, purpose and creativity to a team driven by doing what’s right for families?
If yes, then join us in Reading, where our Together for Families teams plays a vital role in safeguarding children and supporting families when they need us most. The work of the Together for Families teams spans child in need, child protection, and court work, and through a varied caseload you will be actively encouraged and supported to develop your professional skills.
We are implementing the Family Safeguarding Model and Motivational Interviewing focusing on strengths, relationships and purposeful partnership with families. We believe that with the right support, families can overcome challenges and thrive — and you will be central to that journey.
Our framework is built on collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, with children firmly at the centre of everything we do. By fostering strong partnerships with schools, health professionals, social care teams and the voluntary sector, we strive for a coordinated, responsive and inclusive system of support.
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
You will need to be a qualified Social Worker, registered with Social Work England. As a Social Worker in our Together for Families Team, you will:
Hold and manage a varied and dynamic caseload with reflective supervision and strong professional support
Undertake child-centred, timely assessments using the Family Safeguarding practice model, supporting families at Children in Need, Child Protection and where required into court.
Make ongoing assessments of allocated cases to reflect individual circumstances including assessment of risk, and the need to ensure that service users are protected from significant harm.
Prepare and present reports as necessary to facilitate decision making about service users and to provide effective quality assurance and chair CIN and Core group meetings
Work directly with children, young people and families to identify strengths, understand risk and shape effective intervention plans and deliver evidence-based interventions in response to identified needs as required.
Collaborate with partner agencies to ensure families receive the right help at the right time
Work closely with colleagues in legal, attending PLO meetings and give evidence in court.
Make sound, evidence-based decisions that support children’s safety, wellbeing and long-term outcomes
You will report directly to a Team Manager, receive regular individual and group supervision, and be supported to develop your skills and confidence at every stage of your career.
Why Join Reading’s Together for Families Team?
Based in the city centre’s Civic Offices, our Assessment Team works closely with the Single Point of Access service, guided by a shared ethos: getting it right first time and keeping children at the centre.
This is a dynamic, city-wide service where social workers operate in a fast-paced environment with:
High levels of support
Regular reflective supervision
Visible, approachable managers
Agile working for greater flexibility
We are a vibrant, motivated service with genuine energy and ambition. We value curiosity, creativity and relationship-based practice — and we make space for social workers to do their very best work.
Closing Date: Sunday 1st February 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed
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.