Bradford Children and Families Trust launched in April 2023 and is independent of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. We have our own distinct culture and values. Our sole purpose is to improve vulnerable children’s lives. This gives us the freedom and focus we need to provide a step change in the quality and delivery of services across our district.
Our Values
Our Aims
- Support and enable our workforce to provide high-quality and effective services to children, young people and families, prioritising the most vulnerable, to enable them to progress and succeed.
- Create an effective, efficient and learning organisation with a culture that inspires success, which becomes a national centre of excellence for social care and a destination of choice for children’s social care careers.
- Forge strong collaborative multi-agency partnerships that achieve shared outcomes together to improve children’s and young people’s lives.
- Ensure that professionals understand children’s and young people’s experience of growing up in Bradford and involve them in decision making.
- Listen well to children, young people and their families to understand the impact of what we do.
- Develop our long-term conditions for success in consultation with our workforce.
Our People
Hear from the CEO – Charlotte Ramsden
“Together, we will improve the lives of vulnerable young people district-wide”
“There’s a warmth in Bradford that’s reflected in the workforce”
Our Location
In May 2022, Bradford was named UK City of Culture 2025. Awarded every four years, the City of Culture title has had a transformational impact on previous host cities, securing millions of pounds of investment and acting as a catalyst for creativity and regeneration.
Bradford is a wonderful place to come and build your career. Affordable properties. “Outstanding” schools. Beautiful countryside. Bustling city life. Not to mention having the semi-official title of ‘Curry Capital of Britain’. What’s not to like?
We are the youngest district in the UK with nearly one third of the population under 20.
Our Practices
Supervision is pivotal to good practice and personal/professional development. We offer a range of supervision opportunities including monthly reflective supervision as well as individual and group supervision. We are developing joint supervision with our partners.
We are passionate about the development of our workforce and have a dedicated team who offer a range of L&D opportunities to meet your needs. Includes internal and external opportunities, accreditation and qualifications, and, when needed, one-to-one development support.
We understand the importance of good relationships with each other, our partners and the children and families who use our services; we are embedding relationship and restorative practice across Bradford, which means that we “work with” and not “do to” and focus on families being the experts in their own lives.
We are constantly reviewing how many children are allocated to our social workers to ensure the number remains manageable. Working at the Trust means you can expect to be working with a variety of families and levels of intervention.
We have a dedicated practice supervisor in all teams who will embed good practice by developing others through dedicated support, mentoring and role modelling, working closely with the principal social worker to constantly drive practice development.
Learning and Education
Social worker Ashley
Our Academy offers many opportunities to all roles within the Trust
- ASYE programme: we have developed a highly successful ASYE programme which is overseen by a dedicated programme lead; the programme offers a 12 week induction into your first social work role through classroom and on the job learning and weekly reflective sessions. High intensity support is offered throughout the programme so confident competent practitioners progress to the next level in their career.
- Apprenticeships: we know our best resource is the people who work in the Trust and we have been supporting a ‘grow your own’ approach for the past five years through the social work apprenticeship offer, giving 10 non-social workers per year the opportunity to obtain the social work degree while remaining employed and earning.
Our Teams
We divide our district into four different area teams, each offering its own unique challenges and opportunities for your social work career.
Keighley & Shipley
An area stretching from the city of Bradford into more rural parts including the heritage area of Saltaire. Social work here can be very wide-ranging, with many children and families affected by mental health issues and the use of drugs.
South Bradford
Centred on the city itself, this area offers exposure to a challenging mix of social work, from criminal exploitation, forced marriage and FGM to working with children who are experiencing neglect and abuse.
East Bradford
Another highly diverse area of the city, where you can learn about lots of different cultures and communities while gaining exposure to a broad range of children’s social work.
West Bradford
Small, densely populated area within easy reach of Bradford city centre. Highly multicultural, with a large Roma community, it gives you the chance to work with families from lots of different cultures and backgrounds.
Deals with all new referrals to children’s services and makes difficult decisions about how the needs of the child or young person are best met.
Helps young people leaving care find their feet in the world through education and employment opportunities.
Works closely with children and families where there are safeguarding concerns and takes action to reduce risks and ensure positive outcomes.
Ensures children in care are looked after as well as possible and works with families where rehabilitation at home is a possibility.
Finds suitable placements for children and makes sure they are getting the care they need.
Works closely with children who have long-term care needs that impact their daily lives.
Completes assessments of children and families referred to children’s services and works with them to agree to a plan for the future.
Helps give our district’s most vulnerable children a place to call home.
Takes the lead in child protection matters, ensuring the interests of children and young people come first at all times.
More About Us
Traci the Principle Social Worker
Interested in a career at Bradford Children and Families Trust? Check out the latest vacancies.
Learn how to use relationship-based practice
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