Adult Social Care
Social Worker

Salary: £39,152 - £42,839 per annum (Grade 7)
Location: Oldham Council
Contract: Permanent, Full Time


Are you passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives?
At Oldham Council, we are proud of our ambition to provide outstanding Adult Social Care services, built on strong values of being Proud, Ambitious, and Together. We’re looking for dedicated Social Workers to join our Adult Social Care team, helping residents live safe, independent, and fulfilling lives.
Oldham is a place of opportunity and change with a strong sense of community, a proud history, and exciting regeneration that is shaping our future. By joining us, you’ll not only play a vital role in improving lives but also benefit from a supportive, inclusive, and forward-thinking employer that invests in your development and wellbeing.

What you’ll be doing:
Taking ownership of a dynamic and rewarding caseload, carrying out assessments and shaping person-centred Care & Support Plans that truly change lives.
Working hand-in-hand with residents, carers, families, and partner organisations empowering people to make informed choices and achieve their goals.
Being a champion for safeguarding, protecting rights, reducing risks, and ensuring every adult has the chance to live safely and independently.
Using your professional voice in reports, panels, and decision-making forums advocating for service users and making sure their stories are heard.
Driving innovation and improvement by embracing new digital tools and fresh ways of working, helping us deliver the best possible outcomes.

What we’re looking for:
A qualified, registered Social Worker (Social Work England) with the passion to make a difference.
Someone with proven experience in delivering accurate, sensitive assessments and creating effective, person-centred support plans.
A skilled communicator and negotiator, able to build strong relationships and manage challenges with confidence and empathy.
A professional who brings a solid understanding of legislation, safeguarding responsibilities, and best practice in adult social care.
Someone who is confident with IT, ensuring clear, accurate case records and using digital systems to enhance the way we work.

Why join Oldham Council?
Be part of a supportive, forward-thinking organisation where your wellbeing, professional growth, and career aspirations truly matter.
Benefit from regular supervision, high-quality training, and learning opportunities that will help you develop and progress in your career.
Enjoy flexible and hybrid working that supports a healthy work-life balance and gives you the freedom to thrive inside and outside of work.
Join a council with a genuine commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion where individuality is celebrated, and everyone has the chance to succeed.
Work in Oldham a borough proud of its rich history, diverse communities, and exciting future. With major investment and regeneration underway, there’s never been a better time to join us and make a real impact.

Ready to apply?
If you’re passionate and motivated, and have 2-3 years experience, and want more than just a job if you want to transform lives, champion independence, and shape the future of Adult Social Care, then Oldham is the place for you.
This is your chance to be part of a borough that’s full of energy, ambition, and opportunity, with a council that will support you every step of the way.

Apply today and take the next step in a rewarding career with Oldham Council where your skills, your voice, and your impact truly matter.

For an informal chat contact: Hilda.brown@oldham.gov.uk

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

About Us:

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our Values and Behaviours:

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘Proud, Ambitious, and Together’, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:

  • Work with a resident focus
  • Support local leaders
  • Committed to the borough
  • Delivery high performance
  • Take ownership and drive change

You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page

Our Benefits Package:

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

  • 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
  • The option to purchase additional annual leave.
  • An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
  • Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
  • Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
  • Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
  • Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
  • Staff recognition and celebration events.
  • Peer support groups

Inclusive Recruitment:

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer or someone who has served in the Armed Forces and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and Privacy:

For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice.

Important Information:

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

While we embrace the use of AI as an innovative tool to maximise our services at Oldham Council, we are looking for authenticity in applications we receive. We therefore ask you to think carefully if choosing to use AI when completing your application and ask that you ensure you read all instructions carefully and that your application is written by you and reflects your skills, knowledge and enthusiasm.


Supporting Documents

Job Description & Person Specification
Right To Work

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.

Location

Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre, , Oldham, OL1 1HD, United Kingdom

Job ID

1215

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

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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

Find out more

Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

Find out more

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

People, buildings, and a van in a purple cityscape.

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

Find out more

Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

People with disabilities and different backgrounds in a community

Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

Find out more

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.

  1. 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)

  2. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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