Mental Health Practitioner - 12 Month FTC

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 are dedicated in supporting some of our most vulnerable clients and help change people's lives for the better.

We are looking for a qualified Mental Health Social Worker to work alongside our passionate Rough Sleeper and Housing Options teams.

About you

You will be working with rough sleepers and domestic abuse victims by building relationships with vulnerable people who are struggling with their mental health and assisting them in accessing appropriate services.

Once a week you will be required to conduct an early morning outreach with the Rough Sleeper team and support people who may be in a state of crisis.  

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.

About the team

The Rough Sleeper Team is a small, friendly, but busy team providing an extensive and responsive support for rough sleepers.  We work closely with the Housing Options team and the Domestic Abuse Officer to deliver a holistic service to all our clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

We pride ourselves on being person centred and have formed positive working relationships with other support agencies within and outside of the council.

We have a can do attitude that enables us to offer the best support to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Key responsibilities

• To provide outreach and weekly visits to rough sleepers within Bracknell Forest.
• To work with those customers who have fled domestic violence and are within our temporary accommodation and require mental health support.
• To actively work with rough sleepers to relieve their homelessness. By assisting them into alternative housing when all other housing options or solutions are exhausted.
• To undertake a comprehensive assessment of a rough sleeper’s needs. Ensuring that any complex needs are identified and support is sought from relevant agencies.
• To engage with rough sleepers and build a rapport to ensure that any identified mental health needs are supported by external agencies to enable wrap around support to the rough sleeper.

Our benefits

• 28 days* increasing to 33 days* after 3 years’ continuous service.
• The opportunity to buy up to 10 additional days* annual leave per year and sell 5 days.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance. 
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice for an electric car at a fixed monthly cost (subject to eligibility).
• An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks. 
• Local government pension scheme.
• Life insurance cover (linked to the pension scheme)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave. 
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits such as annual leave entitlements, occupational maternity/paternity leave, and more. (Terms and Conditions apply – please refer to candidate pack for more information.)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities. 
• A great office location next to travel links and Bracknell Forest’s thriving town centre. 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing. 
• Sports and Social Club.
• Staff dental and health plans. 
• Discounted leisure centre and gym membership. 
• Supermarket discount. 

*(pro rata for part time)

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. 

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 recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process.  

Interview date 

Interviews will be held on 28 May 2025 

Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet the team and experience our work environment. 

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.

Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration.

Want to ask us a question?

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

Alex Manning, Rough Sleeper Team Leader: 01344 352117

 

At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion. At Bracknell Forest Council, we are always learning, ambition and inclusive. Please see our candidate pack for more details.

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

Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.

No agencies please.