Job reference: 000146
Salary: £37,336 - £42,403
Closing date: 08/10/2025
Department: Children & Family Services
Location: Wigan Life Centre South
Division: Not specified
Hours Per Week: 37

Job Details

Wigan Life Centre South

College Avenue

Wigan

WN1 1NJ


Salary: Grade 9, £37,336 - £42,403 per annum


37 hours per week


Children’s Social Worker

Choose to be a Social Worker with Team Wigan, whilst you still can?

The commitment we made back in 2020, to do everything we can to make sure we have enthusiastic permanent social workers to care for our children and young people, means that Wigan’s Children’s Social Work teams are now made up of over 80% permanent staff. Add to this that we have just transitioned to the Family Safeguarding Model (FSM) and the significant investment in staffing levels, then you can also expect lower caseloads at Wigan. We are recruiting to our last permanent vacancies so apply now, to make sure you are part of our team that we are sure is well on its way to being outstanding.


We all know that 80% permanent staffing levels, plus being part of implementing new and effective practice models means for you:

  • High staff moral, with consistency in who your work friends will be
  • Lower caseloads, with direct access to the specialist adult workers who can help you to manage cases
  • Unique experience of supporting the implementation of the FSM, along with development opportunities that will help you to take that next step in your career
  • Amazing managers who have time to talk about your aspirations, not just those of our children and families
  • Plus, we have great benefits that includes free parking


Our Family Safeguarding Team use a strengths-based approach, their autonomy and their permission to innovate to make a difference to the lives of our children and young people. If you are an experienced social worker, looking to be part of a team that our social workers say feels different to anywhere else that they have worked then apply now. We are also always looking for great newly qualified social workers too, to join our Academy. Just let us know on your application if you are experienced or looking to join one of our Academy teams.

About you:

With everything that we set out to do at Wigan, we always listen to our children and young people. They have told us that they want their social workers to be kind, thoughtful, responsible and flexible; to prioritise them, spend time with them, and strive to help them be happy and safe.  So, this is what we want too!

If you all of the above, like a new challenge, want to be part of implementing new ways of working that we know will make a real difference and have a desire to motivate and empower children and families to achieve positive changes, then please apply.

About us:

Wigan Council has been voted ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or 'unbroken' between the supporting organisations.

We are an improving Local Authority and are proud to highlight that our most recent OFSTED Visit reported that “staff were unanimously positive when speaking with inspectors about working in Wigan… Social workers said that they feel valued and listened to and told inspectors that senior managers collaborate with them to find better ways to improve outcomes for children” (May 2023).

Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home (My Place), the office (Our Place) or the community (Your Place). We like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan.


Wigan Council prides itself on equality, inclusion and promoting diversity within the borough and aims to recruit a workforce that reflects our diverse communities. We invest in training and developing our staff, in a positive learning environment, and aim to be a consciously inclusive employer. We welcome applications from everybody in the community and would particularly encourage applicants from our underrepresented groups to apply. At Wigan, it is really important to us that applicants demonstrate our Team Wigan behaviours, and we do all we can to make sure that everyone feels like they belong. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.


To be appointable in this role you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK. If you are unsure, please visit the below link to check you qualify to apply. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


If you would like an informal chat about this role, please contact Ellie Wilson on 01942 828468 or Alex Parsons on 07825365467.

Interview date: To Be Confirmed  


This position is subject to Enhanced Disclosure Procedures plus child barred list check


The employer is committed to safeguarding


To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below:

Take a look around the company https://www.greater.jobs/locations/wigan/