Advanced Practitioner

Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance

Wigan Life Centre South

Salary: Grade 10, £45,091 - £49,282 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:

The Advanced Practitioner plays a crucial role by providing mentoring, coaching, and expert practice support to less experienced staff. They lead high quality, child centred practice and ensure the Family Safeguarding model is embedded across the service. Working alongside Team Managers, they support effective leadership, statutory compliance, and strong practice standards. They help develop the workforce through reflective supervision, learning circles, and analytical decision making. The role promotes innovation, quality assurance, and evidence based practice. Holding a small complex caseload, they model best practice through assessments, direct work, and co working. Their work reflects Team Wigan behaviours and incorporates motivational interviewing.

About you:

• You must hold a Social Work qualification such as Social Work Degree, Diploma in Social Work, CQSW, CSS or equivalent qualification and current Social Work England registration.
• Experience of working with children and young people in care, using a strength-based approach.
• Experience of supporting young people in their transition journey as they approach 18 and transition to the leaving care service.
• Experience of working collaboratively with our partners to ensure a robust and meaningful team around the child/young person.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation with its implications for the delivery of social work services to children and families.
• Excellent analytical and judgemental skills and experience of managing complexity and risk, responding in a way that ensures the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and their families.
• Interpersonal and caring skills along with the flexibility to meet the demands needs of children, young people, and their families.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Experience in supporting or guiding lesser experienced social workers.
• Experience in role modelling good quality practice to ensure the maintenance of ‘outstanding’ practice in the children in care service.

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.

Wigan’s Children in Care service is an outstanding service, that is organised into four dedicated teams, each led by a Team Manager. These teams support children who are looked after by the local authority, ensuring high quality care planning, placement stability, and consistent planning toward permanence and independence. Their work includes direct social work support, statutory visits, care planning, pathway planning for older young people, and close collaboration with carers, education settings, and health partners.

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 are excited by this opportunity, we would welcome an informal discussion. Please email Amy Speakman, Service Manager for children in care on amy.speakman@wigan.gov.uk

Interview date: 22/04/2026

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: