Consultant Social Work Practitioner

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.

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.

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Front Door Access team, which is called Children’s Single Point of Contact (CSPoA). We are the first recipients of all contacts and referrals to Children’s Social Care, Early Help and our Partnership Hub. We provide high quality information, advice, and intervention to our partners and members of the public.

Through the Children’s Single Point of Access (CSPoA), we are committed to delivering a seamless, multi-agency approach that provides the right help at the right time, reducing risk and preventing escalation of need.

Our operational framework is built on a foundation of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. By fostering strong partnerships with schools, health professionals, social care teams, and the voluntary sector, we strive to create a coordinated system of support that is responsive, inclusive, and child centred.

We are committed to a practice model that is child-focused, and trauma informed. We are currently evolving the service to develop a more interventionalist practice model, that alongside our incredible Family Help service and Partnership Outreach team, we can provide help and support to reduce escalation.

Our social work practice with children and families is important, and we make a difference to the families we have contact with. It can be both incredibly challenging and hugely rewarding, especially when are able to intervene from the second you pick up the phone. If this appeals to you, we want to hear from you.

Through group and one-to-one supervision, you will drive high quality and child focused practice – with high challenge and high support.

Children’s Single Point of Contact is a non-case holding team; however, the service is multi-agency and linked with other partner agencies that attend the office. We offer and promote hybrid working patterns but have an essential requirement that the Assistant Team Manager will be present in the office a minimum three days a week, on an agreed basis with the Service Manager and Team Manager.

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

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:

To arrange a confidential discussion on this position please contact James.Joyce@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 8th November 2026

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Interview Process: To be confirmed