Social Worker - Care and Support Service
Bury Council
We are recruiting two Children’s Social Workers to join our Care and Support Service (Looked After Children Team). At Bury Council, we are proud corporate parents who are ambitious for our children and young people. We are looking for two passionate, committed and relationship-focused Social Workers to join our Care and Support Service, the team responsible for supporting our Looked After Children. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a stable, supportive and fully staffed service where children remain at the centre of everything we do. Whether you are an experienced Social Worker looking for your next challenge or a practitioner wanting to continue developing your skills, we can offer you the support, training and career progression opportunities to thrive. Why Join Bury? We are on an exciting improvement journey and are committed to creating the best possible environment for children, families and social workers. We recognise that excellent social work happens when professionals feel supported, valued and empowered. That's why we provide: As a smaller authority, you will have the opportunity to know your colleagues, build strong professional relationships and make a genuine impact on the lives of children and young people. What We're Looking For: We want enthusiastic practitioners who are passionate about improving outcomes for looked after children and young people. You will: Our Benefits Package: We offer a comprehensive rewards and benefits package, including: Come and Be Part of the Bury Family: If you are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of looked after children and want to work in a supportive, ambitious and forward-thinking organisation, we would love to hear from you. Join Team Bury and help us give our children and young people the futures they deserve. #TeamBury About Bury As a Corporate Parent, ensure that the work and services you deliver considers our care experienced young people, promotes their life chances empowers them to influence the policies, services, and decisions that affect them, champions their rights, and ensure they grow up in the best possible way Benefits of working for Bury Council Next steps For an informal chat regarding the role please contact Rob Neild, Head of Service - Corporate Parenting: R.Neild@Bury.gov.uk Children’s Social Worker (Looked After Children)
Join Team Bury and help us achieve our “Let’s Do It for Children” vision
About the Role: As a Social Worker within our Care and Support Service, you will work with children and young people who are looked after by the local authority, including those living in foster care, residential care and other placements. You will build meaningful and trusting relationships with children, young people and their families, ensuring their voices shape plans and decisions about their lives. You will promote permanence, stability and positive outcomes, supporting children to achieve their full potential. Where appropriate, you will undertake reunification work, helping children safely return to their families and supporting the maintenance of important family relationships.
The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare or children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Appointment may be subject to a satisfactory disclosure at the appropriate level under the Disclosure and Barring Service.
In line with safer recruitment, please ensure that your application/CV covers your full employment history and there is a reason noted for any gaps in employment. Successful candidates will be asked to provide relevant references for the past ten years and character references will not be accepted.
To hear about the benefits for working with Bury Council, please visit A good employer | greater jobs
We support employees to work with agility, where appropriate for the post and service requirements.
We are committed to Bury being an equal society that recognises values and embraces all people, regardless of any difference, for the skills, abilities and experiences they bring into the workforce and the wider community. Therefore we guarantee an interview for disabled people, looked after children/ care leavers, armed forces personnel (including reservists and veterans) and carers of adults or disabled children if they meet the essential criteria.Supporting Documents
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Location
Knowsley Street, , Bury, BL9 0SW, United Kingdom
Job ID
12287
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This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.
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Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
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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
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