Out of Hours Social Worker
Stockport Council
- Expired
Out of Hours Social Worker Application Deadline: 19th April 2026, 11:59pm Current rota (subject to change) as follows While we embrace the use of AI as an innovative tool to maximise our services at Stockport 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. Join us at Stockport Council MJ Local Authority of the Year 2025 Your Role Stockport Family is looking for an experienced Social Worker to join our Out of Hours (OOH) Team full time, working a shift pattern outside of normal hours. The OOH service provides an effective and timely response to urgent notifications that occur outside usual business hours that identify a child or adult is vulnerable and at risk of harm. You will join a well-established, highly experienced team of Social Workers to perform this statutory social care function who benefit from Team Manager Support as well as On Call Service Lead support. Activity includes statutory social work functions such as Section 47 investigations, decision making, safeguarding adult investigations, placement of children (including pace beds) and adults in residential care, completion of welfare visits and checks. You will be provided with a solo protect device, which offers you personal security whilst lone working and allows you to discretely contact for immediate help 24/7. About You You will be a passionate social work practitioner, proud of your profession and able to reflect and think creatively about how you respond at pace to urgent social work intervention to ensure children, families and adults are safe and achieve the best outcomes. You will be confident using professional judgement to employ a range of interventions ensuring safety whilst balancing rights and risks. You will be flexible and a team player, and expected to cover shifts for annual leave and to support the team. You must have a current Social Work England registration and you will be committed to your professional development, take up the vast amount of learning opportunities on offer and be excited about becoming part of Stockport Family. You must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in a statutory children’s social work team. In Stockport Family we value diversity and the unique perspectives that each of us bring and are committed to our workforce being representative of the diverse communities that we serve. About Us What do social workers say about working in Stockport? “Working in Stockport makes you love social work again. From the moment I started in Stockport, I fell in love with my job again. This is real social work. If you miss direct work with children, life story work, systemic genograms, family network meetings, reflective practice, relationships, this is the place for you. The term ‘restorative practice’ genuinely means something here and everyone from front line workers to senior management care about keeping families together and management care about their staff”. At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions. If you would like to find out more about the role please contact Jessica Britton via email Jessica.britton@stockport.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role. Click here to find out more about the Employee Benefits you will receive when you join our team! The successful applicant’s appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment clearances including a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed an interview if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria. Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme Eligible at-risk employees are entitled to have their applications considered ahead of internal employees in line with the Council’s Recruitment and Selection Policy. At risk employees are either employees in the last three months of their fixed term contract, or those who have been notified in writing that they are at risk by Human Resources following an employee consultation meeting. Employees wishing to be considered as an at-risk applicant are requested to email recruitment@stockport.gov.uk to inform Human Resources. At risk applications are only permitted for opportunities at the employees’ current grade or grades below. Follow our recruitment team on X, Instagram and Facebook for updates on our vacancies and recruitment events. Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce. We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.
SO3 (£39,862 - £45,091 dependent on experience) plus 20% Out of Hours enhancement, plus essential car user allowance of up to £963 per annum, and reimbursement of Social Work England fees
37 Hours, Full Time, worked over 7 days/4 week rota
Temporary Maternity Cover 12 months
Hybrid: Fred Perry House and homeworking for night shifts
Please be aware that we may close this vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Shortlisting Date: 20th April 2026
Interview Date: 1st May 2026
Interview Type: Face to face
Week 1 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 16:30-23:00 and Sunday 20:30 08:30
Week 2 Monday 20:30 08:30, Friday 16:00-23:30, Saturday and Sunday 08:30-20:30
Week 3 Monday 16:30-23:00, Friday and Saturday 20:30 08:30
Week 4 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 20:30 08:30 and Sunday 16:30 23:00Supporting Documents
↗ Job Profile
Location
Edward Street, , Stockport, SK1 3XE, United Kingdom
Job ID
12056
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
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
Employee Benefits
Annual Leave
A generous annual leave allowance, up to 30 days annual leave dependent on grade and length of service, plus bank holidays with the option to purchase additional annual leave
Work Life Balance
Work and personal life balance. Many jobs include part time working, flexi-time and homeworking
Employee engagement
Employee engagement networks to support colleagues and create opportunities to feed into both workforce and borough strategies
Volunteering
Support for volunteering by allowing up to 4 hours per month (pro rata) to carry out any duties associated with this
Learning and Development
A suite of learning and development opportunities, from important data protection training to all level apprenticeships
Discounts
A huge range of discounts via an easy to use portal, including: Gym memberships, restaurants, events, travel, cycle to work scheme, home electronics and more.
Wellbeing
Access to an employee support hotline, available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
Pension Scheme
Option to join the Local Government Pension Scheme and give your pension a boost by enrolling into a salary sacrifice scheme.
Our Recruitment Journey
Seen a job you’re interested in but want to understand more about our recruitment process?
Application stage
When you have seen a job, you are interested in you can submit your application online by clicking ‘Apply Now’, some vacancies will ask you to complete a supporting statement where you should address the About You section of the Job Profile for the role. Other vacancies will ask you to upload a CV.
Shortlisting
In keeping with our commitment to inclusion, recruiting managers take an anonymised approach to recruiting when shortlisting your application form. They will use the supporting information section of your application and your work history to assess your suitability for the job. You'll be notified of the outcome of your application form via email and if successful you'll be invited to book an interview slot.
Interviews
When preparing for the interview, you should familiarise yourself with the job profile. The About You section of the job profile contains the criteria that will be assessed at interview stage. You can prepare for interview by ensuring that you have clear examples relating to how you have met these criteria. If you require any reasonable adjustments because of a disability under the Equality Act, to assist you during the selection process we would be pleased to discuss them with you on recruitment@stockport.gov.uk
Offer stage and pre-employment checks
Offer stage and pre-employment checks If you're offered the job after interviewing, you'll be sent a conditional offer detailing your new role. Along with the conditional contract and offer letter, our team will be in touch regarding your pre-employment checks.
The pre-employment checks that you will need to undertake will depend on the role that you've applied for. These checks may include:
right to work in the UK
Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
The information provided will be dealt with in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice
gaps in employment
reference checks. We will request references prior to issuing your conditional contract
pre-employment health declaration
qualification checks
