Advanced Practitioner Mockingbird Co-ordinator in Manchester

About The Role

Working Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Additional Payments: Essential car user allowance

Closing Date: 11 February 2026

Interview Method: In Person (Face to Face)

Interview Date: 19 February 2026

This role is subject to:

• 2 References - where possible we require 3 years' employment history.
• Social Work Qualification and registration with Social Work England.
• Medical Clearance - Pre-placement health assessment (PPHA).
• Driving Licence – The successful candidate should hold a full clean driving licence as you will be required to drive a vehicle adhering to council regulations.
• Essential Car Documentation - This post is a designated Essential Car User. Therefore, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work. You will receive the Essential Car User Allowance.
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance - this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Manchester has partnered with The Fostering Network to deliver the Mockingbird Family Model. This is an innovative extended family model that aims to improve the stability of fostering placements and strengthen the relationships between carers, children and young people, fostering services and birth families. Our goal is especially to ensure that sibling attachments and relationships are supported to thrive.

The Mockingbird Liaison Worker will have a lead role in the recruitment of the Mockingbird constellations, and the development of Mockingbird constellations alongside supporting the established constellations. They will be well organised and have the skills to put the Mockingbird Family Model into practice with fidelity. The Liaison Worker will work with key partners to develop a shared understanding of and commitment to the Mockingbird Model. The Constellation Liaison Worker will have a lead responsibility to recruit Foster Carers to the constellation, and work with families in the constellation to create an extended family community for children and young people. They will provide effective communication about the offer and work of the Mockingbird Constellation and ensure that the Fostering and social work teams work effectively with the constellation and Hub Carer. The post holder will report to the Fostering Manager and will support the wider work of the Fostering Service.

About the Candidate

We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about supporting our children and their foster families to remain living together within a wider community network of foster carers. You will work within the fostering service, and prior experience working within fostering is desirable but not essential. As part of the recruitment to this role, you must meet the following:

• Be a qualified and registered Social Worker
• Be available for an in-person interview
• Hold a full UK Drivers licence

If you have any questions or just want to have a quick chat, please contact Beth Bird on 07971384893 or drop her an email via elisabeth.bird@manchester.gov.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

About Us

We’re the local government authority for Manchester, and have teams across the city helping to make this a great place to live for everyone. We’re proud to do local government differently, in a city with an international reputation for diversity, creativity, culture and passion. When you join us, you’re joining a team of over 7,000 council staff helping to make our ambition for Manchester a reality. Whatever your role, you’ll be supporting our residents and communities to be the best they can be, and helping to build a Manchester that's fairer for everyone who lives, works, volunteers, studies or plays here.

To make our ambition a reality, every person we recruit needs to play their part. It takes a certain type of behaviour, attitude and way of working to get Manchester where it wants to be. Our people and partners have agreed five ‘behaviours’ – the grounding for how we must work together and treat one another:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

A career with us means you can be yourself, thrive, and build the career your talent and ambition deserve.

Creating an inclusive team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We want to further increase the diversity of our workforce, in particular the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and disabled staff at all levels of the Council. This advert is open to all applicants, and we would particularly encourage applications from candidates identifying with one or both of those characteristics.

If you want to find out more about the role, our ways of working, flexible arrangements or any workplace adjustments, please let us know by emailing jobs@manchester.gov.uk. If you are invited to interview, we will ask you if you require any adjustments for you to best demonstrate your suitability for the role in the interview process.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Accessibility

As a Disability Confident Employer, we provide support for employees with physical or mental-health conditions, a disability or neurodiversity. Our workplaces are accessible by design, and we make workplace adjustments including providing aids, adaptations and equipment. These, combined with our flexible working policies such as disability-related leave, enable our employees to perform their role, thrive and be their authentic selves in work.

We’ve also included some useful tips on how to submit the best application. In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment.

What we will need from you if you’re successful; the pre-employment checks you will be asked to undertake will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these may include:

• Passport/ID: You will be required to provide documentary proof of your right to work in the UK
• References (Current and Previous employer)
• Qualification
• Disclosure and Barring Service Clearance (DBS) (as applicable)
• Evidence of driving licence

When you join us

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.