Early Help Professional (6 month fixed-term contract)

• Early_Help_Professional_-_JD_PS_August_2026
• Candidate_Pack_-_People_Directorate_-_Aug_2026

Please apply online via the link provided.

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

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children, young people and families? We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Early Help Professional to support families in building confidence, improve outcomes and achieving positive lasting change. Join our dedicated Early Help team at Bracknell Forest Council, where every conversation matters, every intervention creates opportunity and every connection has the potential to transform a family's future. At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service. This role includes an expectation to work from our Time Square office on days agreed with your manager, alongside flexible working arrangements. 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. Search ‘secondment policy’ on the intranet for more information.

About you...

As an Early Help Professional, you will make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, young people and families by building trusted, positive relationships and providing support that empowers them to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Using a compassionate, strengths-based and solution-focused approach, you will work alongside families to identify their needs, build resilience and create lasting change.

Working collaboratively with partners across education, health, housing, social care and the voluntary sector, you will help ensure families receive timely, coordinated services. Using your knowledge of safeguarding and risk management, you will deliver high-quality, person-centred interventions that promote positive outcomes. You will have excellent organisational skills and maintain accurate case records and develop effective support plans in line with service standards, recording protocols and GDPR requirements. You will be skilled at navigating complex situations while keeping the voices, experiences and aspirations of children, young people and families at the heart of everything you do. Your ability to build strong professional relationships and work effectively across agencies will be key, as you contribute to multi-agency meetings, coordinate support and help achieve positive, sustainable outcomes for families. Through your expertise and dedication, you will play an important role in helping to build brighter futures.

About the team...

Here in Bracknell Forest, everything we do is about changing families’ lives for the better. You will be part of the council’s Early Help department, that consists of multi-disciplinary teams, working with children, young people and families with a wide range of needs. We work closely with a range of partners including children’s social care, schools, housing and health providers and other community services.  As part of our team, you will contribute to our ‘can do’ approach by being flexible, responsive and focused on the individual needs of each family you support. The role requires someone who can work confidently both independently and collaboratively, supporting colleagues and representing the service when needed. Please note: Children's services are currently progressing its Families First transformation programme. This role may be subject to changes to its responsibilities, reporting arrangements and/or job description. Any proposed changes would be managed in accordance with the council's relevant consultation processes and policies.

Key responsibilities...

As an Early Help Professional, you will be responsible for:

• managing a caseload of families who may have complex and unique needs and linking them to a range of universal and targeted services, taking into account their individual and cultural experiences.
• undertaking and overseeing comprehensive family assessments and develop supportive interventions that reflect the needs identified, taking into account your duty to safeguard vulnerable adults and children.
• establishing and maintaining effective and collaborative working relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies.
• delivering programmes and group work where appropriate and co-ordinate a Team Around the Family approach that enables children, young people and families to be resilient and make positive life choices.
• working closely and creatively with the local communities, voluntary organisations, childcare and education provisions (0-19 years) and partner agencies to establish and connect to appropriate services for care and support.
• working within established procedures for handling and assessing information, notably confidentiality, safeguarding and health and safety, undertaking risk assessments where appropriate and ensuring appropriate and timely support packages.

Our benefits

• 28 days annual leave increasing to 33 days after 3 years’ continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance. 
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme (subject to eligibility).
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply).
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities. 
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club. 

Find out more about all our benefits or see the candidate pack.

Our values

At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you. 

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting [email removed]. We will work with you to support you throughout the process.