Become part of a team which shares your passion
Thank you for your interest in working with us. Whether you’re an experienced practitioner, a newly qualified social worker, or you’re looking for a support services role, you’ll be able to develop your career in a great working environment with us in Reading.
Please note, we guarantee all Reading care leavers an interview if they meet the basic selection criteria for a vacancy. Please let us know as part of your application.
Apart from our executive roles, our vacancies are advertised on Jobs Go Public and on Total Jobs. The recruitment process is handled for us by our parent company, Reading Borough Council.
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Current vacancies
Full-time, Permanent post
Salary: £45,938 – £50,708 pa (includes £8,000 Annual Market Supplement)
Job reference: BFC0802
We currently have vacancies for case-holding, qualified social workers. We believe that relationship-based social work makes a difference in children, young people and families’ lives and our generic teams focus on direct work with children, young people and families.
Our Together for Families (TfF) service is an exciting development for Brighter Futures for Children and has been introduced to allow children and families to benefit from the continuity of only one social worker. The benefit for social workers is lower caseloads and an environment that makes relationship-based social work flourish.
Our Together for Families teams work with children during S.17 (Children Act, 1989) single assessments, S.47 child protection investigations, as well as working with children subject to Child In Need Plans, Child Protection Plans, pre-proceedings, proceedings and those becoming looked after.
Support to families is also provided through our evidence-informed and timely programme of support delivered via family support workers and specialist adult practitioners in mental health and substance use. The aim is to ensure an effective trauma-informed ‘whole family’ response to needs and risk for children.
There are numerous opportunities for training and development at BFfC. We have secured excellent training for all our staff through Research in Practice and established a sound partnership with the NSPCC. We value our staff and want to support them in their progression with us.
For more information and a confidential discussion, please contact Sabina Baz on Sabina.Baz@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Full-time, Permanent post
Salary: £27,269 – £32,654 per annum
Job reference: BFC0855
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Children’s Single Point of Access Team within the Emotional and Mental Health Triage Service.
We are seeking a dedicated and organised Triage Coordinator to support the delivery of Reading’s new Emotional Health Triage for children and young people. This pivotal role acts as the first point of contact for emotional health referrals, ensuring that children and families receive the right support at the right time. You will be responsible for logging and progressing referrals, gathering key information from families and professionals, and coordinating multi-agency input to inform next steps. You’ll also organise weekly triage meetings, monitor case progress, and maintain accurate records. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people by streamlining access to emotional health services and reducing duplication across systems.
For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification.
For an informal conversation please contact either: Safi Frodsham Safi.Frodsham@brighterfuturesforchildren.org or James Joyce James.Joyce@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Full or part time, permanent post
Soulbury Scale A 8-11 £57, 954 – £63,394 pro-rata (plus 3 SPAs)
Closing date: 16 June 2025
Interview date: To be confirmed
Job reference: BFC0844
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Educational Psychology Service.
We are a highly valued and well-staffed service committed to providing high quality evidence-based psychological advice. We offer a highly supportive environment to develop your career. Innovation and ambition are encouraged, and you’ll be part of a friendly, collaborative team.
Main grade EPs enjoy a balanced workload with managed statutory demands (approx. 2 EHCNAs pcm), a patch of schools and substantial protected time for projects/commissioned work. EPs work in a range of settings as well as engaging in systemic work, training, mental health projects and partnership work with colleagues across and beyond BFfC, e.g. opportunities to work with YJS; the VS for Children with a Social Worker and the Therapeutic Fostering Programme.
For more information and a confidential discussion, please contact the Acting PEP at
Vikki.Lawrence@brighterfuturesforchildren.org or one of the team: Ellie.Hayes@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
Joanne.Bates@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
12 months fixed – term contract
Salary: £42,708 – £48,710 per annum
Closing date: 15 June 2025
Interview dates: 17 & 18 June 2025
Job reference: BFC0853
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Family Help Targeted Youth Support team.
Part of the role will be to manage a team of targeted youth support workers, providing a high-quality targeted youth support offer to young people and their families. This includes, but is not limited to the following: –
• Providing leadership to a team of targeted youth workers that ensures effective management of staff.
• Provide robust and regular case supervision and monitoring, with a focus on maximising the impact of the targeted youth worker service with young people and their families.
• Ensure that targeted youth group provision is delivered to a high standard and outcomes are recorded and reported on.
• Providing multi-agency support to wider service as well as the Family Help management team and working/leading on developmental issues.
For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification.
For more information and a confidential discussion, please contact Solomon Fagbayi via solomon.fagbayi@brighterfuturesforchildren.gov.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
Children and Young People with Disability Team
Full-time, Permanent post
Salary: £45,938 – £50,708 pa (includes £8,000 Annual Market Supplement)
Closing date: 6 July 2025
Interview date: To be confirmed
Job reference: BFC0851
We currently have a vacancy for a qualified social worker in our Children and Young People Disability Team within our Childrens Social Care Service.
The CYPD Team looks after the children and young people of Reading with a disability 0 to 18. We are looking for a Social Worker who is passionate and who will be committed to this role and the team. If you feel you have the right qualities for our children and young people and want to make things better, then please come and join us.
We aim to ensure that our professionals have all the tools they need to do an exceptional job. We have recently introduced Consultant Practitioners into our establishment who are on hand to coach, mentor and support our staff through complex and high-risk case work.
For more information and a confidential discussion about the role please contact the hiring manager Albina Brahilika on Albina.Brahilika@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
We look forward to hearing from you
Sure Start Whitley Day Nursery
2 posts available
Full-time, Permanent post
Salary: £32,654 – £37,938 per annum
Closing date: 25 June 2025
Interview date: 7 July 2025
Sure Start Whitley Nursery is a busy, popular and well-established nursery providing high quality, affordable and free childcare to local families in the South of Reading.
The nursery is set out over three bright rooms which connect to a private garden space. Our local community is diverse with children attending our setting from a range of different backgrounds and with many different languages represented. Our educators are completely focused on ensuring that all children achieve and have an equal chance of success in an environment which is inclusive, inspiring, and nurturing.
We are very excited to be expanding our nursery in September 2025, opening an additional two rooms. We are looking for two early years team leaders to join us on this exciting journey, joining the nursery senior leadership team and shaping the way for excellence.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact: Megan Jones (Nursery manager) on 0118 937 3922 or email megan.jones@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
OR
Kelly Goswell (Deputy Manager and SENCo) on 0118 937 3910 or email Kelly.goswell@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sure Start Whitley Day Nursery
4 posts available
Full-time, Permanent post
Salary: £25,992 – £30,060 per annum
Closing date: 25 June 2025
Interview date: 9 July 2025
Sure Start Whitley Nursery is a busy, popular and well established nursery providing high quality, affordable and free childcare to local families in the South of Reading.
The nursery is set out over three bright rooms which connect to a private garden space. Our local community is diverse with children attending our setting from a range of different backgrounds and with many different languages represented. Our educators are completely focused on ensuring that all children achieve and have an equal chance of success in an environment which is inclusive, inspiring, and nurturing.
We are very excited to be expanding our nursery in September 2025, opening an additional two rooms. We are looking for four level 3 educators to join us on this exciting journey.
The children are very important and so is our team. We work closely with our educators to ensure that they continue to learn, develop, and share good practices.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact: Megan Jones (Nursery manager) on 0118 937 3922 or email megan.jones@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
OR
Kelly Goswell (Deputy Manager and SENCo) on 0118 937 3910 or email Kelly.goswell@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sure Start Whitley Day Nursery
4 posts available
Pay: Unqualified / Level 2: £12.85 per hour
Level 3: £13.47 per hour
Closing date: 25 June 2025
Interview date: 9 July 2025
Job reference: BFC0849
Sure Start Whitley Nursery is a busy, popular and well-established nursery providing high quality, affordable and free childcare to local families in the South of Reading.
The nursery is set out over three bright rooms which connect to a private garden space. Our local community is diverse with children attending our setting from a range of different backgrounds and with many different languages represented. Our educators are completely focused on ensuring that all children achieve and have an equal chance of success in an environment which is inclusive, inspiring, and nurturing.
The children are very important and so is our team. We work closely with our educators to ensure that they continue to learn, develop, and share good practices.
We are currently looking for casual educators (qualified or unqualified) who can work collaboratively with our team, families, and wider professionals in the best interests of the children.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact: Megan Jones (Nursery manager) on 0118 937 3922 or email megan.jones@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
OR
Kelly Goswell (Deputy Manager and SENCo) on 0118 937 3910 or email Kelly.goswell@brighterfuturesforchildren.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
Considering a career in childcare?
Click the button below to find out about childcare career pathways in Reading.
Routes into Teaching
Our local Initial Teacher Education provider, the University of Reading, works in partnership with local schools to provide various routes into teaching. These include primary and secondary School Direct, school-based routes into teaching through which trainee teachers are embedded in local schools throughout the year as well as attending university for core training and support. Visit the following pages for further information and to find out your next step on the road to becoming a teacher:
If you are a Reading school interested in hosting ITE, please find out more and contact the University via Institute of Education – Partnership website
This can be a great way to ‘grow your own’ teachers, and with both salaried and tuition-fee funded routes available there is not necessarily any cost to the school.
How to join us
Our staff are at the very core of what we do. Without them we wouldn’t be able to provide any of our services. They represent us within the community and are at the frontline of decision making for many children, young people and their families.
Our aim is to value, support and enable everyone to be able to do their jobs well and it’s the same for our employees of the future.
We value the fact that it takes time in your busy day to call and make an enquiry or to complete an application form. It is important to us that we provide an efficient and effective service to everyone that we have contact with and we aim to provide all candidates with a very positive and efficient recruitment experience.
We aim to confirm receipt of all enquiries within 48hrs and to keep you informed at each stage of the recruitment process.
Most of our communication with you will be via email so be sure to give us the correct email address.
We welcome enquiries and visits so if you would like to pop in and meet us and see who we are prior to making an application or attending an interview then just let us know.
While you're here...Ever thought about becoming a foster carer?
Foster carers receive an allowance, so essentially it’s a paid role and can be a hugely rewarding career!
