Social Worker (Children with Additional & Complex Needs)

People and Place
Social Worker: Children with Additional & Complex Needs Team

Ref: 001233
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £38,296 - £42,503 per annum (Grade 8)
Essential Car user allowance provided.
Hours: 36.66 per week
Based: Spindles
Closing Date: Sunday 22nd February 2026
Interviews: TBC
Informal Enquiries: Contact Nicole Stewart, Team Manager, Martine Lewis, Head of Service
Email: Nicole.stewart@oldham.gov.uk martine.lewis@oldham.gov.uk

The Children with Additional & Complex Needs Team have an opportunity for a qualified Grade 8 Social Worker to join our busy, dynamic and exciting team. You must be a qualified Social Worker with at least 3 Years Post Qualifying Experience and registered with Social Work England, have experience in safeguarding children and looked after processes.
We are a generic team of social workers who manage cases from Short Breaks, Child in Need, Child Protection, PLO, Court, CLA, Transitions and Adoption. You will increase your skill set within this service as an all-round social worker building speciality knowledge in Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interest Meetings, Court of Protection and Inherent Jurisdiction applications You will be creative in your communication skills and tools with a range of verbal and non-verbal children and young people, complete carers assessments and providing packages of respite care. You will also work towards young people transitioning from children to adult services. As a Social Worker within the role it is expected that You will have Experience and Knowledge within these Areas.
We are an Ofsted rated Good authority and embed systemic practice into our everyday work and practice. Come and join are well established, friendly and creative team.
We always have a well-stocked selection of snacks and brews to keep us going!

Here’s why Oldham is the best place to be a social worker right now:
In Oldham we have the highest aspirations to achieve the best outcomes for our children and families and to sustain them in their communities. We put their needs at the heart of everything we do.

We have a clear vision of what we want to achieve and what has already been achieved.

What do our social workers like most about working for us?

• Flexible and agile working arrangements
• Competitive pay with a £2,000 retention payment.
• A generous relocation packages
• A supportive and enabling workplace with quality supervision from your manager
• Access to a comprehensive development programme as part of your ongoing Continuing Professional Development.
• A bespoke workplace designed for social workers with free parking and Essential Car User Allowance
• An Employment Assistance Scheme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
• Reimbursement of professional registration fees (SWE)
• Clear progression pathways and support to develop your social work career in Oldham
• Fit for Oldham Scheme which offers free health and fitness opportunities

What’s different about being a social worker in Oldham?
We work with one of the most diverse communities of any local authority in the country and this is reflected within our workforce which we believe is one of our greatest strengths. The life experiences and challenges facing our children and families are incredibly varied and require an inclusive response which recognises the family’s unique strengths and works with them to achieve solutions.

We will develop and reward you for your expertise - that’s why we make sure you have access to a range of support, continual professional development, and training opportunities to continually improve your practice. We also offer a clear career development route based on your skills and experience through our progression pathway.

Here’s the role:

You’ll work as a member of an experienced team to deliver effective services that promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people at various stages of their journey. We have roles available in our Children with Disability Service.

In Oldham we are committed to systemic practice, with a focus on building relationships with children and families and reflective learning, both within families and as a Service. We will support you with training in this model.

What we need from you:

To apply for any of these positions we need you to be a qualified, experienced social worker and registered with Social Work England.
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS and Requires Registration to the DBS Update Service. If successful, you will be required to register to the DBS Update Service to enable the Council to undertake rechecks throughout your employment. The cost of registering is £13, which can be claimed back when you start, but will not be refunded if you do not accept the offer of employment.

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, aged 24 or under and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer, someone who has served in the Armed Forces, or you’ve participated in the GM Elevate Programme, 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.

Right to Work in the UK from 1st July 2021.doc