Social Worker - Makesafe

12-month Fixed Term Contract

Make a difference to the lives of young people at risk of exploitation.

An exciting opportunity for an experienced Social Worker to join the Makesafe Team as a Social Worker and operational lead for Missing Children.

Makesafe are a small, specialist team working within Childrens Social Care with Young People who go missing and/or are at risk of exploitation. Our passion for what we do drives our exceptionally high performance, which was recognised in BFC’s OUTSTANDING Ofsted inspection.

Building trusted relationships with Young People is at the heart of what we do. We have an unconditional positive regard for the Young People we work with and are there beside them as we navigate risks together.

Any successful internal candidate will be offered the position as a secondment and, in line with Section 8.1 of the Secondment Policy, must consult with their manager before applying.

What it’s like working in our team…

• Fast paced and responsive – we often need to mobilise quickly in response to crises
• We are curious – we work hard to find out what is happening in the lives of the children we work with and develop rapport
• We support each other in what can be an emotionally demanding job, while being creative and entrepreneurial self-starters

You will be supported to carry out the following duties, responsibilities and training…

• Daily monitoring of Thames Valley Police Missing reports and undertaking/delegating Return (from missing) Conversations.
• Holding a caseload of Young People assessed at being at risk of exploitation and/or go missing frequently
• Work with Young People around a range of issues that may be present alongside exploitation, for example substance misuse or unhealthy relationships
• Working in close partnership with colleagues in Youth Services, Youth Justice and Childrens Services
• Recording contact with Young People on Childrens Social Care database
• Preparing weekly missing reports for internal stakeholders including senior leaders
• Representing Makesafe at CSC-led meetings (e.g. strategy meetings, Child Protection Conferences) and multi-agency operational fora

The benefits you will experience are…

• An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks
• Opportunities for flexible and agile working, we offer a hybrid model of working to promote flexible working around personal and family commitments.
• Generous annual leave commencing at 28 days increasing after 3 years’ service to 33 days (pro rata for part time). With additional annual leave purchase policy.
• Regular opportunities for development with internal and external training courses.
• A great office location next to travel links and the regenerated town centre.
• Internal sports and social club opportunities.
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Discounted leisure centre and gym membership.
• Supermarket discount.
• An interest free loan for a rail season ticket.

What we’re looking for…

We are looking for a creative and motivated self-starter. Resilience is a key attribute in this role. We need a driven candidate who will strive to keep children safe.

Interview date

Interviews will be held the week commencing 22nd April 2024

Want to ask us a question?

For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

Nick Young, Partnership Relations Manager: 07826 953 564

At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age. As a Disability Confident Employer, please let us know if you need any adjustments at any point during the recruitment process by contacting our friendly recruitment team on recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

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.

Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children 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.

Any candidates that are currently residing in the UK and wishing to apply who would require sponsorship can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant criteria.

No agencies please.

Equal Opportunities

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

How to apply

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