Employer: Wokingham Borough Council
Salary: £36,363 - £39,862 per annum, plus benefits (pay award pending)
Location: Shute End, Wokingham, Wokingham Youth & Community Centre (Reading Road), Reading Road, Wokingham
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Hours: 37 hours per week.
DBS Check: Enhanced
Closing Date: 23/08/2026 at 23:00
Reference: 713145

Are you passionate about helping young people build bright, independent futures?

At Wokingham Borough Council, we believe every young person leaving care deserves the very best support, opportunities and encouragement to thrive. We are looking for a compassionate, motivated and relationship-focused Personal Advisor to join our Care Leaver Hub (Here4U) and make a lasting difference to the lives of young people aged 16 to 25.

About the Role

As a Personal Advisor within our Here4U Team, you will build meaningful and enduring relationships with young people as they transition from care into adulthood. You will provide practical, emotional and advocacy-based support, helping young people develop the confidence, resilience and life skills they need to achieve their goals and live independently.

Working as part of a supportive and ambitious team, you will:

• Support children we care for aged 16+ and care leavers up to the age of 25.
• Co-produce pathway plans that promote stability, independence and positive outcomes.
• Deliver high-quality, relationship-based interventions and support.
• Work collaboratively with families, carers, colleagues and partner agencies to help young people succeed.
• Support young people to access education, employment, training, housing, health services and community opportunities.
• Participate in pathway planning meetings, reflective practice and multi-agency working.

This role will have a particular focus on supporting young people who have sought safety through asylum and have experience as Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC). You will play a key role in understanding and responding to their unique experiences, promoting inclusion, stability and positive futures.

You will also have the opportunity to support young people in celebrating key milestones, building community connections and participating in activities that recognise and honour their individual backgrounds, cultures and faiths.

Candidate Requirements

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting young people and who can build trust, inspire confidence and empower them to reach their full potential.

We would particularly like to hear from candidates who have:

• Experience working directly with young people aged 16–25.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Experience providing practical, emotional and advocacy-based support.
• The ability to work collaboratively with a range of professionals and agencies.
• A commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, corporate parenting and achieving the best outcomes for young people.

A Level 3 qualification in a relevant field such as Youth Work, Health & Social Care, Education, Psychology or Sociology would be advantageous.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative and supportive service that places relationships and young people's voices at the heart of everything we do.

Benefits

Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 28 days per annum (rising to 33 days with 5 years of continuous service)

• Enrolment to an excellent local government pension scheme

• An employee assistance programme including 24/7 wellbeing helpline

• A range of local & lifestyle discounts

• Use of a free onsite gym (located at Shute End office)

• Salary sacrifice car & cycle to work schemes

• And much more!

This is a full-time, permanent position based within the Care Leaver Hub, operating on a hybrid basis between home, the Youth Centre and council offices.

The role requires flexibility to meet the needs of young people, including occasional evening and weekend work. Due to the nature of the role and travel requirements, a full UK driving licence is essential.

Join Us

If you are passionate about supporting young people to overcome challenges, realise their ambitions and successfully transition into adulthood, we'd love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion with regards to this role, please reach out to either james.brophy@wokingham.gov.uk (hiring manager) or alix.williams@wokingham.gov.uk (recruitment specialist).

Closing Date: Sunday 23rd August at 11pm

Interviews: Wednesday 3rd September, in person, in Wokingham.

AI in Applications:

We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation.

However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected.

We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability.

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually.

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.