Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance Wigan Life Centre South College Avenue Wigan WN1 1NJ Salary: Grade 9, £39,862 - £45,091 per annum. Social Worker 37 hours per week Permanent We're on a journey to build a workforce reflective of our Borough. We are committed to fostering diverse teams where everybody can bring their authentic selves to work and feel that they belong. If you want to work for a Council where everybody is encouraged to meet their full potential and make a difference in our neighbourhoods, we would love to hear from you! Choose to be a Social Worker with Team Wigan where children and families are at the heart of everything we do. We’re proud to be building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our Borough. At Wigan Council, we foster inclusive teams where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work and feel a true sense of belonging. If you want to work for a local authority that encourages you to reach your full potential and make a meaningful difference in our communities, we’d love to hear from you. Why Wigan? Ready to make a difference with Team Wigan? Current vacancies include: Social Worker - *Duty & Assessment Service, Family Safeguarding, Children in Care. Senior Social Worker - **Family Safeguarding, Duty & Assessment Service. Advanced Practitioner - ** Duty & Assessment Service *completed ASYE or minimum one year experience required **minimum of 3 years post qualifying experience is required for this role. Please note: We do not currently have any Newly Qualified Social Work posts available. These are likely to be advertised in Spring so please keep checking the website for details. You can read more about our social work teams in the overviews attached or read more about working in children’s social care at Wigan on our webpages. To make the application process as simple as possible, all roles can be applied for in the one application. Just let us know which roles and teams you are interested in when applying. 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 are a qualified social worker, 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. The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them. 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). We understand that for great social workers to stay with us we need to invest in your career, which is what we will do from day 1. Whether you are an experienced social worker or newly qualified we have a career pathway that will support you to achieve your aspirations. 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, the office, or the community. 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. To be appointed to this role you must be able to prove your right to work in the UK. Please visit the link below 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) Prove your right to work to an employer If you would like an informal chat about this role, please contact our Workforce Development Team, who will be happy to talk to you about the roles available and our fast-track recruitment process can provide an interview within 2 weeks, if you meet the essential criteria. Drop us an email at childrensservicesrecruitment@wigan.gov.uk, letting us know when is the best time to ring you and we will get in touch. Interview date: To be confirmed This position is subject to Enhanced Disclosure Procedures plus child barred list check The employer is committed to safeguarding Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year. Employment could affect your benefits, find out more here. Turn2us Benefits Calculator.
Apply now and be part of a service that’s proud to put children first.
↗ Duty Service Overview
↗ Family Safeguarding Overview
↗ Privacy Notice
↗ DBS Applicant Information
↗ Senior Social Worker Job Specification
Location
College Avenue, , Wigan, WN1 1NJ, United Kingdom
Job ID
1185
Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey
We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.
This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to and understanding how to use AI responsibly.
You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future
Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.
Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay
Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.
Estimate your Income Tax for the current year (Gov.uk)
Check Your Benefits Entitlement
See how changes in employment, hours or salary may affect your benefits and household income.
Turn2us Benefits Calculator
Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach
Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.
To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice. If you do use AI as a support tool, a brief explanation helps us ensure an equitable selection process.
Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.
This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.
What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?
AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.
We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.
When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.
This means:
A trained hiring manager reads every application
Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job
Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role
All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms
AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.
Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.
Using AI in Your Application
When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team.
We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
We’re looking forward to hearing your story.
How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly
Your application is your chance to show us:
Who you are
What you can bring
The values you hold
Why you want to make a difference
AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.
AI is most helpful when used to:
Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria
Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors
Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something
But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process
Do:
Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement
Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure
Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice
Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience
Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself
Don’t:
Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application
Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have
Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice
