Social Worker

Wigan Council; Wigan; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Wigan Council in Leigh Town Hall is seeking a social worker for the Adoption Team. The role involves placing children for adoption across the UK, working in a hybrid pattern including office, home, and family visits.

The post requires 3 years post-qualifying experience and knowledge of the Adoption Act 2002 and Adoption Regulations 2005. Right to work in the UK must be shown; DBS checks apply.

Qualifications

• Three years post-qualifying social work experience.
• Knowledge of Adoption and Children Act 2002 and Adoption Regulations 2005.
• Willingness to travel anywhere within the UK to place children for adoption.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with children, families and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Place children for adoption within the UK.
• Work with the adoption team at Leigh Town Hall.
• Engage with foster and adoptive families to support matching.
• Follow safeguarding and Safer Recruitment procedures.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

UK travel availability

Job description

Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance

Leigh Town Hall

Salary: Grade 9, £41,177 - £46,579 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:

As a social worker on the adoption team

About you:

You will have 3 years post qualifying experience.

You will display great inter-personal skills with children, families and colleagues.

You will have a knowledge of Adoption and Children Act 2002 as well as Adoption support Regulations 2005

You will be expected to travel to anywhere within the UK to place children for adoption.

About us:

Based in Leigh Town Hall, The Adoption Team in Wigan is an established team of social workers who are highly experienced in adoption and family finding work and who are passionately committed to the children we work with. You will be expected to place the child at the centre of everything we do

The Adoption Team work in a hybrid manner, which includes working from the office, from home and visiting children in their foster or adoptive homes.

Supported by the team manager there will be opportunities to develop on-going peer supervision to support the social workers to enhance their knowledge and experience in all areas of social work and focusing primarily on the changing landscape of adoption.

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.

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 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, and you must maintain a valid (active) right to work. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Please visit the link below to check you qualify to apply. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Prove your right to work to an employer

Wigan Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. As part of this commitment, Wigan Council operates robust Safer Recruitment procedures

We recognise that on occasion candidates may use AI tools. Please read our applying authentically section below before submitting your application.

For further information, please contact:

Vicky Foster Team Manager [e-mail]

Jodie Laing Advanced Practitioner [e-mail]

Karen Dolan Service lead [e-mail]

Interview dates:

Priority Candidates Tuesday 24th November 2026

All Other Candidates Tuesday 24th November 2026 and Wednesday 25th November 2026

This Role Is Subject To An Enhanced DBS Plus Child Barred List Check

The employer is committed to safeguarding

To view the details relating to this position,

Supporting Documents

• Job Specification
• DBS Applicant Information
• Privacy Notice
• Safer Recruitment at Wigan Council