Social Worker – Adoption Team
Wigan Council
- Expired
Wigan Permanent £39,862 - £45,019 Full Time
Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance Leigh Town Hall Market Stret Leigh WN7 1DY Salary: Grade 9, £39,862 - £45,019 per annum. 37 hours per week 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! Your role: You will join a busy and creative team as an adoption childcare social worker and will work alongside Family safeguarding social workers who are responsible for children’s cases in care proceedings. You will have an active role in permanence planning for children and will track those children whose plans may become adoption, beginning family-finding at an early stage and, where adoption plans are confirmed, becoming the allocated caseworker from the point of Placement Order onwards. You will have responsibility for all family-finding, linking, matching and placement tasks for the child and will need to be creative and inventive in preparing children for the changes that will affect their lives, as well as undertaking the statutory requirements for looked after children. You will support the child and their adoptive family up to the making of an Adoption Order. You will need to liaise with a variety of adoption agencies, including our own Regional Adoption Agency, to ensure our children have the best opportunity to be matched with the right family. You will also work with children’s families, foster carers, education, health and other agencies to ensure we give Wigan children the best opportunities for permanence. About you: You will have 3 years post qualifying experience in Adoption or can evidence relevant adoption experience. You will display great inter-personal skills with children, families and colleagues. You will have a knowledge of Adoption and Children Act 2002 as well as Adoption support Regulations 2005 You will be expected to travel to anywhere within the UK to place children for adoption. You will have knowledge and experience of the UEA model of introductions. 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. Based in Leigh Town Hall, The Adoption Team in Wigan is an established team of social workers who are highly experienced in adoption and family finding work and who are passionately committed to the children we work with. You will be expected to place the child at the centre of everything we do The Adoption Team work in a hybrid manner, which includes working from the office, from home and visiting children in their foster or adoptive homes. Supported by the team manager and advanced practitioner, there will be opportunities to develop your practice with regular peer supervision along with access to a wide variety of training opportunities to enhance your knowledge and experience in all areas of social work and focusing primarily on the changing landscape of adoption. 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 For further information, please contact: Vicky Foster - Team Manager - Vicky.foster@wigan.gov.uk Joanna Duckworth Current AP - j.duckworth@wigan.gov.uk Jodie Laing AP J.laing@wigan.gov.uk 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.
↗ Privacy Notice
↗ DBS Applicant Information
Location
Civic Square, Leigh, Wigan, WN7 1DY, United Kingdom
Job ID
1992
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 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.
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
Stay Safe When Applying
To protect yourself from recruitment scams, please only apply for roles through the official greater.jobs website and associated recruitment systems. We will never ask for your personal information outside of this process.