COMPASS Advanced Social Work Practitioner
MB4 (£45,091 - £51,356)
plus reimbursement of Social Work England registration fees. This role is eligible for an Essential Car User allowance of up to £963 per annum.
37 Hours, Full Time
Temporary, 2 years
Fred Perry House and hybrid working arrangements with the expectation to the be in the office at least 2 days per week.

Application Deadline: 11:59pm 5th June 2026
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: 10th June 2026
Interview Date: 19th June 2026
Interview Type: In person

Join us at Stockport Council MJ Local Authority of the Year 2025

Your Role

We have an exciting opportunity for two experienced social workers to join our Domestic Abuse team as an Advanced Social Work Practitioner.

This is an ideal role for a practitioner who is highly skilled, knowledgeable and passionate about working in the field of domestic abuse, and who is ready to take the next step in their social work career.

This Advanced Practitioner role has a particular focus on high risk and complex domestic abuse, including female genital mutilation (FGM), so-called honour-based abuse and forced marriage.

You will play a key role in strengthening practice and improving outcomes for children and families by providing professional leadership in high risk and complex safeguarding situations, supporting effective and timely risk management. The role includes the supervision, mentoring and support of staff, alongside the delivery of training and practice development activity. You will be expected to lead by example, modelling excellent social work practice, promoting a culture of reflective practice and continuous learning, supporting effective multi agency collaboration to safeguard children, and making confident, evidence based decisions in complex situations. You will work closely with colleagues across Stockport Family and partner agencies to ensure children are safeguarded and families receive the right support at the right time.

We are recruiting to two Advanced Practitioner posts within COMPASS; each will have additional specialist responsibilities. These may include:

  • Practice improvement and quality assurance
  • Specialist consultation and advice to social work teams across Children’s Social Care on all aspects of domestic abuse.
  • MARAC/ Daily Risk
  • Workforce development and training across Children’s Social Care
  • Involvement in MATAC, DAPO and target hardening activity
  • Contributing to delivery plans under the Stockport Domestic Abuse Strategy
  • Supporting the implementation of innovation and pilot activity, including the Intractable MARAC model.

As an Advanced Practitioner in Stockport Family, you will benefit from:

  • Our relationships with families and with each other being at the heart of everything we do. We have a model of restorative practice and relationships are the key to how we work together comprehensive restorative practice training is offered to all
  • Systemic social work practice to help bring about the change that families need to be safe and thriving access to systemic practice training and foundation year, including systemic supervision skills
  • Opportunities to become a Practice Educator and to develop your supervision skills in supporting ASYE social workers
  • Co-located, integrated working bringing social workers, health, and education services together so you can get the help you need quickly for families
  • High quality and regular reflective supervision, recognising we are humans first, professionals second
  • Supportive leadership who listen and respond to feedback
  • Regular informal learning circles to keep your knowledge and skills up to date
  • Dedicated workforce development managers for every stage of your career
  • Genuine commitment to your Continuing Professional Development with regular opportunities across Stockport Family for short and long training courses tailored to your needs and interests; we are committed to your professional development. Many of our team leaders started their careers as social workers in Stockport, and we are committed to supporting you to grow your career with us.
  • Access to corporate leadership and supervision programmes, support, and coaching.

Support for Advanced Practitioners also includes regular check-ins with workforce development and colleagues from across Stockport Family and opportunities to attend meetings with senior leaders to think about our continued journey of learning and improvement to deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families in Stockport.

About You

You will be an experienced social worker, who can draw on a range of experiences, knowledge, and skills to support your team and team leader. A key part of the advanced practitioner role is to nurture and support other member of staff within our service, and you will be keen to develop your supervision skills, thinking reflectively and systemically. You will be a good communicator, able to build rapport and trusting relationships with team members, so that they feel able to approach you for advice and support.

You will be passionate about relationship-based social work, proud of your profession and able to reflect and think creatively about how you can build relationships to make a difference with children and families.

You will be an experienced social worker who is passionate about working with and improving the lives of children living with or affected by domestic abuse. working with domestic abuse victims and survivors and working with perpetrators of domestic abuse. It is essential that you have professional knowledge and expertise in issues and risk relating to domestic abuse, FGM, so called honour-based abuse and forced marriage.

You will be committed to your professional development, take up the vast amount of learning opportunities on offer and be excited about being a part of Stockport Family.

In Stockport Family we value diversity and the unique perspectives that each of us bring and are committed to being an inclusive and aspirational place to work for all colleagues.

What can we offer you?

  • Modern and pleasant offices, with the latest technology so you can work hybrid, and located in the town centre
  • Reimbursement of your Social Work England regulator fees
  • Full subscription to Research in Practice to access the latest research publications
  • Discounted multi-storey parking on-site
  • Essential Car User Allowance from £846 per annum in addition to your salary
  • Annual ‘Ambitious Stockport’ Awards to recognise colleagues who live our values every day in their professional lives
  • For more experienced social workers, the opportunity to be a Practice Educator and mentor a student, which you receive a payment for

About Us

About our model

In Stockport, our model is different to lots of our neighbours. Our focus is on relationships, and we have sought to reduce the number of times that children and families have to re-tell their story and make new relationships with professionals, by taking out the transition points within our social work teams. This offers a unique opportunity for you to gain experience and skills working with children and their families from the point of assessment, throughout their journey within the social care process. That means that you might work with a child until their situation is improved and they can step-down/step out of involvement with children’s social care, or you may support them throughout court proceedings and into permanence. As well as being best for our families, we think that this helps to grow knowledgeable and experienced social workers who are experts in their field.

You will work within One Stockport COMPASS Domestic Abuse Hub in the specialist domestic abuse team alongside colleagues from the police health and the our MAASH (multi agency safeguarding and support hub), as well as locality social work teams and the wader Stockport family teams and services.

Our relentless focus is on striving for the best outcomes possible for our children and families. You will play an important part in delivering outstanding practice and ensuring that children and families are at the heart of all decision-making and service delivery each day.

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 for an informal discussion please contact
Jemma Parish - jemma.parish@stockport.gov.uk
Siobhan Martin siobhan.martin@stockprt.gov.uk
Leanne Baines - leanne.baines@stockport.gov.uk

This post is also open as secondment opportunity for Stockport Council Employees, however, you must seek the permission of your current manager prior to making an application.

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 currently 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 to be shortlisted for Assessment 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

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application. Please also email recruitment@stockport.gov.uk.

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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.

Supporting Documents

Job Profile

Ready to apply?

Location

Edward Street, , Stockport, SK1 3XE, United Kingdom

Job ID

12177

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

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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

Find out more

Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

Find out more

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.

  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

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.

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